My sea swim buddy and I have been trying for a perfect boat trip for a number of years now. The first one we booked was a day trip from Portrush to Islay. I think it was four or five years ago. A huge storm rolled in and the trip was cancelled due to inclement weather.
The second one was a whale and dolphin watching trip, three years ago. A huge storm rolled in but the trip went ahead, despite the inclement weather. The only thing I saw on that trip was my life flashing in front of my eyes as 10 foot high waves crashed over the top of the boat and soaked us to the skin. We adopted the brace position and held on tight. When we got back to dry land, nobody on the boat could walk! We were like a bunch of drunks stumbling around the harbour, trying to fix our sea legs!! We went into a yacht club for cups of tea and left two puddles of water on the floor when we left.
Today was our ‘third time lucky’ trip. A trip along the coast to Rathlin Island, with the potential for a quick swim under Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. In celebration of my sea sister’s birthday. Thankfully her birthday luck was in!! We had a fantastic trip.
I’ll not lie, as the day got closer I was getting more and more nervous about the potential swim. Conditions were looking good. I really wanted to swim, but it’s open water and swimming off a boat is very different to swimming from a beach. What if I couldn’t get out of the boat? More concerning, what if I couldn’t get back in??
I’m used to a slow walk in, my body acclimatising to the cold water as I go in deeper. I never go out of my depth. Today’s dip wasn’t like that. There was a lift on the back of the boat…….. My intrepid pal stepped onto the lift as I was still flaffing around getting myself organised. The skipper lowered the lift slightly and she jumped in. I watched in admiration whilst feeling the fear rise from my tummy. Could I do that??
I went over to the lift and stepped on. It was really just a square of metal grid flooring that lowers into the water. The skipper lowered me down a short distance. I knew I should jump but I couldn’t do it! I was trying to manoeuvre myself into a sitting position to allow a more gentle ‘plop’ into the water when the lift started moving lower, the skipper seeing my fear at the prospect of jumping and my ungainly attempts to try to make things easier. As the lift went down I felt like I was in a shark cage and knew I’d just have to go for it. With the water at thigh level I dropped in, with a shriek of seasteria, and swam round to my friend at the side of the boat. I shook off the feeling of being like shark bait and the momentary thought that my foot might get shredded by a propellor! I saw my pal’s face, full of delight and pride, and I reminded myself I could swim, the boat was right beside me, and I was safe.
We were doing it!! We were swimming in open, very deep water in a great big ocean. We could see the cliffs and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge! Sea birds were flying all around us and we knew there was a minke whale somewhere close by, probably watching us and wondering what all the fuss was about. It was amazing!!
Another passenger decided she’d get in too. She hadn’t come prepared…..no swimsuit, no towel. She just felt the pull of the sea and leapt off the lift fully clothed in shorts and a t-shirt. She’s a total legend!!
I wasn’t in for long and my entry and exit were hugely aided by the lift, but I DID IT!! I wasn’t elegant, I was slow to get in and out and I laughed like a nut job, but…….. I proper swam in proper deep open ocean and it felt fantastic!! Another leap forward.
Cancer can’t stop me yet!! Living with…. xx
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