If you mix and gin and tonic, say 1 to 2 (okay, it's a breakfast stiffener) then if the gin comes out of the fridge at about 3 degrees and the tonic sits in the utility room at about 10, then the temperature of the whole drink will be about 7.5 degrees, about the same temperature as the North Sea was this afternoon. That's according to a diver, anyway. I managed about 5 minutes before my hands went numb and decided to get out to enjoy the instant endorphin hit. Following this addictive sharp-focus and total-wellbeing stage is the sherbet, when my skin is re-filled with blood from my core and starts to feel a bit fizzy.
This really was the most challenging dip of the year, (the New Year dip was toasty in comparison at about 14 degrees) because it really only gets cold in March. I am now full of confidence for the rest of the year having missed January and February because of the stormy seas; submitting to a mirror calm chilly sea is one thing, but being slapped about the face at the same time is too much. In the warm days floating in the sea and enjoying the kelp and fish I almosst miss the really cold swims -getting in the water is not so much of a challenge and being naturally lazy being able to swim in cold water is one of the few things I can be proud of. Never actually broken ice to swim, but would love to, one day, if only to say that I have done it.
Green End Gully at low tide - had to wait 10 minutes while the divers byoogered off, what a pain, there were 5 of them splashing about, each of them like a cross between Darth Vadar and some kind of cyber seal, couldn't even find a gap to get in the water, it was like cereal.
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