Open water swimming is a cerebral sport. Everything is internalized and every sensation is enhanced in the moment.
That is, when you are swimming, the sound of your arm strokes, the beating of your heart, the coldness of the water seems heightened.
Stand onshore and gaze at the water. This gives you one perspective. But stand waist-deep in the water and the same body of water takes on a completely different personality. Start swimming and the water dynamic goes into overdrive. What happened 5 minutes ago, what happened 5 seconds ago means relatively little when you are swimming in the moment. It is a personal experience that is both visceral and instinctive.
When something like swimming is so personal and is felt so deeply within your being, it is a pleasure to read a book and look at photos of others doing the same thing. There is a oneness and camaraderie with those who write exceedingly well about swimming like Lynn Sherr (SWIM – Why We Love The Water)Antonio Argüelles and Nora Toledano (A Cada Brazada: El Azul Interminable).
Chris Ayriss is one of those gifted, passionate writers with a unique talent for composing prose that is inherently meaningful to swimmers. He researched swimming over the course of a decade and subsequently penned Hung Out To Dry, the story of British swimming that delves deeply in its history and social implications.
Hung Out To Dry is a great book for swimmers and those who enjoy viewing society from a specific perspective….from the water’s edge.
Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source