Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

We had only seen the islands from a distance and did not know exactly what we had to face. We had to hike down a sea cliff after traveling about an hour by train and taxi. By the time we reached the sea and started, the tidal flow was going against us. The islands are in the middle of a fast-moving, narrow channel. Combined with the oncoming wind and the dropping water temperature, we got halfway and decided to turn around. It took us over 4 minutes for the first 100 meters and we were going as fast as we can. Both my son and I are in good shape, but both of us were breathing hard when we turned around. I would have continued if he wanted and he said he would have continued if I wanted to, but we both knew that we had no escorts or knowledge of the area, so we decided that it was better to turn around and be safe.

It was fun. It was an adventure. It was memorable. It was beautifully clear water about 12-13 degrees C. But it was a DNF.

But we will try it again next year. We now know what we have to face. The area is off-limits to swimming so we cannot ask people to support us. In Japan, this can get everyone in trouble so we have to be quiet and do it when no one is looking.

My wife came with us to take videos and photos from shore. I had a GoPro camera in my swimsuit, but I was concentrating on swimming against the tide and could not stop and film while I was swimming. If so, we would have been pushed back to shore.

Of course, my wife was so worried the entire time, she was so happy that we turned around.

But she will come with us next year.

The adventure continues.
Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association