Steven Munatones (63, USA, MSF bio here, @steven.munatones) recalled after swimming Day Four of Swim Shōdoshima（スイム小豆島), “This was exactly how I envisioned the swim to be under ideal conditions. The winds were non-existent, the overcast skies turned sunny, the countercurrents were minimal. And most special were the beautifully scenic uninhabited islands that we swam by. Every time that I breathed towards the island, there was another view that touched my heart.
It was a spectacular swim. It was special because I was able to do with escort kayaker Chris Morgan, paddle boarder Skyler Munatones, and standup paddler Jessie Salas (@coachjsalas). “These guys are great. It is a joy and an honor to swim alongside them.
Day Four saw our human-powered flotilla traverse 16.01 km in 3 hours 37 minutes.
Sometimes, the currents were behind me and it was very easy to swim. But in order to catch these currents, Skyler and Chris guide me to swim very near to the shore and rocks. Right along the shoreline, the water moves very fast and I can ride the current so my effective pace is fast.
When I swim next to shore, I can see the underwater rock formation, jellyfish, and kelp underneath me. If the jellyfish are floating in my same direction and the kelp is leaning over (like a palm tree) in my same direction, I know the currents are with me. If the jellyfish are floating in a direction against me and the kelp is leaning over away from me, then I know the current is against me. If the current is with me, I feel like I am swimming with fins. When the current is against me, I feel like I am swimming up a river. But most of the time, the currents are either pushing me one way or the other so I feel the water moving either sideways or diagonally.“
Video Update
Shōdoshima
Shōdoshima is an island located in the Seto Inland Sea within hours of Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto by car and/or train, and ferry.
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