Go with the flow and open water swimming is easier. Go against the flow (tides, currents) and open water swimming can be frustrating, tiring and an act of slow-motion progress.
Purposefully going against the tides feels…well…satisfying to finish.
Facing this ebb and flow is what 6 swimmers of the Chalkwell Redcaps will do in 6 hours within 1 tide on 3 loop swims from The Crowstone in Chalkwell to Southend Pier.
15 kilometers with only tide means the swimmers will swim against a fast incoming and fast outgoing tide for two of the lengths. Lorraine Rate describes the charity challenge swim as follows here:
“The first length, as the tide comes in, will be tough but the swimmers will be fresh and strong.
Length two should be relatively quick as the tide will still be incoming as the swimmers return to the Crowstone to complete lap 1.
Lap 2 hopefully should not cause too much of a problem, as long as the weather is kind.
Length 5 will be swum with an out-going tide, so although the swimmers will be extremely tired, provided they are on target, they will have the force of nature on their side.
Length 6 will be THE KILLER. 6 tired, exhausted swimmers will only be able to reach their goal and get back home, by swimming against a strong outgoing tide.”
The swim is a Chalkwell Redcaps charity effort supporting the RNLI and Essex Search & Rescue.
Photo courtesy of The Redcap Challenge.
Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source