Swimming the Channel

I have a couple of great friends, Abi and Bryan, who live off the coast of south Georgia near Jekyll Island, and always cook up an adventure when Amie and I visit them.  Last time we were there, Abi and Bryan took us to Driftwood Beach on the north end of the island.  It's a cool place, but this story is not about that.  

From Driftwood Beach, you can see the next island over, St. Simon's Island, and its lighthouse (I like to climb to the top of lighthouses, it's a thing I do). Abi and I decided swimming to St. Simon's would be our next great swimming challenge (Abi and I like swimming challenges, it's a thing we do.) Since Abi was approximately six months pregnant at the time, we decided it would be best to wait a bit on this challenge.

Fast-forward a few months to this weekend and Abi has had her second adorable baby, and Amie and I are there visiting. We begin talking about the great swimming challenge again.  Abi's husband Bryan knows a lot about a lot of stuff (it's a thing he does.)  He's against the great swim because 1) the currents in this particular channel are strong and unpredictable 2) we would have to cross a shipping channel and 3) it is approximately a mile across.

I protest, mainly because I don't understand currents and I don't think Bryan realizes my swimming prowess, but Bryan offers a compromise: swim across the Jekyll River instead.  The river is narrower (about 700 yards across), quieter (only recreational boaters visit its waters) and well-known to Bryan (who gives regular kayak tours up and down the Jekyll). While Abi, as a nursing mother, bows out, I am remain hooked by the thought of an open water swim. While a shorter distance, it would still be tough crossing open water with the only options being to literally sink or swim if I feel like giving up.  

Bryan offers to kayak along beside me so that boaters won't have a problem seeing me in the water and to help if I get in trouble out there. Finally, the plan is set.  Amie and Abi watch and cheer from the dock as we take off.  I leave from the dock like a rocket, and quickly realize I was in such a hurry I forgot a hair tie. Annoying.  Soon after, I regret the absences of goggles in the salt water river.  I've always swum with eyes open, but I can only stand that burn for about 5 minutes before the eyes have to close and I'm swimming blind.  

But I want to impress my friends and prove to myself I can do it.  I make it to the marsh on the opposite side in 10 minutes. I stand on my knees on the sandbar with some bird friends, and give a victory wave to my friends back on the dock. I'm not sure if they could see or not, but it felt good.  Bryan and I start back and I immediately realize this is going to be more difficult. The wind is pushing against me, which makes it harder, but it also means there are choppy waves that are slapping me in the face each time I come up for air.  The salt water is now burning my throat too.  It takes me 21 minutes to make it back, because of the way the wind is pushing against me, but my friends all cheer as I near the dock and Bryan (who I secretly think I have impressed with my swimming ability) starts talking of other swimming feats he thinks I'm ready to take on.

A few months ago I looked up how far it would be to swim the English Channel.  I had heard of people doing it, so I thought it couldn't be too far.  Turns out, it is 21 miles!  At my average swim pace of about a 40-minute mile that would take me about 14 hours of continuous swimming, assuming I could keep that pace the whole time (which would be close to impossible).  On top of the distance, it is a very cold swim and it is across a busy shipping channel.  So, while it may sound cool to be able to say you've swum the English Channel, for now, I think I'll stick with trying to challenge myself swimming to the islands off the coast of south Georgia.    


Do you ever challenge yourself physically? Try to do something new just because you want to see if you can. If yes, what do you do?




Amie took lots of pictures (Amie likes to take pictures, it's a thing she does) of the adventure, but in most've them I'm sort of a spec. Here are a few.

Taking off from the dock and heading for the land opposite.

See the land near the end of the bridge? That's where I swam.