Scratch January off the list

Jan 30, 2006 22:11

I've developed an odd new goal-oriented hobby (or habit, or task?), which is swimming in the Atlantic Ocean at least once every month of the year.

So far I've gotten lucky, in that October and November both had unseasonably warm days when a quick dip was not entirely out of the question. Okay, October was alright, because the water still had some residual summer heat. November was pretty damn cold, even though it was about 60 degrees in the air that day. I think the water was around 50, which is plenty brisk.

December I cheated by going to Puerto Rico, where the water felt like about 70, and it was 85 outside.

But today, today was death-defying. It was a pleasant day, about 60 in the afternoon and sunny. By the time I got out to Long Beach Island (NJ), an hour's drive from my office, it was about 6:30 PM, 45 degrees outside, and misty. And dark. I stripped down, dashed into the water with my pal S., and dove under the first wave I could. All the blood in my limbs immediately fled for the torso, and all surface capillaries felt like they closed immediately. Around this time, my muscles served notice to my brain that it had better get us out of this mess ASAP, or they would go on a wildcat strike. I sprinted onto the beach and frantically dried off. S. and I went to the nearest diner and gorged on omelettes and homefries until we felt human again.

I just looked up the water surface temp online. It's about 40 degrees off the coast of NJ. No wonder.

Only two more months to go.

bad ideas, atlantic ocean, good ideas, cold, swimming

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