The flag hung limply from the flagpole at West Neck Beach this morning, but the lack of wind was a blessing for the ten swimmers who turned out for this morning's 8:00 swim (Rob Martell, Rob Todd, Carole Wickham, Bonnie Millen, Gae Polisner, Mike Paradise, Ken Longo, Tommy Capobianco, Tony Santomauro and I). With the air temperature a shockingly low 39 degrees, a lusty gust would have kept most of us in our cars, but the sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky and the still air felt surprisingly warm...especially when we hunkered in close to Rob Martell's trio of space heaters under the overhang!
Even the water temperature had dropped several degrees since Friday and Saturday's swims, to a chilly 55-58 degrees. But in comparison to the air, the water was relatively warm, and after the initial screams and squeals getting in (mostly from me) and a dozen or so strokes, the water felt merely bracing and not cold....Once past the mooring field it felt even warmer, and all but one of us continued all the way to the sailboat mooring, where we lingered for our usual "buoy-chat" (while the Robs raced each other to the "North Pole").
The wind had picked up a little for the return trip on an incoming tide, so getting out was chillier than getting in, even though the air temperature had climbed to 55 degrees by then...Despite the chill, it was a gorgeous, exhilarating, perfect swim...and on October 10, 2010, this open-water swimming season (which last year ended on October 9th) is still going strong!
Some of us who have the day off tomorrow will be swimming again at 8:00. See you in the Salt!
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