I'm a Channel Swimmer, AMA

[AtlasObscura]

Inspired by another thread and the Sink Or Swim Stand Up To Cancer programme.

I was part of a channel relay team in 2017 - it was terrifying and thrilling in equal measure and I haven't been back in the sea since

Ask me anything x

How amazing! How far did you personally have to swim? It's a long way and very cold! How did you get involved with it?

I met a lady at bootcamp who has done this, she says she got really seasick doing the swimming!! Did this happen to you?

what was most scary?

I'm scared shitless 10m from shore

30under

I'm not sure the distance I swam in total but we all took it in turns doing an hour in the water. They keep you to a strict rotation so if you're the 3rd swimmer in on the first round then you have to stick to that for subsequent rounds.

I was swimmer number 2 on a team of 6

I was training for a 10k swim and got talking to others on a Facebook page prior to that and got into it that way. I actually thought that if I could do a 10K swim, a channel relay would be a breeze but I was very very wrong!

thenewaveragebear1983

I did get very seasick unfortunately. With a relay you spend more time on the boat then you do in the water and the sickness is definitely worse on the boat. Even though I was terrified about getting in, I knew it would bring some relief.

The main issue too was keeping enough food and water down when back on the boat (particularly warm drinks) to keep hydrated and warm enough for next swim. I managed to keep down sips of black tea with some energy powder mixed in (although it didn't stay down for long)

Did you see any big jelly fish / large fish / anything scary in the water

I imagine it’s bloody cold - did you find that you learnt to slowly tolerate cold water through training? I think I’d die of cold...

Congratulations - it’s a massive achievement x

redchocolatebutton
what was most scary?

For me, getting into the water in the dark. We left Dover at just after 3 am so it was still dark when it was my slot.

On my second swim it was much lighter and by then I could see the jellyfish - bit freaky

Calmingvibrations

There were thousands of jellies. I didn't mind the smaller ones so much although these were the ones that stung.

The Barrel Jellyfish were the ones that freaked me out. We had a pact on the boat that we would try to steer the swimmer in the water around these if we spotted them. I wanted to keep my eyes closed and just follow instructions such as 'left a bit' etc but it didn't quite work and I swam into a few.

They are HUGE and it's like swimming into a large slimy ball!

I cant remember the sea temp when we swam, I think about 16 degrees which isn't too bad as you have to train in lower temps then that.

For a relay you have to do a 2 hour qualifying swim in water no warmer than 14 degrees (I think it's 6 hours for the solo swimmers) and I did lots of acclimatisation in a local river. Even a 10 minute dip a few times a week helps

Other swimmers had mention sightings of basking sharks which freaked me out.

For me it was the tankers, even when we held back and kept a safe distance, they are really intimidating.

Is it as expensive for a relay? Do you split the cost? I looked into it but at 3.5k I figured not 😱. How long did you train for? I sea swim about 5 times a week and really want a good challenge!
Also - are you on the OWS Facebook group 🙈

I can't remember exact cost Mooey but yes it was expensive although definitely advantages of splitting some costs (of the pilot boat). I can't remember whether we all had to pay our own registration costs, plus medical etc.

I hadn't had much training in the sea, I had dipped a few times and completed my 2 hour qualifier in the sea at Deal. It definitely takes a while to get used to the salty water - different breathing technique for sure

Could you consider a relay? There is a FB group page where you can look for other relay swim team mates and I think the charity Aspire take out several relays each year?

It sounds as if you live on the coast which is great as you would have year round access for training. That was something I struggled with as I am a bit landlocked where I live.

Yes, am on the OSS page - I love the OSS organised swims - have you done any?

I haven’t yet because I only got into it a few months ago. I’ll look out for them though!

How long have you been swimming - did you swim in a club as a child?

And, for the Channel swim, what happens when you reach France?

I didn't swim in a squad as a child, I hadn't swam since school (a very bad breaststroke), so I joined a local Masters group and learnt front crawl but I really wanted to try an open water event so I plucked up courage to sign up for the Henley Mile and did my training in a local lake with lots of other lovely and supportive swimmers.

I was very lucky on the relay as I was the swimmer to land in France and we landed at Cap Gris Nez which is a nice sandy beach. There were families on the beach and I received a little round of applause and people took selfies of my bloodshot swollen face.

I spent about 15 mins on the beach and was really hoping my other team mates would be allowed to jump overboard and join me there as teams had been allowed to do that on other swims, but our observer didn't allow it.

I was desperate for a wee, so I waded back into the sea and swam out to the dingy and then back to the pilot boat.

That was something I had to really train to do as well - wee whilst swimming! It's instinctive to stop swimming while you pee but you cant afford to lose valuable seconds doing that so our coach was very insistent that we practice peeing and swimming at the same time.

I didn't quite master it though and had to stop a few times to 'adjust my googles'

Mooey I dont know where you live but am assuming the coast. If you're UK based then search FB for 'sea swimmers north Devon' (for example. You may just find a local group and I don't think I have ever encountered an open water swimmer who wasn't friendly and supportive (apart from a few triathletes )

Also try searching the OSS FB page for your area (town/county etc) as you will uncover loads of posts from people in same area look to meet up.

The sea is at it's warmest this time of year so no excuse

How exciting that you were the one to reach France!

How long was it from you starting open water swimming to doing the Channel?

About 4 years but more of a fair weather swimmer for most of that x

Did you grease yourself up for insulation?

I didn't - I think some solo swimmers do though. We all remember the Victoria Wood sketch

Were you ill afterwards?

And would you recommend it?

Why did you do it???

I did suffer from sea sickness but that eased off as soon as we got back to Dover.

I don't think there is anything 'in the water' that would make you ill although not recommended you drink the stuff

I know lots of swimmers who get ill from lake and river swims though, especially after heavy rain.

Would I recommend it? Yeah why not 🤣 if it's something you've always wanted to do.

A relay is an excellent way to train for solo too. I take my hat off to all solo swimmers, those guys are hardcore

*I'mashowpony
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Good question - I think I felt I needed the challenge. It seemed like a Herculean task - but I knew if I tackled it step by step with training and acclimatisation then I could give it my best shot

2 of our swimmers were raising money for a cancer charity so I collected sponsorship to add to the pot and that seemed to help focus my mind a bit

Also, I discovered that I was a good long distance swimmer, I am middle aged, not that fit and was never sporty or physically confident growing up - being a bit of a short arse!

But it turned out I could get into open water and swim for several hours if needed and that was a pleasant surprise

Do you still train with your Masters club?