16th December 2021
Many would consider swimming in the dark foolhardy and perhaps dangerous.
I would never swim in the dark in a location that I did not know extremely well. I regularly swim in Portland Harbour but this does not mean that taking a dip in the dark is without risks. On this occasion, the day had been very calm, and my swim at about 17.00hrs meant that dusk was changing into night. It was low tide, and I did not swim out of my depth. I was not alone, and I put a light inside my tow float, so that my shore-based swim buddy could see me at all times.
It had been a difficult day and I needed to find a way to rebalance my mental health. I swam for about 8 minutes this evening, enough to allow my racing head thoughts to diminish and for my body to feel the benefits of the cold water.
A head torch might be a good idea, for future night swims, as this will help me spot any unexpected hazards in the water, and will make getting in and out safer.