Going to the beach and splashing in the shallows is an easy pleasure on the Sunshine Coast, but today there are more and more swimmers zipping up wetsuits and heading out further than they’ve ever been, into the deep blue sea.
It’s a full-body aqua-massage where each dormant muscle is gently woken up and made to feel intensely, gorgeously alive.
Adventure Swims founders Ralph West and Kevin Richards of Port Elizabeth love to share the aquatic playground of the Eastern Cape with others, and in East London Joy Roach is one of many kindred water spirits.
“There’s been a phenomenal increase — it’s like the new jogging,” Richards, a former international professional swimmer, says.
“When I first came back to PE around seven years ago you’d see a handful — there always were the people who trained, like triathletes, but now there is a growing number who are really swimming for fitness or for the love of being in the ocean.”
In East London, Roach says, it’s much the same.
“The interest has been incredible. It’s one of the quickest growing sports,” Roach says.
“Age doesn’t matter, swimming transcends that age group thing, as everybody is in it together and just loving it.”
Both metros have great beaches which are suitable for different abilities.
“We have so many different places to swim: Orient Beach, right next to the harbour, is great for beginners as it’s protected from the westerly winds, and we also swim a lot in the Gonubie River,” Roach says.
“Fear can set in but that’s part of the excitement because it’s an adventure, you are not just staying in a pool lane, going round in circles and, once you get into it, you get hooked, absolutely hooked.”
Apart from being out of your depth, other fears include sharks, and Buffalo City swimmers often use a small shark pod device with a long tail which sends out a mild electric charge.
“Sharks have this sensor on their snout and they don’t like this and they stay away — or so we believe!”
In her many years of swimming, however, Roach has never seen a shark: “I believe that we are not their food, they are not there to get us.”
PE swimming coach and NSRI volunteer Lindi-Mae Humphreys grew up on the beach and agrees.
“I went through Nippers and that was a massive confidence booster, because I’ve spent hours and hours in the water and never once seen a shark.
“You have more chance of electrocuting yourself with a toaster than getting bitten by a shark, so I’ll take my chances!”
Humphreys also has seen interest grow, across all population groups.
“It’s black, white, coloured, Indian, and not just kids, I’ve seen a massive increase in adults because parents are embarrassed to tell their child they don’t know how to swim,” she says.
Safety should always be to the fore and West and Richards each have WhatsApp groups of more than 100 swimmers, which means there is usually someone to tag along with. In EL there is a similarly supportive water community.
“We are trying to get safety protocols in place as there are so many more swimmers, which gives you so many more variables,” West says.
“What happens if you get a cramp, for example, or — heaven forbid — a more serious health incident like a heart attack?
“If you are 50m offshore and you do not know what you’re doing, you can be in big trouble.”
West recommends swimming in a group of five or six, wearing a bright cap and preferably using a swim buoy for buoyancy and visibility.
Though EL and PE have several beautiful beaches, they are not all equally safe for beginners so ask a more experienced swimmer where to start.
Swimming as a hobby can be as cheap as a cozzie and a pair of swim goggles, or you can dive in and buy a wetsuit, fitness watch, hi-tech goggles, insulated swim cap, earplugs, nose-clip and more.
As winter nears and sea temperatures start dropping, you’ll see numbers shrink to a core group of 10-15 swimmers, then rise again as the water warms up.
And once you are comfortable in the ocean, you may find that it becomes your oyster.
For more information on East London open-water swimming, contact Dr Sean Murray or the East London Open Water Swimmers on Facebook; for Port Elizabeth, contact Richards and West via Adventure Swims’ website.
HeraldLIVE
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