Level 3: Into the Sea

This post is now extremely delayed, but things have been busy. Anyway, I thought it was still worth recording what happened when we went to Level 3. 



At Level 3 swimming in the sea was allowed, but still had to be socially-distanced. Of course, there are certain risks with swimming alone in the sea, but because there is such a strong ocean swimming community here in Wellington, it never really became a problem.

On the first day of Level 3 I cycled around to Freyberg Beach at around midday. It was a beautiful day, sunny, windless, warm, but with a slight suggestion of early autumn in the air. I stripped down to my togs, locked my backpack to my bike, inflated the tow-float (with keys inside) and strode forth into the water. It was an exciting feeling.

The water wasn't much cooler than when we'd last swum five weeks earlier, and despite those five weeks having dragged on, it felt just like yesterday that I'd last swum. While I didn't have a socially-distanced swim companion, there were quite a few people out in the water and on the water. Kayakers, paddle-boarders, even a man and his child on boogie boards, were around and about. I set out in a decorous breaststroke, wondering if my arms would still work (they did) and admiring the views while enjoying the water sensation.  I decided I'd do a 2nd buoy-fountain lap, and then if I had any strength left, I'd go around again. However, as I breaststroked onwards I soon passed the 1st buoy, and the 2nd buoy. Hmmm, it seemed a good idea to go on to the 3rd buoy .... but when I reached the 3rd buoy, the 1km buoy looked tantalisingly close. There were still kayakers around, and I put my head down and started freestyle. Freestyle still worked too. My arms pulled and pushed, my lungs worked, and I was buoyant in all sense of the word. It seemed a waste of an opportunity not to continue to the lighthouse, and so I did. 

Coming back from the lighthouse was also fun. Five weeks of minimal harbour activity and some still weather meant that the water had remarkable clarity. Looking down I could see sharp rocks, seaweed, and flitting shadows. These alarmed me, really, but I realised that the cause of the shadows was the early-afternoon sun. I'm not used to being out there at 1pm, and the brighter sunshine makes everything look different compared with 8am swimming.My journey back to the fountain alternated between quick agitated swimming, and a little bit of floating to admire the sky and view, while greeting total strangers in and on the water.  After a celebratory dive from both rafts, I found myself back on the beach, pulled on my bike shorts, merino, and jacket (feeling slightly chilly), socks and shoes, and jumped on my bike (feeling slightly elated). After such a long time out of the water, I was surprised not to feel more tired, but perhaps the euphoria of being in the water compensated.








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