When I met Richard Rice at Takapuna this morning our first reaction was to head up to Mint for a coffee.
The fog had rolled in overnight and visibility was 50m tops. As the buoys at Taka are at least 200m out and 200m apart this posed a bit of a problem.
The sensible action was coffee. We of course decided on a little swim to see if we could find buoy one.
Richard has an inherent tendency to swim left, (in this case Rangitoto and beyond) and with this in mind I made a concerted effort to swim right. The technique worked perfectly, with buoy one happily looming out of the fog a couple of minutes after losing sight of the shore.
This success spurred us to continue on and see if we could find buoy two. This was a bit more of a mission as we were relying heavily on guesswork to chose our start direction. The vague glow of the sun in the east told us which way not to go so we headed off. Once again the left swim/right swim technique worked except that when I finally spotted buoy two at the limits of my vision way off to the right Richard was at the limits of my vision in the opposite direction heading like a man with a mission to Rangitoto. Just as I was tossing up weather to chase him or head to shore and call the Coastguard he stopped to abuse a passing fisherman and realised the error of his ways.
Buoy three is a relatively short distance and emboldened by our success we headed off. Sure enough a couple of minutes later the buoy loomed from the fog in front of us. We returned the same route taking a bit more notice of our direction relative to the sun and with slightly better visibility.
At this stage with about 35 minutes swum Richard decided he had had enough and headed home. I still wanted to do the 6 hours and as the fog had rolled back in and I was swimming solo I took the sensible approach and spent the next 2 and a half hours swimming along the beach in sight of land. The water conditions were glassy and swimming conditions perfect.
At 10 o clock Helen Adams joined me and we spent the next 2 hours using the now well established navigation techniques to do circuits of buoys 1, 2 and 3.
At 12 Hamish joined me for hour 6 and in the still marginal conditions we headed for buoy 3. At buoy 3 the fog started to lift and we had a clear run out to cable buoy and back. By the time we got out of the changing rooms afterwards the fog had rolled in again and viz was back to 50m .
Strait water temperatures are rising and will probably be swimmable next week but I am not as confident with the Wellington weather.
Watch this space
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Last chance (for this season at least)
Friday 29th I spoke to Philip Rush. He was on the Strait ferry returning to Wellington and confirmed first hand that conditions were unswimmable and there was nothing in the forecast to suggest that Saturday would be any better. Water temperatures were down to 14C with the recent long series of southerlies.
As I discovered swimming at Takapuna through last winter low water temperatures on their own are surmountable. The problem now is that air temperature is starting to fall below water temperature. Combined with wind chill there can be significant heat loss through the back. The days are getting shorter and at my speed I will almost certainly be finishing in the dark and air temperatures drop rapidly when the sun disappears.
On the bright side the long term forecast is predominantly northerlies between now and the next tides on about the 9th May and there are signs that the temperature is bouncing back.
With that in mind I am still training and will be doing a "Final" 6 hour swim at Takapuna on Thursday morning. To those swimmers who are interested I will be swimming to cable buoy on the hour from 7am and would welcome company. To those clients who might be following this blog I will respond to messages/emails late afternoon.
As with the last 7 sets of tides I am back at the mercy of the Wellington weather.
Wish me luck
As I discovered swimming at Takapuna through last winter low water temperatures on their own are surmountable. The problem now is that air temperature is starting to fall below water temperature. Combined with wind chill there can be significant heat loss through the back. The days are getting shorter and at my speed I will almost certainly be finishing in the dark and air temperatures drop rapidly when the sun disappears.
On the bright side the long term forecast is predominantly northerlies between now and the next tides on about the 9th May and there are signs that the temperature is bouncing back.
With that in mind I am still training and will be doing a "Final" 6 hour swim at Takapuna on Thursday morning. To those swimmers who are interested I will be swimming to cable buoy on the hour from 7am and would welcome company. To those clients who might be following this blog I will respond to messages/emails late afternoon.
As with the last 7 sets of tides I am back at the mercy of the Wellington weather.
Wish me luck
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday 26th April
Well, its 2 weeks on and we're into the next set of tides. I spoke to Philip Rush yesterday and Strait temperatures are still generally up around 16C with some cooler patches so it's still swimmable.
The Wellington weather is still being uncooperative and I need a major improvement by the end of the week if I'm to get away this set.
I managed 45km the week after the last set but have had a bit of a rest over Easter. Had a great 4km swim with Helen Adams and the team on Good Friday morning. Halls beach to Birkenhead wharf then down and around the harbour bridge pylon. The crew of harbourmasters RIB kept a suspicious eye on us for a while but obviously decided we knew what we were doing.
Auckland water is nearly down to 17 deg and there arent too many of us left in budgie smugglers.
There may be one more set of tides before the water in the Strait gets too cold starting about 10th May.
At this stage I'm sytill hoping for a chance late this week so check the blog on Friday.
The Wellington weather is still being uncooperative and I need a major improvement by the end of the week if I'm to get away this set.
I managed 45km the week after the last set but have had a bit of a rest over Easter. Had a great 4km swim with Helen Adams and the team on Good Friday morning. Halls beach to Birkenhead wharf then down and around the harbour bridge pylon. The crew of harbourmasters RIB kept a suspicious eye on us for a while but obviously decided we knew what we were doing.
Auckland water is nearly down to 17 deg and there arent too many of us left in budgie smugglers.
There may be one more set of tides before the water in the Strait gets too cold starting about 10th May.
At this stage I'm sytill hoping for a chance late this week so check the blog on Friday.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Bugger
We got as far as Hamilton before we got the news that its forecasted 30 knot Northerlies in the Strait tomorrow afternoon. We're now back in Auckland.
Why Hamilton? Cheapest flight ex AKL - $386. Cheapest ex Hamilton $96. 4 people do the math.
The lady swimming today got across in 9.5 hrs. Temperature range in the Strait was 17 to 14 degrees.
I'm now first in the queue and there is the possibility of a swim on Thursday so watch this space.
Why Hamilton? Cheapest flight ex AKL - $386. Cheapest ex Hamilton $96. 4 people do the math.
The lady swimming today got across in 9.5 hrs. Temperature range in the Strait was 17 to 14 degrees.
I'm now first in the queue and there is the possibility of a swim on Thursday so watch this space.
Monday, April 11, 2011
11th April 2011
Well, Here I am again and another 3 weeks down the track.
The Spanish swimmer got across successfully last set of tides in 8.5 hrs but I am told conditions were not pleasant. Conditions went downhill after that swim and now here we are at another set of tides.
I managed 43km in the week after the last tides and have been easing off over the last week. On Sunday I reluctantly sat out the Auckland Central Masters Rangi swim which was run in perfect conditions.
Missing Rangi was the right call in hindsight as I had a call from Philip Rush tonight and he's taking a swimmer across tomorrow and I'm packing my bag for Wednesday and hoping the weather holds.
We are dealing with Wellington weather here so there is still a strong element of chance involved.
I should know one way or another late afternoon tomorrow so my next blog will hopefully be from Wellington tomorrow night.
Watch this space
The Spanish swimmer got across successfully last set of tides in 8.5 hrs but I am told conditions were not pleasant. Conditions went downhill after that swim and now here we are at another set of tides.
I managed 43km in the week after the last tides and have been easing off over the last week. On Sunday I reluctantly sat out the Auckland Central Masters Rangi swim which was run in perfect conditions.
Missing Rangi was the right call in hindsight as I had a call from Philip Rush tonight and he's taking a swimmer across tomorrow and I'm packing my bag for Wednesday and hoping the weather holds.
We are dealing with Wellington weather here so there is still a strong element of chance involved.
I should know one way or another late afternoon tomorrow so my next blog will hopefully be from Wellington tomorrow night.
Watch this space
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday 25th March
No, I'm not dead. Just a bit laid back about blogging when there's nothing to report.
The last set of tides (11th to 15th March) came and went with the wind in the Strait seldom dropping below 15 knots. I am now one of three in the queue.
Next set of tides is 26th to 31st March and I'm told a Spanish woman is first up. Looking at the 7 day forecast there's nothing likely to happen until the last 3 days.
My training now consists of a hard week (40+km including a 6 hr swim) in the week after a missed set of tides then a taper to the next set. Last week I did the beach series Tuesday, 3km Wednesday, 6hrs on Thursday, 3hrs Saturday and a 4km race with Hibiscus Tri club on Sunday (won it).
This weekend Saturday I will do the Mount Maunganui Ocean swim (unfortunately to be run in Pilot Bay because of the weather) and then a series of 1 hr swims through the week while I psyche myself up for a possible Strait swim later in the week .
You will see from the chart 2 days ago that temperatures in the strait are a bit chilly at present but they have been fluctuating between 14 and 19 since my original set of tides in January and they should be up again next week with a bit of Northerly weather.
There are probably 2 more sets of tides before the Strait gets too cold.
Watch this space mid next week
The last set of tides (11th to 15th March) came and went with the wind in the Strait seldom dropping below 15 knots. I am now one of three in the queue.
Next set of tides is 26th to 31st March and I'm told a Spanish woman is first up. Looking at the 7 day forecast there's nothing likely to happen until the last 3 days.
My training now consists of a hard week (40+km including a 6 hr swim) in the week after a missed set of tides then a taper to the next set. Last week I did the beach series Tuesday, 3km Wednesday, 6hrs on Thursday, 3hrs Saturday and a 4km race with Hibiscus Tri club on Sunday (won it).
This weekend Saturday I will do the Mount Maunganui Ocean swim (unfortunately to be run in Pilot Bay because of the weather) and then a series of 1 hr swims through the week while I psyche myself up for a possible Strait swim later in the week .
There are probably 2 more sets of tides before the Strait gets too cold.
Watch this space mid next week
Friday, March 4, 2011
Friday 4th March
Well, as you will have gathered from the silence Wellington weather put paid to any crossing attempts during the set of tides last weekend.
Philip Rush told me he got one swimmer across a couple of days before the last set of tides but she was very quick (7hrs 8 minutes) and had the speed to overcome deteriorating weather towards the end of the swim.
The next set runs from approx 11th to15th March and I've got my fingers crossed.
In the absence of a Strait swim last weekend I did the State ChristChurch fundraiser swim at Milford on Saturday plus a return trip from Takapuna - 7.5km.
On Sunday I did 2 trips to cable buoy plus Takapuna to Castor Bay - approx 11km.
Tuesday was with the usual suspects at the Beach series and yesterday I did 6 trips to the Takapuna Cable Buoy. It was great to have company - Richard Rice for the first leg, Helen Adams for legs 2, 3 and 4 and Hamish for the last leg. Average speed by my estimate 3.2 kph.
Today is a rest day as is tomorrow (going fishing). Sunday I will do the ACM Bays Swim and probably a return trip to the start.
Next week I'll be winding down to the next set of tides.
Next posting will be mid next week
Cheers
Geoff
Philip Rush told me he got one swimmer across a couple of days before the last set of tides but she was very quick (7hrs 8 minutes) and had the speed to overcome deteriorating weather towards the end of the swim.
The next set runs from approx 11th to15th March and I've got my fingers crossed.
In the absence of a Strait swim last weekend I did the State ChristChurch fundraiser swim at Milford on Saturday plus a return trip from Takapuna - 7.5km.
On Sunday I did 2 trips to cable buoy plus Takapuna to Castor Bay - approx 11km.
Tuesday was with the usual suspects at the Beach series and yesterday I did 6 trips to the Takapuna Cable Buoy. It was great to have company - Richard Rice for the first leg, Helen Adams for legs 2, 3 and 4 and Hamish for the last leg. Average speed by my estimate 3.2 kph.
Today is a rest day as is tomorrow (going fishing). Sunday I will do the ACM Bays Swim and probably a return trip to the start.
Next week I'll be winding down to the next set of tides.
Next posting will be mid next week
Cheers
Geoff
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