Dodging Storm Ciarán

In previous winters I have had the experience of a number of storms, however these are usually not until January and February. I think this may be the earliest storm to threaten a swim that I’ve encountered. During the early hours of the morning the wind and rain were definitely pretty impressive. However for the afternoon high tide the wind had changed direction slightly, coming more from the west resulting in strong decent sized waves running parallel with the shore. These proved interesting on my return leg as I was swimming directly into them! It’s probably why I decided to stop at 500m today, which would definitely have looked like a bonus when I reviewed the forecast yesterday.

The other unusual aspect of the direction of the strong wind was being repeatedly bumped in the head by my swim buoy! No such problems on the way back as it trailed well behind me.

Another nice surprise was that I got my first cash donation from someone passing by, which is always very gratefully received. Thank you!