There’s no getting around it, the water is cold in February.  6.6c the Ballycotton gauge kindly hinted on Saturday morning.   That seemed about right for what it felt like walking in from the beach.  The North wind helped too, of course.

When hardened campaigners like Mike Harris touch the water and say,  “Ooooh, this might be just a token gesture swim today!”, you know it’s a bit fresh. Divine inspiration was even being looked for by some swimmers prior to diving in.

Praying the temps will rise before going into the water on Saturday.

The amazing thing is that there were still over thirty swimmers going in on the morning. The crowds now swimming in Myrtleville really are fantastic.  There can be thirty, forty, fifty swimmers at the Saturday swims in the middle of Winter and a committed group getting in during the week too.  

It’s worth saying it, because it’s not the same everywhere else and we should appreciate the fun, welcoming way that swimming in Myrtleville is developing.  Let’s keep it up, everyone 🙂

Still, as Siobhan Russell’s pictures remind us – where else would you be?  Whether at high or low tide, Myrtleville is beautiful (except maybe in an Easterly, then it’s just dramatic!)

Of course, there’s always some fella who’ll misinterpret when we say that you can swim in Myrtleville even on a low tide.  In the sea, Kieran.  In. The. Sea.