Rob Bohane dubbed it “pre-season swimming” and we got a fantastic morning for a swim to the Dutchman.  Seven happy swimmers and all looking forward to when the clocks really work in our favour from mid-April onwards.

Myrtleville – 21 March, 2014 at dawn.

About 8.4c in the sea and with the sun coming up to warm the end of the swim, it really was lovely.  You would imagine that hard-core, open water superstars would just find it toasty, but Finbarr wasn’t around to keep up the standards so Rob and Carol, well…the pictures say it all.

Rob ‘I’m not ashamed of my wetsuit’ Bohane, Carol ‘A little bit ashamed of mine’ Cashell – with Denis & Bernard.

“And when you’re finished swimming, it makes a really good hat!” Rob keeps up the justifying.

Missed my birthday by a day because of yesterday’s storm, but Carol still brought birthday muffins.  Thanks, Carol 🙂

Birthday muffins for me (and everyone else)! Thanks, Carol.

Trying for 08.15 tomorrow morning or Carol has another group at 09.00 also.

Saturday was absolutely picture-perfect in Myrtleville.  Water temperature at 9.5c and sunny on land – real signs of Summer on the way.

Denis Condon going in first – Saturday March 15, 2014.

We had a welcome return visit from Angela Leonard from Wicklow Masters, down for the weekend.  No pictures allowed!  She was telling us it was only 4c in the water up the country.  Looking at the nearest temps I can find (Arklow), I think she was just trying to make us feel inadequate. To be fair, it looks like it was really, really cold up there in February 🙂

James Slowey found his map for directions and managed to make it down for a swim.  He even brought a support team – at least it was a nice morning for them.

Dean & Ciara – James Slowey’s support team: dragged out of bed on a Saturday morning.

Bernard was on tour for the weekend and came across an interesting sign in the Deise.

Bernard on Tour – very medieval down Waterford way…..the lower sign is important, though!

The planned swim for Thursday morning is looking dodgy as the forecast is very bad.  We are going to move it to Friday at 06.30, to see if we can get in then.

Missing a few with flu, but the show goes on.  The water was 8.9ºc on Saturday morning as Spring continues.  It was over 9ºc a couple of afternoons last week.

Carol Cashell arrived for her first sea swim in eight weeks and brought Orla Houlihan with her to keep Gary company.

Gary, Carol and Orla – determined to capture the moment

No continuation of last week’s show by Gary, but Carol and Orla did bring muffins and cake to feed the regulars.  They’ll be expecting that every week now 🙂

Aiming for Thursday at 4.30pm this week and Saturday at 08.15.  Forecast looks great.

8.6ºc the sea temperature is getting to for the last few days – it’s not even a hardship!  It did hit  7.9ºc on Saturday morning, but that was only a blip.

We had a few reappearances this week and some more contacts from people shaking off the Winter.  Hope to see some larger groups over the next few weeks.

Denis Condon, Siobhan “poser” Russell & Gordon Adair – the Orca Gang.

Gordon Adair, Finbarr Hedderman & Denis Condon – I reckon the Oracas haven’t a hope against Big Fin.

The forecast looks ok for later in the week, so we’ll try for 4.30 on Thursday and see about the weekend.