19.5ºC IN THE WATER – IN MYRTLEVILLE, NOT SPAIN.

A quote from the internationally-accepted precise open water swimming temperature scale, courtesy of loneswimmer.com:
Over 18°C (65°F): This temperature is entirely theoretical and only happens on TV and in the movies.

Last night, verified on three watches, we had 19.5ºC in Myrtleville. Wetsuits were abandoned up and down the beach.  Electrolyte transfusions were set up by the boathouse to help recover from the sweat.

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Myrtleville – 22 July, 2013

Regular Myrtleville swimmers (known as Myrtlevillians to Mr. Bohane and others) had been sending home texts from their holidays crowing about 19ºC water “out foreign”.  They must be freezing.

After a committee meeting, it has been decided to rename the beach and a new sign was erected this morning:

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Myrtleville – AKA Hot Water Beach

See you in the water!

Church Bay Directions

As Myrtleville continues to be thronged, several people have asked for directions to Church Bay for Monday evening’s swim, so here goes:

Church Bay Directions

Church Bay Directions

From Crosshaven the total journey is about 1.3km.  Take the right hand fork in the Y at Cronin’s pub.  The left fork will take you to Fort Camden.  If you get there, go back!  Follow the narrow road up the hill and past the graveyard on your left and keep right at the next Y.  This means crossing the traffic, so do yield 🙂 .  Then take the first left down the hill and find a place to park at the side of the road.

Evening swimmers

The Crosshaven group have been going down a bit later to avoid the crowds and Siobhan Russell sent on these pictures from their Wednesday night swim.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Happy with sea temps reaching 17c: Siobhan Russell, Gary Frost, Orlando Hill, Barbara-Anne , Niamh O’Connor, Harry Casey, Annemarie Fegan, Aoife O’Donovan and Joleen Cronin.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

“She got in my way….”. Don’t mess with Niamh O’Connor or you might end up flat on your back…..

On his first sea swim of the year in April, Sean Foley asked “just how many times can you get brain freeze in one swim??”.  Better temperatures a few months on!

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Finally some warm water – Harry Casey and Sean Foley.

Church Bay Mondays?

Myrtleville attracts large crowds in sunshine.  Crowds who don’t seem to be able to take their rubbish home with them, but that’s another story.

On sunny Monday evenings, Church Bay is a quieter, less crowded option.  There has been a group there lately on Mondays at 6.00pm, as well as at Myrtleville.  So, a choice, as long as it’s not too windy as Church Bay is more open than Myrtleville.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Church Bay, Monday July 8, 2013 – calm and quiet.

Revised date for Myrtleville to Church Bay Swim

Saturday, September 21st at 5.30PM is the revised date and time for the Myrtleville to Church Bay swim.

Entries made for the original swim will still stand and all will be contacted next week.  Obviously, if the date doesn’t suit, you can just let us know then.

We will also open for new entries for anyone who can make this date, who didn’t enter for the June swim.  Please use the entry form above.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Myrtleville to Church Bay Swim 2012 (pic. Howard Crowdy)

July & August swim times

Planned swim times for Myrtleville Beach. These are the times most likely that a group will assemble. Email myrtlevilleswimmers@gmail.com if you’re interested any day.  Or tweet @Berlyn1966.

These times can vary earlier or later, so definitely check in advance if you’re coming on your own.  With holiday – and racing – season here, there are potentially some mornings when a group will not assemble.  Swim at your own risk. Don’t swim alone. Always swim in groups.

  • Monday: 18:00
  • Tuesday: 06:15
  • Wednesday: 06:15
  • Friday: 06:15
  • Saturday: 08:15

Liner adds a nice backdrop

The regular busy Monday night crews on the beach last night.  James Slowey (Snr) had his usual couch-potato weekend – just a quick Olympic Tri on Saturday to stretch the legs.  With the sea temperature in Kilkee for the event up around 15c, we’re starting to wonder what we’re doing wrong in Cork: still closer to 12c here but we’re now so used to it we think it’s fine.  James Slowey (Jnr) – AKA “the young fella” – did a good 500m swim last night also.

Open water, sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

James Slowey Snr, James Slowey Jnr & Ronan McCarthy

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Great to see some of the next generation of Myrtleville Swimmers going in last night.

The Crosshaven Women’s Synchronised Swimming team continued their extensive preparations to be the first team to complete the Crosshaven Challenge in perfect harmony.

Open Water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Synchronised Swimming – Michelle Glossop-Smyth and Ger Venner.

Our “Safety Boat” was back for another evening of photo opportunities…

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Harry Casey, Ger Venner, Michelle Glossop-Smyth, Fiona Gough, Joleen Cronin, Siobhan Russell – and the Safety boat 🙂

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

One wave out, next one in – Myrtleville Mondays are busy

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Coming back to the beach – what a view.

Thanks, as always, to Siobhan Russell for the pictures.

More from Monday

There’s been a bit of a shock for everyone this week with the sea temperature dropping back as low as 10.7c.  June isn’t supposed to be like this!  Good weather coming so that should push it back up again. Apart from taking great pictures, Siobhan Russell has been trialling her new SafeSwimmer float.  I’ve just got mine in the post and plan to use it on any lone swims in future – looking forward to trying it out.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Siobhan Russell trialling her new SafeSwimmer with Harry Casey & Orlando Hill

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Niamh O’Connor, Gary Frost & Sara O’Riordan

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Gary Frost & Richard Hawkins.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Richard Hawkins & Stephen O’Reilly.

Cold or not, keep swimming 🙂

Monday busier than ever

Maeve Mulcahy completed a fantastic three hours in under 12C water yesterday.  She went in at 4.10 with Anne Marie – who did a full two hours – and was also joined at various stages for company by Roisin Lewis, Joanne Conroy, Bernard Lynch, Carol Cashell and others.  She also had the fast-becoming-famous bucket deployed for feeds….

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Maeve, Carol & Bernard’s Bucket.

Some people saw it for the first time and just wanted it…

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Back from the States and straight in to grab the bucket – Liam Maher. Ah, Liam…..

The regular Monday night swim at 6pm was going on around Maeve’s long one.  It’s hard to keep up with the numbers at this stage, with waves of swimmers going in from 6.00pm on.  Great to see.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Coming back to the beach – Myrtleville 24 June, 2013

Open water, sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

I’m telling you, that’s the fastest lap of the Dutchman – EVER. Tim Smyth checks the time.

Open Water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Doggy paddle

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Another Monday night swim done in Myrtleville.

As usual, Siobhan Russell did the hard work getting the pictures.  There are more and I’ll link to or post them later in the week.  Keep swimming 🙂