Step One: Showing up
Ok then, here we go: the plan was for Krista, Lisa and myself to meet at Cowell’s at 8:30 this morning to swim around the wharf in preparation for the Santa Cruz Triathlon next week. Last night we were talking about how we’re all scared of big waves and hoped the water would be nice and placid for us, like how it was last week. I was third to show up, and jumped out of my vehicle to see some nice, medium sized waves lapping the shore. Great! Says I. Perfect. I’m not scared of that.
Krista though, was more worried, and we talked and slowly stuffed ourselves into our wetsuits. Other swimmers were leaving the water. “Kinda rough out there!” they called to us. “no it’s not!” I shouted back, “it’s just fine!” I was trying to help us look forward to our swim, full of confidence. I told myself they were rookies, but that turned out to be foreshadowing.
Step Two: Getting in
Because Krista had a time deadline to make, we decided not to swim around the wharf as planned, but to just do the bouys at Cowell’s. No problem, 25 minutes tops! I say with enthusiasm. We stood at water’s edge and suddenly, Whoom! Big wave. Whoom! Next one, bigger. Crap. They’re taller than us.
Well, that’s all right, I pipe up, they’re not bigger than the waves here during the Santa Cruz Sprint Triathlon that I did earlier this summer, and we all did fine then. We’ll just wait until the set is over and swim out when it’s flat. I go over to get my goggles stuck onto my face, and lisa puts her feet in the water. Cold! Meanwhile, Krista is turning green with um, anticipation. She decides not to go in. Lisa is looking at the water and even though the big set is over, she does not want to swim either. Well, I got my butt out of bed this morning and wrestled myself into my suit for some reason this morning so I announce my intention to swim out to the second buoy and back, won’t be more than about 15 minutes.
I just plunge into the water. I get almost to the point of not walking anymore, when a wave wells up. Oh-oh. I’m not acclimated, but I just dive right through the thing. Cold! Popping out the backside of the wave, I am swimming downhill. Looking up, I see another monster forming in front of me. I remember quickly that I am in fact, very afraid of big waves, but try to swallow the panic and swim up, up, up, then down, down, down. Look up, there’s the bouy. Up, up, up, down, down down. Buoy? Good. I am completely regretting that no one is swimming with me, and I am swimming with my head out of the water, with that expression dogs get when they are in deep water and they roll their eyes around and look at you sideways with the whites of their eyes showing.
Step Three: Coming back
The sea calms down a bit and I reach the second Buoy. Normally, I would be the one insisting we swim to the fourth, but today I barely went close to it before turning around. Ok, I’m here! (scurry away). As I turn around I think about how now I am swimming with my back to the ocean, and will not be able to see the giant waves as they approach to crush me. I make what I hope is a beeline toward the the two stick figures on the beach that are Krista and Lisa. Every third stroke or so I turn my head back. Wave? No? Good. Swim swim swim. In this way I get closer to shore. But now I am in the danger zone!
I look out of the water in time to see Krista point behind me. I turn to see that familiar dreaded upwelling of tall green water. Panic. Dive through. Turn around and swim closer. Check wave, panic, dive through. Here’s another, I’ll just bob up over the top of this one (panic). At this rate, I will be back at the buoy in no time! Never getting out of the water today, stuck in the big wave quagmire.
But lo, I turn to shore again and see my friends waving me in, very enthusiastically. This is my chance! I swim forward with my head down as fast as I can, my legs pumping behind me like a motorboat. I get to where I can touch the sand, and stand, checking behind me. Oh, a wave is coming! I do what scared people do, which is not the smart thing, but is a natural instinct; I stop swimming and just run, thrashing my way ridiculously through knee deep water. I see the wave hit the sand right behind me and feel the foam lap my ankles passively. Home free! My arms go up in victory as Lisa and Krista jump up and down excitedly. “You’re our hero for the day!”
I did indeed feel very brave, and more ready to deal with whatever mother nature serves up for us next week. (Though wouldn’t it be nice if she didn’t)
Epilogue: right around the corner from where I swam is Steamer Lane, surf spot. Though distant, we could see it from the beach, giant waves three times the size of the ones I swam through peeling off by the lighthouse, littered with tiny ant surfers. I’m sure they were having the best day ever. I certainly won’t be picking up a surfboard anytime soon! Glad to be on land.
