22Jul11

NIGHT SWIM
At 2100, Kim, Alicia and Josh were at my house and we were rolling out with my kayak....and paddle! :)
We got to the lake when there was still plenty of sunlight so I showed the route to Josh then we sat in the Escape after unloading everything to keep from getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.  Gords arrived with one of his sons and we all just chatted while waiting for the sun to completely disappear.  Josh brought some little wrist glow sticks that we all put on.  They were pretty funny and we kept joking how we should go clubbing after our swim.

Why Patricia married such a nerd is beyond me!

We got in right around 2200 with chem-lights strapped to our heads and I paddled the first mile.  Everyone was feeling comfortable and the adjustment period did not seem to take long.  THIS is why I chose the people I did for the first swim!  I paddled to the first buoy and looked back to see a small group of glowing people slowly moving towards me.  It was a pretty neat and funny sight.  After each buoy, I would do a headcount then paddle to the next.  I kept the flashlight I had off while moving but when people would get near, I would light up the buoy so they could see where to stop.  I stopped at all 5 on the way out.  Once we got to the turnaround point, I stopped every other buoy.  Everyone kept talking about how much fun they were having.  No one seemed nervous or apprehensive about anything while out there.  We all could see each other well and the kayak well.  On the way back towards the shore the wind picked up and I was having a tiny bit of trouble keeping the kayak under control.  I found the shore and got out to get ready.  Alicia got in to paddle as I put a light on my head.

Then the adventure began!!
The wind was really going strong and steady.  We all lost sight of Alicia and to add to the fun, there was another person on the left that kept shining a flashlight directly into our eyes!  We thought it was Alicia but it wasn't.  People don't realize this but when you shine a bright white light in the eyes, your pupils dilate and it makes it EXTREMELY difficult to see your paddler and their lights!  Thanks for "helping" but please leave us alone!!!

Touching kayak = DQ!!!

We swam for awhile and Alicia couldn't seem to find the first buoy for some reason.  It was getting a bit too choppy and we kept getting separated from our kayak.  I said it might be time to head back in and call it early.  Gords said was a good paddler and let him try to keep with us.  OK one last shot at this.  Alicia jumps into the water and Gords jumps into the kayak.  I turn to see the kayak turning upside down and 2 man feet kicking in the air as they fly over the kayak!  It was pretty funny actually.  We flipped the kayak back over and had to recover all the items spilled.  All was found except for Alicia's goggles.  Gords made it on attempt #2 and we headed back in.  As we were going in, I realized that all of us were visible except Alicia.  I told Gords to turn around so he could give his SSD with a flashlight in it (which made it glow like a jack-o-lantern) to Alicia so she can be seen.  He did as I asked but idiot me I am just sitting there looking at Alicia and not at the kayak.  WHACK!  Right into my left eye goes the kayak.  I yelled a nice profanity that every fish in the lake heard and noticed a very small amount of blood in my hand when I covered my eye.  Genius Goody, REAL smart!!!  (Lights in FRONT of kayak too not just in back...lesson learned the hard way).

We made it back together and except for 2 cuts on my eye the thankfully stopped bleeding quickly, the night swim was a success.  The wind and water got too choppy for our first time.  If it happens again, we will probably be okay and just keep going but not for the first one.
It was a great time and thanks to Kim, Alicia, Gords, and Josh for coming out.  Everyone kept their cool and stayed together even when the weather and "situations" we encountered were against us.  Half the safety stuff we covered we actually had to use!  LOL  Good planning = good swim.

After the swim.