Shivering swim safari

Today Lottie and I attempted a swim safari, since it was such a splendid Spring day.  We decided to put on full kit, wetsuit, mask, snorkel, flippers, helmets etc.  The water was calm and most inviting and we were quite excited.  Lottie’s flippers were impressive – huge heavy duty diving flippers (a Christmas present from Duggie, who is a very romantic lad) – and watching her walk backwards down the jetty with these on was most amusing.  We got a real shock on entering the water – it was freezing – and we had a few technical problems.  Our hands were perishing with cold; Lottie’s flippers wouldn’t flip and she was hardly moving through the water; my wetsuit was way too thin for the time of year; and I realised I should have worn earplugs.  Swimming over the reef the water was beautifully clear and rays of sunshine shafted down into the depths.  Pretty pink coral was plentiful and the large bulky seaweed trees were statuesque.  However after about 15 minutes I couldn’t stand the cold anymore as my “central heating” which normally comes on after about 8 minutes, never seems to work when wearing a wetsuit.  So I raced back to the jetty, threw off my wetsuit and popped back in for a blissful, icy and delicious swim.  Lottie, still struggling with her outsize flippers, eventually flapped back to the jetty, and flung off the flippers, vowing to “take lessons” or “read up on flippering techniques”.  Afterwards we relaxed in armchairs in Lottie’s garden, gobbling Duggie’s famous treacle flapjacks and looking forward to a whole summer of swimming.