On Sunday 21st August 2011 I have agreed to swim across the Humber in aid of the Humber Rescue service.
Last night I went over to Hull for a trial swim and a briefing on the challenges and dangers the Humber has to offer. In all twelve of us will be swimming across accompanied by the two rescue boats from the south shore to to the north shore. The aim is to swim as the tide is turning which will mean swimming upstream and then in the middle when the tide turns downstream. It is approximately 1.4 miles in a straight line, however we will swim more of a “V” shape.
So after the briefing it was off on the Rescue Boats for the trial swim, I felt like a Navy Seal (Well almost!!). The pilot of our boat stopped the boat directly under the bridge and after only a handful of seconds we had already drifted a good sixteen metres. Crikey!!!
When the other boat arrived the call was made for us to jump in… So without any hesitation I jumped off the side and down feet first. “Bloody Hell” I could not see a thing, not a thing!!!! I also became quickly aware of how much salt and silt was mixed in the water, my white Shaw top soon becoming a light brown!
The one thing you notice straight away is the strength of the tide, no matter how hard we swam you just watched the Humber Bridge getting further and further away.
Its also a strange feeling when your head is in the water because it is pitch black! The waves in the centre are also a lot bigger than what they look like from the shore or the bridge!
If you would like to donate to the Humber Rescue then cheques can be made out to the “Humber Rescue”. I am still waiting for a “JustGiving” site to be set up and then I will post the link.
All photos by Steve Cox, more available here
Anyway just wanted to share with you.
Any advice on this freely available as did it 2 years ago. Take care getting off boat as silt goes up between legs and wet suit. A lovely swim that make Grimsby Dock positively pleasant! Best wishes Paul and hope to see you as I’m finishing relay H on H the same morning!
Cheers Iain, Good luck with the H&H. Still can’t get over how black it is in there!!
Hi Bob,
We are meeting at the Humber Rescue centre at 9:30 with a view to be taken across to the South Bank near the Humber Visitors Centre at 11am. We will swim up and under the bridge and then across to the Humber Rescue centre on the North Shore. Hope that helps.
Paul
Cheers, Paul. Hope the weather and conditions are kind to you – and am looking forward to getting some pics!
Good luck! Wonder if you can tell me where you will start the swim exactly and where you will finish (hopefully!) as I hope to get some photographs. Thanks.