Hard Rock Part 2

To some, it might seem that swimming The Rock is another form of madness, once described as ‘unswimmable’ and ‘impossible’ due to the frigid water, strong and unpredictable currents and dark, murky water, not to mention an occasional cruising shark. But it’s also a swim that has taken on legendary proportions possibly due to the mystery of the June 1962 escape by Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers who made it out of the prison but were never seen again.

The Rock is swum by hundreds each year, mostly in wet suits but I plan to swim as a ‘skin’ which industry-speak for those swimmers who eschew wet suits. Swimming in bathers, swimming cap (non-thermal) and goggles is referred to as ‘English Channel conditions’. These are the stipulations for anyone who wishes to make an official swim of The English Channel but they have become the standard measure applied for ocean swims around the world. I also like the idea of offering myself to the elements with nothing much more than a simple belief that I can do it.