On 1st June I will be one of a small group of swimmers to undertake a winter crossing of The Rip which is a 3.2km open water channel between Point Nepean and the lighthouse at Point Lonsdale.
We will swim under English Channel rules, wearing only bathers, goggles and swim cap (no neoprene or wetsuits). Adding to the ‘appeal’ is a 5.00am muster at Queenscliff Harbour for a 6.15am deep water start. Water temperatures are expected to be around 11C to 13C and we should take between 1 and 1 ½ hours.
I swam across The Rip in summer this year when sea conditions were quite favourable. However, a winter crossing under these conditions is a completely different challenge altogether, the significance of which is not lost on any of us given that more people have stood on the surface of the Moon than have completed such a crossing.
Our crossing should add to the increasing stature of this uniquely Melbourne open water swim.
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