Northern Lights light the scene on the first Swim of the Swim Through Darkness 2023 Campaign

December 1st 2023

Causeway Coast

Charity AWARE

Swim Distance 1.4km

Air temp 2 degrees

Donate here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/al-mennie

Last night was the first swim of this years campaign. We were greeted by the Northern Lights once again putting on a show as we set up for the swim. It was 2 degrees last night as I entered the water. Laura did land support for me. The moon was obscured behind a low lying piece of cloud so it was relatively dark compared to the amazing conditions over the past few days of training. The waves were maybe 4-6 foot on the face and breaking hard on the near shore sand banks after dissipating from the initial break on the outer bank. I swam through the gulley between the breaks occasionally being swamped and surged by the odd larger wave that flooded the gulley. The current became so strong I was unable to progress along the coast so I went into the shallows to tell Laura I would be switching direction for the last half of the swim.

We are now into the decline phase of the moon. The epic conditions with clear sky and light from the moon will dissipate now over the coming days meaning that I will have increasingly less light shone on my path as I swim through the darkness. This is why it is crucial that I must have my own internal motivation and way to progress through the darkness. There will not always be light in the dark but I must keep swimming until the light returns...which it will.

1.4km. The surf was pounding on the near shore sand banks moving me hard a couple of times. I had to come into the shallows and tell Laura I was switching direction at one point as the current was too strong to swim through.