Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

Got back yesterday from a few days in Dorset. Whilst there, made a trip to Durdle Door which some of you may know of, possibly from doing ‘O’ Level or GCSE Geography. Like an idiot I decided to swim through the arch without too much thought as to the conditions. Boy! did I find it demanding swimming against a tidal flow with swells coming though the arch and waves reflecting back off the rocky base at each side to create turbulent white water.

Going through I had to swim flat-out to avoid being pushed by current towards the rock of the left side of the arch and this necessitated swimming at such an oblique angle to the real direction I wanted to go, that I only got through the arch slowly and was getting quite out of breath. This whilst being submerged repeatedly made for a very unpleasant experience. Once I made it through I went straight back through again eventhough it was the last thing I wanted to do because I was so tired I now just had to get to the safety of shallow water and the beach and this was the quickest way to reach it rather than go around (I contemplated hanging onto the arch itself just to get my breath back but that probably would have been a mistake). Fortunately on the way back, the tide worked for me and quickly flushed me through the other side to the calmer water and the direction of the beach where I arrived knackered and suddenly wiser. Why did I even think it would be a good idea being aware of my dodgy leg and diminished strength? Water was the one place until then that I felt free of symptoms.

Apart from a near drowning I, we had a great time though.

Sounds good fun!

But a bit hairy!