I Went Skinny Dipping

Whow the water was still cold in the wee hours of Friday April 21st

and setting a flashlight and rear bike light on the dock did not help much least not at first

for swimming far enough to go to the raft the public raft that is. But I did also wear a head light which was very helpful on in finding that raft and I knew not to get up on it seeing all the geese shit imagine if I stepped into it due to the darkness.

Trouble is a lot of those private docks have lights too and on a almost moonless

night they all look the same from way out there and being in almost pitch black other than

the headlight I lost my sense of direction and ended back at the wrong dock other than that

I had no clue where about's in that lake I was just that the swim back seemed a lot longer

and I was starting to feel cramped and getting cold. Well I was of course cold the moment

I jumped in wearing nothing but my headlight. Swim over the the dock on my right which

seemed several feet maybe yards away and it was not the one where I set my clothes and

towel either so I kept swimming more yardage feeling oh so cold but use to it glad this is

not December don't think I could have handled it. Turn my light on high beam to try

to better see where I was and all I could find out is I was not near where I was hoping and

of course the next dock was the wrong one too. I could usually tell by a ladder or boat

present or both. All the time I as I am checking out the wrong docks I am wondering if

anyone else on the lake is up at that hour looking out their back windows seeing this

light in out on the lake approach their dock or shore line and then move away and wonder

what the F--- ? Meanwhile I find myself coming on upon some of the same docks after

swimming out and back cause even with a head light I had no clue where I was in the lake

or which direction to go not like I can take a compass and road map swimming they do

no good. Sometimes I lose my way in the mids of lake during broad daylight so any surprise

I would lose my way in the dark of night. In fact I was starting to think "oh my I am going

to be stuck swimming out here all night looking for the right dock if I can last that long without

drowning or succumbing to hypothermia. It just might be the night I go down in a watery

grave imagine that : dying doing something I love: polar bare swimming. Someone finds my

corpse washed up on their shoreline over the weekend that would be their problem not mine.

Then I swim out again to try to get some bearing and can see bright lights in the distance

maybe 150 -200 feet away, street lights likely and can make out the boardwalk in the distance

and suddenly aware of my approximate location in the water and general direction I need to

go and turn myself to my left. I start swimming towards the faint red light in the distance hoping

it is my bike light but feeling that my swim is less effective perhaps just it is just my mindset.

Couple more wrong docks then one with a sign that said "private dock" oh that head light

comes in handy. I only am aware of one private dock on that lake that actually has such a sign

on it so I felt the next one must be it. I swim a another 8 feet or so look on the dock and

sure enough there is my 2 lights and jacket backpack etc. I set my lights down not near enough

to the edge which is why I could not see them from way out there. Then I was wondering

if I could walk as my lower left leg felt cramped. I get up on the dock and pull my watch

from my pocket 3:27 am I had been swimming in that cold water for 62 minutes which was

longer than I planned. I dry myself and take a few minutes longer dressing cause I am

shivering so much but thinks okay. I go home make some herbal tea.