Few people would recommend jumping into the Menai Strait on a spring high tide; it’s a body of water well known locally for its strong currents, eddies and whirlpools which are tricky to navigate. But Love Swim Run organise a 6.5km swim whereby you do exactly that, and it provides a fantastically silly way to enjoy views of Anglesey and Snowdonia: https://loveswimrun.co.uk/menaistraitswim/
I seem to be very lucky with the weather for my OWS adventures, and this event was no exception: we were blessed with blue skies, sunshine and mirror-calm water, despite the days either side of it involving horizontal rain and storm force winds. The sea temperature was reported to be about 13C. Wetsuits are mandatory, and I also wore all my neoprene accessories to avoid jellyfish stings although thankfully we didn’t encounter any of the little blighters.
We got in the water and almost immediately our small group of swimmers was guided through the arches of the Menai Bridge. It was a little like white water rafting without the advantage of being in a boat: we were absolutely at the mercy of the water as we sped through to the other side then tried to swim out of the main current and into the eddies behind the bridge for a chance to catch our breath! It was exhilarating and, very pleasingly, we all got out the water and went round to do it all over again 😀
Having gone through the washing machine under the bridge a couple of times, we continued being carried down towards Britannia Bridge. We were accompanied by two kayaks and a motor boat, and the comfort of knowing they were there allowed me to simply enjoy the chaotic waters and the total lack of control over my direction. At one point we all paused and found ourselves rotating in involuntary circles, swirling in the powerful currents. There was a mixture of trepidation and hilarity amongst the group as we all realised how powerless we were!
We shot on past a statue of Nelson, and on towards the National Trust-owned Plas Newydd, where we surprised visitors to the gardens who I’m sure didn’t expect to see 12 neoprene-clad humans emerge from the water. Then from Plas Newydd it was the home stretch, crossing the Strait to the little village of Y Felinheli where our adventure ended with a very deserved hot chocolate.
This is a swim for people confident in sea conditions, but it’s absolutely worth adding to the bucket list! If you can time it for a spring tide and a beautifully sunny day, all the better 😀
