The Fastnet Swim may be the best kept secret in open water swimming. It’s a gorgeous swim in a quiet corner of the Emerald Isle, without a waitlist for attempts!
Working with Noel and team on the logistics leading up to the swim was a stress-free experience. On my way out from San Francisco, the weather wasn’t looking promising for my tide window. Unable to reschedule my flights, I went out to Skibb anyway. In my downtime I had the chance to swim with the kind folks at Lough Hyne daily to keep fresh and waited for the winds to die down by exploring Baltimore, the Dingle Peninsula, and the Ring of Kerry, all less than 2 hours driving away.
On the LAST day of my window, the storms relented, and the wind died down. My swim took place on a gorgeous, sunny day with absolutely no chop. We even had dolphins escorting us for 2 hours. The water dipped below 9.8, which is typical in early May, but the sun made the temps more than bearable. We had some jelly encounters, but nothing serious.
I cannot think of a swim that I’ve enjoyed “in the moment” as much as this one. The crew, pilots, and observers were a pleasant group and made swimming easy – perhaps this is why we were able to set the record!
Fastnet will always hold a dear spot in my heart, and I highly recommend anyone looking for a cold, moderate distance marathon give it a go.
