I hate the cold, I'm scared of deep water. Here's why I'm leaving my warm doona for ocean swimming | Eleanor Limprecht

If you had told me I would be doing this three years ago I would have said you're madWading in to the ocean the cold takes my breath away. Less than an hour ago I was beneath my warm doona in bed, and now the sun is spreading across the winter horizon and I'm wearing two millimeters of neoprene on most surfaces of my body. It's Sunday, 7am, and I am about to swim out from Coogee beach to Wylie's Baths and then across the length of the bay and back again with a group of others, some in just their swimsuits, some in full wetsuits, and some (OK - just me) in a full wetsuit with neoprene booties and fins.If you had told me I would be doing this three years ago I would have said you're mad; I hate the cold, I'm scared of deep water. But Covid lockdowns brought strange new hobbies to many. And mine - bracingly - is ocean swimming. Continue reading...