driven by the moon and vary by the hour, or even minute. There’s a set sequence of tides but they are only a calculated prediction. There are lots of other factors – like wind and weather – to take into consideration, especially as the Dover Strait has a very localised weather system. Planning is essential, but forecasts are only approximate, and conditions can change quickly.” Oram explains that, with computerised course-plotting and electronics on pilot boats, the best choice for start time and place can be made before swimmers enter the water. “The tide flows up the Channel for six-and-a-half hours, towards Holland and the North Sea (flood tide), then turns 180° and flows back towards the Atlantic (ebb tide),” he says. “When you’re swimming the Channel you are crossing the tide, so are moved up and down
TURNING
Awareness of tides and currents can make all the
difference between a safe swim and a dangerous one, can turn a slow time into a fast one. But what do you need to know?
Linda Harrison asks the experts
the Channel with the flow. If you don’t calculate it right, it will slow you down and make reaching the other side much harder.” Even when you have prepared for tidal patterns, you may be unlucky. Dr Karen Throsby, a sociology lecturer at the University of Warwick and Channel veteran, who is working on a project entitled: ‘Becoming a Channel Swimmer: embodiment and identity in an extreme sporting sub-culture’, remembers what happened on her crossing last September: “The tide didn’t turn when it was expected to, and it created a bit of a barrier. I’d been in the water for about 12.5 hours at this point. It went on for another four hours – and the tide just never turned. A number of swimmers ended up turning back. I was lucky. I managed to have just enough beans left.”
CURRENT FUN If you can identify which way they are going, ocean currents can be used to your advantage. When swimming against the current, for example, Davies advises shortening your stroke and picking up the stroke rate. Also, “if the water’s choppy, it’s often easier to swim with everyone else in a pack against the waves. That way you’re not doing all the work.” Currents aren’t always easy to spot but there are some clues, says British triathlete Helen Jenkins – including a change of colour in the water, wave patterns and the direction of anything floating in the water, like twigs or leaves. She stresses the importance of knowing where you are when swimming against a current, explaining: “Try and start out in a good position [in the pack] so that you don’t have to reposition yourself as you swim.” When you understand what’s going on with the water, you can use it to your advantage. “You can use currents in the sea to push you forward at an angle – and ride the ocean swells by body surfing slightly and kicking harder down each subsequent wave,” says Munatones.
THE WINNERS WEREN’T THE QUICKEST SWIMMERS – THEY JUST KNEW HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE CONDITIONS But moving water can be dangerous. If you get caught in a current,
you shouldn’t blindly keep swimming in the same direction. Jenkins advises: “It’s best to tread water or swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current and can swim to safety.” If currents come from the side, it can help to have something to swim towards, like a buoy. Davies advises pinpointing a marker in the distance to look at every six strokes, so you can make sure you’re not getting pulled off course. You should aim upstream of your target to compensate for the current. (Now you know why you studied vectors in maths at school.) You should also be aware of what currents can dredge up. Olympic medalist Cassie Patten says: “When I was in Australia for the World Championships, we were told there were jellyfish about two metres below the surface. The night before the race there was a storm and the currents brought the jellyfish to the surface. It was like diving into jellyfish soup. I could hear girls screaming all around me!”
35
THE TIDE
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