Despite the dreary forecast for our weekend in Cornwall, we were determined to enjoy the beach. Two of us in particular, my friend Phoebe and I were dead-set on getting into the water by whatever means necessary.
I think the blood of some people is part sea water. Perhaps the concentration increases with the number of moments you have down in the wonderful water. Or, let’s face it, you accidentally swallow plenty of it when you’re splashing about. Maybe it lingers.
For me and Phoebs, it definitely has.
On Saturday morning we all wandered down to the beautiful if overcast, Towan beach. After a short while of exploring the rocks exposed by the receding tide and picking a spot to settle (AKA prolonging the agony) the two of us exchanged a look, shed our layers and turned to face the waves.
Let me set the scene a little here. The sky was dark and threatening rain, the waves reflecting the cloud’s grey tinge. The wind was strong and more than a wee bit chilly. So far there were only two other brave souls in the water although they were wisely wrapped up in wetsuits and had surfboards as excuses.
But that wasn’t going to stop us! We were in Cornwall for crying out loud! Land of the legendary wave! In June no less!
It was this rationale that made us run shrieking into the crashing waves. Desperate to acclimatise I dove straight under the next wave. This hilariously gave me brain freeze. Apart from that, it wasn’t too bad, bloody cold, but invigorating and enjoyable.
Swimming in sea water is meant to have a whole heap of health benefits. Experts say that it contains beneficial concentrations of minerals such as calcium and magnesium which can help with conditions like eczema and psoriasis, to name but two.
It is also believed that the cold water stimulates receptors in our skin which release adrenaline and endorphins. Which probably explains why Phoebe and I spent most of our time in the water laughing like buffoons. This is obviously good for your happiness and stress levels as you really have no time to worry about things that aren’t there in amongst the waves with you. ESPECIALLY your phone, no notifications or ringtones can permeate the ocean’s dull roar nor can they survive the splash. You are forced to be completely present with yourself or whoever you drag in with you.
Not that we were mindfully pondering any of this during our dip. We were too busy diving under waves, finding crabs and just enjoying ourselves.
Wee Traveller 