Day 331 - Tuesday 6th September 2011

Nuts out there today! Raining and windy (very windy); got to the arch by 6.45am and wondered down the beach to have a look. Absolutely nuts! Not only was it extremely windy, but it was a very high tide (highest I’ve seen); the sea was literally half way up the beach. The waves were monsters and they were breaking everywhere, especially in all the dangerous places. You could certainly have got in with the right timing, but I doubt you would have been able to get out safely, if at all.

By 7am there were a few more of us; David, Alex, Shoichi (returned from his long holiday), Charlotte, Martina, Sean and Mike. First of all we headed for the end of the groin by the pier and I had my first ever “groin shower”. Sounds rude I know, but it’s all la natural! Standing right at the end of the groin and the waves smash over, high into the air, and come crashing down on you. After a few of those we headed to the girls beach, which as always was not as mental as our beach. However it was still mental enough to not go in. A few of us did contemplate it, but the waves were just so big. Last year I definitely would have just gone for it, but I think my respect for the sea coupled with the fact that I no longer need to prove anything to myself kept me at the shore. So there we were all at the shore and there was nothing else left to do but “pilchard” it. Picture the scene if you will; force 8 gale, mental waves, rain and wind; there we are 7 of us lying down like pilchards being rolled around on the beach by the crashing waves. Certifiable for sure. Bring on tomorrow!