Swimmers embrace the sea to tide over pool & pandemic blues

MUMBAI: One of the few things that the coronavirus could not shut down was the sea, and for swimmers — who haven’t entered a pool since the first lockdown in March last year and the government still stubborn about not reopening them except for competitive athletes — plunges in the deep sea have created a new appreciation of Mumbai’s coastal waters, empowering swimmers physically, mentally and with social connectedness.
For a sport that was among the worst hit by the pandemic, devoted swimmers found a clever work-around to go freestyling and breast stroking in the sea at dawn or on moonlit nights in Juhu, Khar Danda or Gateway with help from local fishermen and coconut vendors. This hardy network of triathletes, endurance trainers, coaches and hobbyists who call themselves ‘Mumbai Sea Swimmers’ (MSS) have been championing the sport of open water swimming and is now have grown into a 500-member community.
“After Covid hit and nobody had swum for six months with no possibility of entering a swimming pool anytime soon, it gave us an opportunity to start swimming sessions in the sea. In October 2020, we set up a website to reach a wider audience and the response was overwhelming,” said Mehul Ved, an IT engineer from Mulund who co-founded MSS with Minesh Babla, a businessman from Khar. “We had swum in Goa and Alibaug’s sea waters but never in Mumbai, a city with abundant beaches. Minesh suggested we take help of the local fishermen he knew in Khar Danda for our first sea swim in 2016.”
Starting out in Khar Danda, the group now go charting the waters at Juhu. “We’ve swum Sunk Rock to Gateway and are looking forward to new routes like the Mayor’s Bungalow to Gateway and Dharamtar Port to Gateway next,” says Ved, describing a “buddy system” that they’ve introduced to encourage seasoned open water swimmers to help the less experienced ones. “It created camaraderie in the true sense of a community.”
Poonam Singh, 56 — who felt the call of the sea two years ago when she decided to participate in an open water race in Goa — could not agree more. “I stopped swimming after I had children. It was in early 2020 that I had this urge to go for a swimathon in Goa and joined MSS for some experience in sea swimming,” she recounts. Until Covid turned the tide. “The event got cancelled but I embraced the sea,” says Singh dwelling on the sense of companionship that sea swimming has brought. “Our shared interest and love for the sea makes us like family, watching over each other in infinite waters. I can’t see myself going back to a pool even after they reopen,” gushes Singh.
Swimmers like 24-year-old Shrinath Pandhare from Borivli, who, despite a jellyfish sting and occasional greasy hair from marine oil spills loves the thrill of a water world refreshingly different from the chlorinated and less exhilarating experience of looping up and down in a swimming pool lane. “Sea swimming has made me more athletic, improved my strokes and helped burn calories. And unlike the still water of the pool, the sea’s unpredictability triggers a rush I love,” he says.
Is it dangerous? It can be but tiding over fears of swimming in an unending space is usually in one’s own control, claim veterans. “Fear is okay, you’ll overcome it. It is panic in the water that one needs to control,” is the most vital piece of advice Babla can give.
“In the sea, there’s no path to follow or walls to touch,” he warns, adding that skills like “sighting, bilateral breathing and treading” could ensure a safe swim. But there are other cautions to exercise, too. “Always swim with someone. Respect local sentiments and seek their permission. If there are lifeguards, inform them of the area and distance you plan to swim,” adds Ved.
Apart from monitoring the season, weather, tides and terrain, bright caps and tow floats keep them safe and visible in sea but competing with nature is a strict no. “If the weather doesn’t call for it, don’t force yourself into the water. Also, respect sea creatures. We’re entering their home,” says Ved.
What gives them courage are the local fishermen and coconut vendors who act as “eyes and ears” for the community. If the fisherfolk carry swimmers into the sea, row alongside them in case of emergency, and guide them to litter-free zones; the coconut sellers on the beach help guard their belongings and sound alerts for days not suitable for swimming.
“Their knowledge and resourcefulness make it possible for us to venture safely into the sea,” says Babla, assuring that encounters of the hazardous kind are rare except for trysts with local dolphins. “Which we don’t consider perilous. In fact, we wonder if they’ve come to say hello!”