A January morning in Brighton and the swimmers all meet at 7.30 just before the sun rises. Excited and nervous, the waves on this morning engulf you as you enter. All waiting in line, taking turns to find a space, a calmer place to jump in, bracing for the cold water to hit. You don't think about how cold it is when the waves are this big, you have to focus on not being sucked up into a wave, spun around just like being a large washing machine and spat out, slapped onto the stones.
Watching the sun rise and feeling this cold rush of excitement and fear makes this such an incredible experience. It can leave you with feelings of euphoria, having accomplished something quite extraordinary, everyone is on a high, exhilarated even. That is why they will all be back again tomorrow.