Penny’s Kaieiewaho Channel Swim Attempt.
Below is an insight into some of the difficulties I faced at the start of my Oahu to Kauai Island swim attempt, April 2010.
The Start,
Negotiating the dangerous, surging ocean breaking onto the huge lava boulders was very difficult and dangerous; I needed to use every surf and swimming skill I have to make my way onto the rocks before turning around and heading back out into the ocean without being smashed against the massive boulders, many of which were under the surface of the water and impossible to see. Only the foaming white water around them as the swells surged against them gave away their presence.
As I approached the shore I waited outside the break for several minutes while large sets of waves surged into the small cove, finally when there looked like there was a break in the swells I made way through the white water and onto the boulders as quickly as possible hoping to make it to land before the next swell surged in behind me and knocked me over, as I tried to find my footing my feet slipped on a smooth round boulder and I tumbled over bruising my left thigh, I put my arm out to steady myself as I was knocked over by an oncoming wave and hurt my shoulder.
Once I was out of the water it took me several minutes to regain my composure and my breath before I could even contemplate navigating my way back though the swell and begin my swim.
I waited several more minutes watching the swells surge in and made mental notes of where the underwater boulders were that I needed to avoid. Should I go left? Should I go right? Both looked dangerous, could I walk along a bit? No I was stuck in this tiny cove, the only way out was navigate my way through the foaming white water and surging waves.
I waited again for a break in the swells, unable to take a few steps in to the water or wade at all since the surges would have knocked me off my feet, there was just one thing to do and that was to wait for a smaller set of swells to come through then swim out with the foaming wave as fast as I could and hope that I was far enough out before the next incoming swell thumped me into the rocks, yes I think I could make it…just.
I was in the middle of the white foaming water, now I needed to swim as fast as I could to clear the break before the next swell, Jeff Kozlovich was waiting for me on the paddle board….finally we were on our way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTraV4-GQfU by Jeff Kozlovich. Jeff took this video during the first two hours.
Once we were away the boat and swim crew settled into the swim and found their places on the boat, we were finally away, with a big swim ahead of us. Everyone was in good spirits and we had a great team.
Sadly after 12 hours of swimming I had no choice but to end the swim with extremely painful and debilitating stings from Portuguese-Man –of-War jellyfish.
[...] Cox swam a mile to Antarctica; Lewis Pugh swam a kilometre at the North Pole and on Mount Everest. Penny Palfrey had to pull out of a 72mile swim between Oahu to Kauai in Hawaii due to being stung by a Portuguese [...]