Record-setting thrill-seekers: apply here

I woke up at 5am this morning - this is extremely rare. (Dad: YES! I saw the sunrise and I have a photo to prove it, ha!). Fast-forward four hours and I'm in a small fishing boat, the 'Cavalier' - driven by Dantjie, a retired fisherman - leaving Miller's Point on route to Cape Point in unnervingly rough seas with darkening skies overhead. Winds, ocean swells and currents are beating the boat from all sides, the digicam around my neck is bouncing wildly off my chest, the salty sea spray is stinging my eyes, and standing in soaked sandals with one hand firmly gripping a rusting handle, I can't balance myself well enough to reach into my already drenched jacket pocket for my sunglasses.

Yet by anybody's standards it doesn't even begin to compare to the challenge faced by those we were setting out to accompany. 4 long distance swimmers, 3 Cape's spanning 11km of hostile ocean, 13°C water with meter-high swells and strong currents, an officiator in a kayak, 2 shark repellants, torrential downpour with strong winds, 1 bottle of Champagne and lots of Energade - all accumulating as the Triple Cape Challenge swim. A successful record-setting attempt by my brave friend Gill, record-holding long distance swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh (profiled on the Extreme Planet website along with Ben Saunders. Coincidentally, Lewis is the record-holder for the "Most Northern Long Distance Swim in the World" for his North Cape swim, north of the Arctic Circle!) and CLDSA members Tony and Kevin.

I was serving as lookout and photographer while accompanying the swimmers around the three Cape's: Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear & Cape Point - to Buffelsbaai in a 11km swim that had never been attempted before. For some perspective of the distance involved, click on the digicam icon accompanying this post. Swimming the three Cape's is a world-first achievement and I'm humbled by the gutsy performance of Gill and the others. As someone who finds diving through a wave intimidating, I'm feeling so inspired right now.

I only wish my digicam was up to the challenge. I decided to brave the drizzling rain (which minutes later turned into torrential downpour) to get some shots an hour into the swim. Inevitably I suppose, a smidgen of wetness found itself into the part of my digicam responsible for deciding that it would no longer function from that moment onwards. Before we even reached Cape Point! Shit happens!! The view of the notoriously dangerous coastline from the boat was incredible, and we passed a raft of penguins after rounding Cape Point which made being drenched in sea water for the day all worth it. That and of course the success of the swim.

I have a huge backlog of photos to upload but right now I'm going to bed. Subservient Chicken is so distracting. G'night!