Being the first sea swim of the year in the British Long Distance Swimming Association calander, Exmouth is considered a gruelling test.The swim starts 75 metres east of the Mamhead Slipway, Exmouth Marina. It proceeds out in an easterly direction to a boating channel called the Swash Way, out to sea and the Exe Estuary Buoy, marking the end of the Estuary and the start of the open sea, a circuit is then swum before
turning to swim in a Westerly direction back to Exmouth Beach and completion of the swim back
at the start point near the slipway.

The usual course is 5 miles (8km) starting in the warmer waters of the estuary and heading out into the open sea where the surf is up and the temperature down. 


Today the surf was very choppy especially out beyond the sandbar, which proved difficult to negotiate for both Swimmers and Kayaks alike with with both sickness and capsizing issues resulting in rescues.  


Snowy and Tids were the cox and crew respectively for today's epic event, this involved following the back-markers for the duration of the swim and rescuing those swimmers in need of assistance if  required, at the turn one of the Swimmers  had to be picked up due to sickness, which is documented in this series of photographs taken 2 miles from shore.