A Good Friday Ocean Swim

It was years ago that a friend posed the idea of taking an ocean swim before work one day. We’ll call this catalyst McBride. Three others, including myself, thinking he was certainly bluffing, smilingly agreed. The other two we’ll call Cory and Wortendyke. But to our surprise, this was no bluff.

The date and time were set for Good Friday. Meet at the rendezvous point at 5:00 am. Silly enough were we to engage a workday morning ocean jump, but not so silly as to neglect wet suits. Wet suits were rented the day before on our lunch break.


April (Good Friday) 1995

It was the predawn pitch black of too early 5:00 am. Four guys coming from four different abodes all managed to meet up without a hitch. We transferred into one vehicle and carpooled to Zuma Beach, immediately adjacent to Malibu. In the still complete darkness we donned our wet suits in the parking lot and walked toward the Pacific Ocean. It was too dark yet to see the ocean, even though we were no more than 40 feet away.

It was a poor choice of mornings. The wind was blowing strongly which quickly numbed the exposed face and hands. The beach was pitch black, we simply walked towards the sounds of crashing waves.

Enjoying the feel of the cold sand between the toes we trekked toward the now loud crashing of the waves that remained yet unseen. The white water was finally visible at our ankles. The ocean’s surface beyond the froth of the tumbling waves looking like an endless supply of oil in all its impeccable blackness.

Into the water for 30 minutes of body surfing, frolic, and occasionally tackling each other. The cold wind over the ocean blowing into our hooded faces brought the onset of a sensation of headache, much like that of drinking one’s milkshake or Slurpee too fast and being encumbered with brain freeze.

The sun now rising, this silliness slowly drew to a close. The office goof balls walked out of the ocean and made our way back to the car slapping each other’s shoulders exorcising the balance of our giddy energy.

Exhilarated, we laughed at ourselves. The office loomed what with its neat piles of work on our desks. On the way out of the parking lot we blared Irish folk tunes. It was McBride’s doing.


A Good Friday to you. Whether or not you be taking an early pre-work ocean swim.
-klem