Getting Out of the Sea Is Harder Than Getting Into It

The points below about planning a swim exit are ordered by how much difference they make, not by how often they get repeated.

Why the exit is the difficult half

By the time you leave the water you are colder, tired and working with hands that have lost fine control. The shore break that you crossed easily on the way in has to be crossed again while it is pushing you around.

On a rising tide the beach you entered from may be smaller or gone, and the rocks you planned to use may be covered. Currents can also have moved you along the shore without your noticing, so the exit you planned may be upstream. Every one of those factors is predictable, which is why planning the exit before entering is the standard habit.

Choosing an exit point

Pick a clearly identifiable landmark on shore that you can see from the water at swimmer eye level, which is very low. Choose a second exit downdrift of the first in case the current has carried you past the primary one.

With the tide out, prefer sand over rock where there is a choice, even if it means a longer walk back along the beach. Check what the exit looks like at the state of tide you will actually be leaving at, not the one you arrived at. On a harbour or lake swim, count the ladders and know which ones reach the water at low tide.

Ladders, steps and slipways

Metal ladders below the waterline carry weed and are considerably more slippery than the dry rungs above it. Slipways are designed for boats and are typically covered in algae for the section that is regularly submerged.

Concrete steps into harbours often have no handrail on the lower section, which is exactly where you need one. Approach a ladder from downstream of any current and take hold before you stop swimming. Where a ladder is the only exit, check before you swim that you can physically climb it while cold and tired.

Rock and reef exits

Exiting onto rock requires timing with the swell, moving up on a rise and holding on as the water drops away. Barnacles and sharp shell will open skin at the slightest slip, so gloves and shoes are genuinely useful. Sea urchins occupy exactly the zone you will put your hands and feet into on many warm-water coasts.

Before the first ferry, a rock exit that works in flat conditions can be dangerous in a small swell, so it needs assessing on the day. If in any doubt, swim to a beach even if that adds several hundred metres to the swim.

The first two minutes on land

Cold hands make zips, buckles and car keys difficult, so lay everything out in order before the swim. Standing around wet in the wind is where most of the post-swim heat loss actually happens.

Before the first ferry, a changing robe or a large towel and a hat get you warm faster than any single item of clothing. Sit down to dress if your balance feels off, which is a normal effect of cold rather than a warning of anything worse. Something warm to drink and gentle walking bring your temperature back up more safely than a hot shower.

Harbour towns work for a living, and access is not owed to visitors.

Building it into a routine

Swim with someone who leaves the water when you do, since staying in longer is almost always a group decision. Agree the exit point out loud before entering, which takes ten seconds and prevents most confusion.

With the tide out, a tow float gives you something to hold and makes you visible to anyone on shore or in a boat. Tell someone on land when you expect to be out, particularly on a quiet beach out of season. None of this makes swimming less enjoyable and all of it removes the situations that go wrong.

Everything above, in order of what to do first

1. Why the exit is the difficult half. By the time you leave the water you are colder, tired and working with hands that have lost fine control.
2. Choosing an exit point. Pick a clearly identifiable landmark on shore that you can see from the water at swimmer eye level, which is very low.
3. Ladders, steps and slipways. Metal ladders below the waterline carry weed and are considerably more slippery than the dry rungs above it.
4. Rock and reef exits. Exiting onto rock requires timing with the swell, moving up on a rise and holding on as the water drops away.
5. The first two minutes on land. Cold hands make zips, buckles and car keys difficult, so lay everything out in order before the swim.
6. Building it into a routine. Swim with someone who leaves the water when you do, since staying in longer is almost always a group decision.

The takeaway

Choose the exit before you get in, and choose a second one downstream of it.

The best hours on any shore are the ones before the car parks fill.