I made the image below for my American Channel swimming friend and one of the MSF Rules of Marathon Swimming co-authors Elaine Howley.
I’ve seen a few articles on coping with open water swimming fears recently, and I though I’d take a contrary and more visual tack.
If you suffer from the open water heebeejeebies, try taking control and instead of trying to swim away from imaginary monsters, try summoning them, so you control them and become the master or mistress.
Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. – Nietzsche
Both the feet, and more importantly the eye, are my own … Or is it? 
Click to embiggen. It’s make a nice desktop wallpaper.!
And here’s a video I hope you enjoy. I finally shot something good with David Dammerman’s camera, so thanks David!
I particularly recommend you enjoy what happens about 2:25 and the last few seconds.
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LoneSwimmer 
Amazing!
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No, I’ve never seen it again, or figured it out. I keep hoping though!
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Atlantic Grey Seal at the Guillamene last Septemeber Donal frightened the beeejayyyzus out of Peter my Hungarian mate he said it was huge and had a kind of horse shaped head. Kept disappearing and popping up closer and closer. He gave it a good dose of Magyar curse words as he tried to get away. I thought he was a bit of a baby until I researched his very descriptive retelling of the encounter and then realised the size of the Atlantic Grey. It was shear terror for the poor guy I’m afraid.
The largish reef before the entrance to the cave in your video beneath the Metal-man not a bad place to chill out for a bit, hold onto the seaweed before moving out into the open deeper bits 🙂
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Hey Sam, Yes, I know the grey seal who appears very occasionally at the Guillamenes, I’ve never figured out where he sleeps though. I’ve never seen any of the seals on the Copper Coast hauled out on any of the rocks.
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Yeah you’d wonder about that. I have only seen that seal once from the car park about 4 or 5 years ago. I think the churning freak out currents though remain the strangest for me. Did you ever gain any insight on why they behaved that way?
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Magically wonderful video! I kept look for elves and fairies. Maybe them screeching at the end?
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Glad you enjoyed it Harald, that screeching was pretty cool.
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O.M.G. This is AWESOME! I need to print this out and frame it. Soo cool! Love it when the Abyss blinks.
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you did seem to start swimming pretty fast….
a definite heebie jeebie moment
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