Treacherous currents abound in the San Francisco Bay area. Container ships and whales, sailing boats, sharks and sea swimmers all tackle the tricky tides.
The two sea-swimming clubs sit cheek by jowl in Victorian wooden clubhouses on the harbour of the city’s aquatic cove. The Dolphin and the Southend share a small urban beach and allegedly a mutual enmity. They have seen a surge in use since the pandemic in spite of the chilly North Pacific waters. Well, they say chilly, but we would just call it grand.
As is tradition with wars, there are occasional ceasefires. Every Friday evening peace comes to the small beach with cocktails on the veranda, the two clubs suspending animosities…