Estate Living Magazine Smart Moves - Issue 38 February 2019 | Page 64

G O O D
L I F E
FIRE
AND ICE
A SONG OF
What kind of madness would inspire someone to plunge into icy water on the edge of an active
volcano? A combination of simple FOMO, peer pressure, and the inevitable ‘because it’s there.’ And
also perhaps because, like banging your head against a wall, it feels so good when you stop.
For about 30 seconds, I couldn’t feel my legs … The icy polar waters
that lapped at Whalers Bay may have been two degrees warmer than
the sub-zero temperature outside, but that hadn’t made spending more
than a few seconds submerged in it any more appealing.
You might ask why I, and several others, would deign to do it at all. The
real question is – when presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to dive into the polar waters off Deception Island – why you wouldn’t.
Stripping off the multiple layers that stood between us and the chill, we
donned our swimsuits, teetering impossibly on the black volcanic sands
of the bay to keep as much as possible of our bodies covered at one
time, more to keep warm than for modesty’s sake.
As the very, very fresh air gnawed at our skin, we hurried down to the
water like kids keen to jump into a pool – some choosing to dive headfirst
and fully submerge themselves for a few seconds; others wading in
slowly so as to adjust to the frigid temperatures. I chose the former,
and – seconds later – I was back on the beach and running faster than a
toddler on a sweetie binge, in desperate pursuit of warm, dry clothing.