The thought of possibly coming face to face with a Great White shark did not deter 62-year-old Simon Ince from swimming 35 km across False Bay, from Simon’s Town to Rooi Els.
On Sunday 20 February, he not only braved the water but also clinched a Guinness World Record for being the oldest person to complete the False Bay crossing.
Ince says he never particularly wanted to swim across False Bay, but the decision came about seven years ago.
“On my 55th birthday seven years ago, I swam from Robben Island to Blouberg. The swimming community is big and growing; and a lot of my peers were talking about swimming across the English Channel, but the cost would have been R150 000.
“I thought you must be joking, why not just swim across False Bay in the same distance of 35 km?”
Ince, originally from Somerset West, moved to Blouberg a few years ago. “I’ve done lifesaving and snorkelling and always regarded False Bay as my backyard.”
He said he later discovered that only six people had successfully swum the distance, and if he attempted the swim he would be the oldest.
“It was a seven-year adventure. From August last year to January this year I completed 700 km in the swimming pool as part of my training.
“Someone said if I was one of 10 people, I would be the oldest. So I registered my attempt to do the swim with Guiness Records in November last year.”
On Sunday at 05:30, accompanied by a support team consisting of the skipper and safety officer as well as a videographer, Ince began his journey.
“The first 13,5 km took its toll on me because the water was cold, which slowed me down. But the skipper assured me warmer water was coming.”
The safety officer was responsible for looking out for any unwelcome guests with large fins aside from making sure Ince received liquids every half an hour.
“The moment I got into the water at Miller’s Point there wasn’t a doubt in my mind about completing the swim.”
He adds his only concern was swimming past Whittle Rock, which is well-known among divers and spear fishers as an area with sharks.
“Whittle Rock is well-known. In the early 80s I had an encounter with a Great White shark, it swam around me and then disappeared.
“I was concerned when swimming around Whittle Rock, but I didn’t see any sharks. I saw a seal that swam with me for 5 km and took my mind off the sharks.
“Closer to Rooi Els we also saw four sun fish that came up very close.”
After 10 hours and 42 minutes Ince successfully completed his swim. “The only disappointment was that I had hoped to do the swim in under 10 hours.”
