Swimming
8 things to know before you swim across the Straits of Melaka
As open water swimming goes, few things are as big as a swim crossing of the Straits of Melaka, one of the busiest and most treacherous shipping lanes in the world.
There has always been a fascination to cross the Straits of Melaka by swimming. The body of water which separates Malaysia and Indonesia — 38 kilometers at its narrowest point — has attracted its fair share of daredevils.
Back in 1973, a Japanese professor, Soichi Nakajima, swam across the Straits with his students. Three decades later, Singaporean adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow crossed in 2004. In 2007, student Azmin Aziz became the first Malaysian to achieve the feat. This was followed by teenagers Zahra Ma’soumah and Salman Ali Shariati in 2010. Additionally, there have also been relay crossings in 1992 (Projek Berenang Merentasi Selat Melaka) and a return trip Malaysia-Indonesia-Malaysia relay crossing in 2007 (Malindo Unity Swim).
All these people have one thing in common: they had spent more than 15 hours swimming in the Straits before reaching the other side. If you are thinking of doing the same, here are eight things that you need to know before you attempt such a formidable undertaking.
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Bear Endeavor, the 1992 relay team’s support boat.
© Raleigh International Support Group
1. IT’S A TEAM SPORT
No swimmer, no matter how good she or he is, can do it alone. You need a team on a support boat to help navigate the swim and carry out regular feedings as well as medics and lifesavers on standby. At the same time, you will also need assistance from the Navy for safety and governmental support to cross international borders. Last but not least, you will also need friends and family to provide emotional support and encouragement!
2. PLAN AND COMMIT
Crossing the Straits needs proper planning. You need to take into account weather forecasts along with tides and currents predictions. Once you have a plan in place, the last thing you want is to get cold feet. You need to stay focused to forge ahead with your plan. Unless there is a life-threatening storm, you are expected to rough it out. Cancellation of a swim can only through a joint decision between the boat skipper and team manager.
3. YOU NEED STAYING POWER
While you do not need to be an Olympian to complete the Straits crossing, training is definitely a must to ensure that you are able to endure long hours in water. Relay swimmers must be able to swim for at least two hours continuously and clock in between 15 to 20 kilometers a week. For solo swimmers, you are looking at clocking between 40 to 50 kilometers a week as part of your preparation. In his book Salam Ombak Selat Melaka, Azmin Aziz recounts how he got more than what he had bargained for when he had to swim for 65 kilometers, after getting pushed back for 9 kilometers due to the current.
Swim escort courtesy of Indonesian marine police.
© Raleigh International Support Group
4. YOU MAY GET SEASICK
For those doing the crossing as a relay team, there is a chance that some of you may not even end up swimming. The reason: seasickness. Only a few people are trained to wait for hours on a swaying and slow moving boat and while there is no hard and fast rule to overcoming seasickness, managing your food intake, focusing on the horizon, sitting in an open area and taking motion sickness pill may help. During the Malindo Unity Swim, a third of the relay swimmers suffered from seasickness after 15 kilometres, with 75 kilometers more to go.
5. JELLYFISHES
Although man-eating sharks are not a threat in the Straits of Melaka, an encounter with gigantic jellyfish cannot be ruled out. During the 2007 relay swim, participants reported seeing a jellyfish that was as huge as a dinner table! To be on the safe side, you can use a stinger suit to provide some protection. Salman Ali Shariati, who swam the Straits as a teenager in 2010, says jellyfish was just something that he had to deal with and carried on with his swim despite being stung a few times.
Stinger suits may provide some jellyfish protection.
© Raleigh International Support Group
6. IT’S EXTREMELY SALTY
As the water is extremely salty, you will have constant visions of soda drinks in your mind. This is where feeding comes in; usually after 8 kilometers. You need to be fed and hydrated between every 30 to 45 minutes (while treading water!). Or else, you will be swimming on a caloric deficit where your muscles will start to burn, followed by fatigue. In the old days, swimmers consumed chocolate beverages, fried rice, bread, bananas, watermelon, cakes, boiled eggs and even nasi lemak and mee goreng! Today, one can get nutrition from drinks and energy bars specially formulated for endurance athletes.
7. NIGHT SWIMMING
Due to the long hours taken to complete the crossing, you cannot avoid doing a portion of your swim at night. It will be pitch dark except for lights from cargo ships and support boats. Some participants may experience phobia and will be unable to jump into the dark, open sea. One way to combat this anxiety is by applying Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) that uses tapping on the various meridian points all over the body.
Some swimmers may experience night swimming phobia.
© Stephen Nah
8. IT’S COSTLY
Endurance open water swims are costly. The bulk of the costs go into logistics such as the support boat and fuel. The English Channel swim, for example, requires prospective swimmers to pay a £400 registration fee on top of all the other costs. A support boat pilot will set you back in the region of £2500. More often than not, swimmers will require sponsorship to foot the all bills.
Slated to take place from 4-7 May 2018, The Melaka Straits Swim 2018 will feature 40 multinational swimmers who will begin their journey from Rupat Island, Sumatra, Indonesia; to Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. More info about the event here.