Devil Beaten, They’ll Face the Deep, Blue Sea

It sounds like a worthy idea--a 60-mile relay swim from San Clemente Island to San Clemente Pier on the mainland to raise money for cancer research.

In mid-July, when the swim will be attempted, ocean temperatures are usually in the mid-60s and the waters are typically calm, with the Baja storm season still a month away. And given that it’s a relay, each swimmer has to gut it out for only an hour before returning to the support boat to rest.

But that would not explain why the swim from San Clemente Island to the mainland has never been completed.

“Maybe because, as soon as you get beyond Catalina Island, everything changes,” said Dave Yudovin, 50, who has completed four English Channel swims and is the only person to swim to the mainland from three of the eight Channel Islands. “Once you’re out of the coastal waters, everything is a little more unpredictable. The wind could be a bit stronger, the sea is higher and has a little more roll, and there could be more danger.”

Yudovin is part of a six-man team--all of whom have battled cancer--that will attempt the San Clemente swim this summer, partially because of the sheer challenge and partially in the spirit of charity. All six have years of experience in deep-water swimming, something of a throwback in an era of extreme sports. They swim five days a week--sometimes in swimming pools, sometimes in the ocean--and average about 60 miles a month.

But practice is only part of the challenge.

Craig Taylor, 48, of Laguna Niguel will be wearing a $300 battery-powered device around his ankle to ward off sharks just like the triathlon competitors in Sydney Harbor at the 2000 Olympics.

“We’ve been joking that they’re going to send him the wrong model and he’ll get the shark bait instead of the repellent,” said Scott Zornig, 42, of Rancho Santa Margarita.

Still, Zornig knows it’s no laughing matter. Three years ago in a Maui Channel Swim relay, Zornig got out of the water just as a 15-foot tiger shark closed in. His team and 15 others pulled out of the race.

It’s unclear why no one has completed the swim from San Clemente Island. Part of the reason--beyond the distance, the treacherous waters and the shipping lanes that must be crossed--may be the cost. John York, president of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation, said the average cost of an open-water swim is about $2,000, most going toward renting a support boat. “And the further out you go, the more expensive it is because you’re adding time to your trip,” said York, whose group documents channel swims.

For the six friends, all members of the Irvine Novaquatics Masters Team, the lure of finishing the swim is powerful.

“Because we’re sharing this between the six of us, it’s going to have to be something pretty catastrophic for us not to finish this thing,” said Zornig, who pulled out of a solo 40-mile swim down the Orange County coast a few years ago because of treacherous seas.

So how do they deal with getting thrown about while trying to keep their head above water, their stomach free of saltwater and their stroke solid?

“In choppy conditions, you have a tendency to do higher arm recovery to clear the water,” Taylor said. “You need to concentrate on being efficient.”

The six swimmers will stay in the water for an hour before rotating out.

As each swimmer grinds out stroke after stroke, a support crew will take care of everything else. At all times, at least two teammates will act as observers on the support boat, looking for sharks and other dangers. A kayaker will paddle alongside, acting as the swimmers’ guide.

“A lot of people tend to fade about 2 a.m.,” Taylor said. “So we’ll need some strong bodies on board to keep their eyes open.”

Brendan Halffman of Laguna Beach, the youngster of the group at 32, said the long haul will take a toll. “These things are great for the first 10 hours. But getting back in the water the third time at 4 in the morning is kind of tough.”

The 46-foot power boat will make things a little easier. It will be equipped with heavy-duty lights, food and beds for naps between swims and spotting shifts. To help the spotters at night, each swimmer will attach a plastic glow stick to his Speedo.

Darkness also brings another danger into play: ships.

“You’re going right through the major shipping lanes, and the shipping lanes are most active at night,” said Mike Suttle, 49, of Laguna Beach, the 58th person to swim solo from Catalina Island. “You’re going 2 mph and those boats are going 40 mph. It’s like crawling across the freeway.”

If there is a strong current, Taylor believes his group could reach San Clemente Pier in about 20 hours. If conditions turn nasty, 30 hours. The goal is to step on shore on July 21, during the annual San Clemente Ocean Festival.

If they make history--or even if they don’t--a member of the channel swimming federation will be there to document the attempt. So far, 98 people have completed the 21-mile Catalina swim, four have completed the Anacapa Island-to-Ventura swim, and two have stroked their way from Santa Cruz Island to the Ventura coast.

On the San Clemente Island journey, swimmers will be motivated by the ultimate goal of raising money for the Pediatric Cancer Division at the City of Hope. All have been affected by cancer, Yudovin most directly. Fifteen years ago, he was given a 50-50 chance of living two days after receiving a leukemia diagnosis.

After an operation to remove his spleen and several months of chemotherapy, Yudovin was back in the water. Two years after his diagnosis, Yudovin became the first person to swim the Tsugaru Straight off the coast of Japan.

“Just to be able to get up and go work out is a privilege,” he said.