Water baby trains for Fiji ocean swim

I was disappointed not to be picked for the Kelly Tarlton's shark dive earlier this year.

East & Bays Courier editor Melanie Verran was lucky enough to get up close and personal with the hungry predators, while I was confined to the revolving viewing tunnel below.

But as I plunge into the tropical waters of Fiji I will be counting my lucky stars for not having that close encounter fresh in my mind.

The annual Mana Island Ocean Swim is just six weeks away, and whenever I mention it to my friends they don't ask how training is going for the three-kilometre race, but what I'm going to do to fend off the sharks .

To be honest, sharks are the least of my concerns. In fact I'm pretty sure that if I make it to the 2.5km mark I'll be auctioning myself off to our underwater enemies, just to put me out of my misery.

But putting the easy option aside for a moment, I do plan to finish the 3km swim – and I have no intention of being the last person dragging myself up the beach towards the finish line.

So I'm officially in training – and so far, so good.

I'd be lying if I said I was a first-time swimmer. I've been swimming on and off throughout my life and have always been known as a water baby.

The challenges that face me for this swim are finishing in a time that isn't laughable, and the mental side of being in the ocean.

I generally keep to the safe quarters of a swimming pool. But lately I have encountered unusual, and at times terrifying, creatures in Auckland's public pools.

The lovely man in the transparent shorts who does breaststroke in the fast lane is always a treat.

As graceful as it may look out of the pool, swimming up behind a breaststroke enthusiast can give you nightmares for a month.

Lane rage is a bit of a problem. When I'm swimming, I'm on a mission. I'm not there for fun and games, I'm there to get the job done, tick another distance off the list and get out of there.

I like to believe I'm a patient person, but when someone is aqua jogging in the fast lane and I've only got 400 metres left of my session, I'm not a happy chappy, and I make no effort to hide it.

I've been gradually building up the distance of each swim over the last five weeks or so. I have now officially completed a 3km session.

It wasn't exactly a fast 3km, but I now know that mentally I can swim the distance – which is hopeful.

The ocean swim is an annual event held on Mana Island, a well-known resort in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji.

You have the choice of 500m, 1km or 3km on the first day, and if you're really tough, or just a little crazy, you can compete the following day in the 10km loop around the island.

Fingers crossed plenty of other swimmers will be joining me for the swim – and hopefully they are all a lot bigger and a lot tastier than I am.

- © Fairfax NZ News