There have been several sightings of an unusual creature swimming through the tidal backwaters of southern Maine and New Hampshire. People have referred to it as “creek man,” “creek monster” and “the chauncesmith monster.” The Wire caught up with the elusive creature, which turned out to be Gary Sredzienski—accordion player, host of WUNH’s Polka Party radio show and an experienced creek swimmer.

“They gotta know I’m not genetically different from anyone. I’ve worked at this and I’m totally comfortable,” he said. 
For the past six years, Sredzienski has been swimming the Seacoast’s tidal backwaters five days a week, 12 months a year. While most people are hunkering down for the winter, creek man is exposing himself to some of the most extreme elements of winter. And every time he takes the plunge, he learns something new.

“I learned yesterday that I need to hydrate before a swim,” he said last week.  

On Jan. 17, 18 or 19 (depending on the weather), Sredzienski will summon all of his accumulated knowledge and fortitude to swim from Odiorne Point in Rye to the Isles of Shoals. The six-mile swim is intended to raise money and awareness for people who suffer from brain injuries. Proceeds raised in support of Sredzienski’s efforts will benefit the Stepping Stones program at Krempels Foundation, where he regularly performs music.

“These people really touched me. It’s a wonderful sunny community that helps people get back on their feet,” he said. “I thought, with all these miles I swim, why don’t I just harness this and do something for someone?”

Sredzienski’s longest winter creek swim to date is eight miles.

“It really knocks the crap out of you,” he said.

So why does he do it? “It’s the joy of my life,” he said. “This is the other half of my life, where it’s so peaceful. We really live in a special place, and this is a whole other world that not many people see.”

During his swims, Sredzienski has seen bald eagles, blue herons and snapping turtles.

“The fish freak me out, too. The striped bass are very social. It’s great to be among wildlife, where you’re the curiosity,” he said.

In preparation for the big swim, Sredzienski is simply going to “chill out and relax.” But, in a sense, he has been preparing for this swim for his entire life. Always an athlete, Sredzienski was the captain of his high school swim team and an avid jogger. While studying forestry at the University of New Hampshire, he was exposed to tidal creeks and rivers on class trips and during field research. After college, he found a house on the Lamprey River and took a job as a forester.

“Living on the Lamprey as a forester is what got me into the whole estuary thing,” he said. Now, his favorite places to swim are Chauncey Creek, Sagamore Creek and the Salmon Falls River. He also frequents Spruce Creek in Kittery, Maine, where he currently lives.

Braving the icy water requires the right gear. Sredzienski has spent hundreds of dollars experimenting with different combinations of wetsuits and dry suits.  He prefers surfer suits to scuba gear, because they offer more flexibility in the shoulders. For the Isles of Shoals swim, Sredzienski will layer a spring suit and winter suit. He’ll also don goggles with a nose guard to protect against frostbite. “I’m probably warmer than the guy on the bank,” he said. 

Two boats will accompany Sredzienski as he makes the swim out to the Isles. A doctor will be onboard, and the boats will carry GPS devices, a lifeline, drinking water and a defibrillator. “This is probably the safest swim I’ve ever taken,” he said.

The convoy will leave Kittery Point and drop Sredzienski in the water at Odiorne. He estimates that swimming the six miles in 39 degree water will take three to five hours. “I don’t know about the side currents and that’s why it might take longer,” he said. He hopes to make it to Appledore Island. “I’m going to walk on the island and jump up and down,” he said. Following his celebration, the boats will pick him up for a warm ride back to the mainland. 

When Sredzienski is on land, he can usually be found playing the accordion with Seacoast band The Serfs or presiding over the Polka Party radio show on WUNH, which he has hosted for 21 years.

“To play music and to be really outstanding, you have to be really physically and mentally in shape. The accordion and swimming are so intertwined in my life, I’ve written songs to the creek,” he said

Within the next year, Sredzienski wants to write a book about creek swimming, so that anybody who wants to take the plunge will know what gear to use.

“I’ve put five CDs out, but never a book. This is all going to be new,” he said.

For now, the creek man is concentrating on the upcoming swim.

“The biggest enemy or your biggest challenger is yourself. My biggest fear is everybody is sick now. I just can’t have that happen to me. I would be so devastated if I got the flu,” he said.