SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A Marin County man is close to becoming the first to swim solo from San Francisco to the Farallon Islands.

Four swimmers have swam from the Farallones to the California Coast, but if swimmer Simon Dominguez is successful, he’ll be the first to complete the journey backwards.

Before starting the 30 mile swim Tuesday night, Dominguez said conditions seemed good.

“I’ve trained for much colder water than it’s going to be out there,” he said. “I just want to get in the water and get this swim done.”

Dominguez is being escorted by boat and staying fueled with protein drinks. The swim is expected to take in between 13-18 hours.

If all goes as planned, he should reach the Farallones by this afternoon. You can track his journey in real time here.

Dominguez trains with the Night Train Swimmers, a group of Bay Area open water swimmers who have completed record-setting long distance swims around the world.