It's all what you're used to. I grew up on the Atlantic where it was pretty darn murky; we would go in up to our necks and hunt for sand dollars with our feet. The sporting part was that blue crabs feel an awful lot like sand dollars from the top - and those suckers are fast too! After enough pinched toes and shark alerts you kind of get used to it.

I wouldn't say you're a coward though, that's actually kind of logical to be afraid.