Wild swimming

[Stephenite]

Here is my favourite (ie. nearby) freshwater watering hole:

This is a great watery playground a short bike ride from our holiday hut/cottage (quite dry at the time of the photo):

- and a close up :P :

 

[Stephenite]

I love wild swimming and used to do a lot of it when I was a fit looking bronzed adonis. These days I'd hate to scare the locals, so tend to only frighten the members at my local swimming pool. Sadly I look more like my avatar than......well than anybody you can think of

A fine figure of a man. Come on in. The water's lovely.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Having swum long distances very seldomly since my youth, I now swim 3-5 km every other morning here in India.

Sod cold water, it's 28 degrees here.

Yeah but you don't know what's lurkin in that warm water!

 

[AndyWilliams]

There is a TV programme I watched about this. I'll try and find it for you, was very good.

Not available to view any more - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t9r28

Found this - http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/wild-swimming-with-dr-alice-roberts.100426/

 

[slowmotion]

I'm not sure what wild swimming is. I'm not a big fan of swimming pools. They are pretty tedious. I love swimming in the sea, especially when there is another bit of shore to land on. I met a German on a creek in Cornwall who told me that he was swimming round the entire coast. He splashed off with a waterproof bag on his back. I never discovered his re-supply arrangements.
The very best swims were in the forest pools in the mountains of Corsica. They were icy cold but the sun was hot. We hiked up to them, put a bottle of wine in to cool, took off our clothes and lazed away the afternoons. We got a few leeches but we really didn't care. Give it a try.

 

[Gravity Aided]

People swimming in the Illinois River in frigid winter temperatures. That's wild.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl4A7VCxPX8

 

[RedRider]

Try googling books by Daniel Smart. (I don't even swim, so DAHIKT)

Thanks for this tip, our lovely local bookshop had a copy so I bought it! It sounds like there's might be a story so forgive my nosiness... how do you know about this book?

This guy did something similar http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/microadventures-3/river-swim/

Hmmm, that looks like the sort of thing. Thanks.

Not yet, not brave enough to ditch my wetsuit

The thing is, she has a wetsuit but has only ever worn it once. Doesn't even wear gloves or a cap. Dunno how she does it, the water temperature was seemingly down to 4 degrees today.

Knew a few great places in and around Eskdale & Wasdale 30 years ago when I lived there.

The best was this one:
http://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MTAwMDA=

Ice cold all year round!!

Another great one was in the Blengdale forest near Gosforth - there was a shallow rapid that in September was in full sun in late afternoon, heating the water to a comfortable temperature, and just below a narrowing that led to a small waterfall into a 3-4 fooot deep pot pool - a natural swirling, warm jaccuzi!

BTW skinny dipping is compulsory for wild swimming!

Cheers PK99. She swam in Windermere a couple of years ago but I'm way too much of a wuss for ice cold. Do you happen to know if the Eden Valley at all? I was thinking the River Eden might have potential and we have a few places to stay around there.

I went skinny dipping in Norfolk once .

Norfolk 'n' shame?

I used to swim in lakes, rivers and stuff in my youth, but it wasn't called wild swimming then

I hate the way yer middle classes have tried to adopt it exclusively... A dip in the sea is claimed as wild swimming these days.

Not to take away from your plans however... Sounds fun.

We're dead posh tho.
I bet you were doing the breast stroke.

Here is my favourite (ie. nearby) freshwater watering hole:

This is a great watery playground a short bike ride from our holiday hut/cottage (quite dry at the time of the photo):

- and a close up :P :

That looks amazing, I think we'd definitely consider Norway. Anywhere to hire mountain bikes around that spot?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

@RedRider acclimatisation? If you're used to 4deg water then it's not going to feel too cold I guess

I keep forgetting about the tiny amount of water ingress when I first enter the water, touch of cold water shock!

 

[RedRider]

@RedRider acclimatisation? If you're used to 4deg water then it's not going to feel too cold I guess

I keep forgetting about the tiny amount of water ingress when I first enter the water, touch of cold water shock!

Yeah, no doubt. She's pretty hardcore tho. Occasionally she says something like... ah 'such and such' fainted when they got out the pool today!

 

[hoopdriver]

Swimming in brooks and lakes was all I ever did growing up in rural New Hampshire. Never in pools. To this day I have hardly ever swum in pools and don't like them.

I find it kind of odd to hear it called 'wild swimming' and people thinking it is something unusual.

 

[Peteaud]

Lets face it, when getting into cold water, the freezing liquid hits my nads and i scream like a girl.

 

[hoopdriver]

I took a dip in Antarctica once, swam out to a Zodiac - seriously cold. No way just to wade in, just slosh in fast and dive...

 

[Over The Hill]

The Alice Roberts programme was good. Must be around somewhere.

I like wild swimming but not the cold.

Love sea swimming in the Med or somewhere warm. Cant beat it.

 

[Stephenite]

That looks amazing, I think we'd definitely consider Norway. Anywhere to hire mountain bikes around that spot?

The first pic is near Oslo. And there are loads of places to swim round Oslo. Mtn bike hire is a bit limited, and dear, for eg. http://www.ski-guide.no/www.ski-guide.no/Rent_a_Bike.html

The next two photos are from southern Telemark, and now i come to think of there are gazoodles of great spots there too. Google images for Jettegrytene i Nissedal - not accessible by car so you would have to hire your bikes from http://www.uniqhotels.com/the-canvas-hotel :P

 

[Dayvo]

@Dayvo

Gloating is bad!

How's the dead body count on the Goan beaches this year.

Some years back we stayed on Baga beach (before it got really busy) and in the three weeks we were there 5 Indians were washed up in separate incidents.

We were told people from the interior who had never seen the see before came on holiday, had a dip and got into trouble. Not sure if this is true but makes sense if it is.

Lovely beaches - we particularly likes all the cows on the beach.

Yeah, sorry 'bout that!

Unfortunately there are still too many drownings each week, most of them alcohol-induced.

Yeah but you don't know what's lurkin in that warm water!

As I reached the end of my swim and walked out of the surf, a sea snake 3-4 foot long, made its way into the sea.

I've had flying fish splash down nearby, swam through large shoals of small? fish, eagles swooping on unsuspecting fish a bit too near for comfort, and curious dolphins coming to within about 20 yards. Dolphins or not, I don't like seeing fins in the sea near me!