Mexico's water-filled cenotes are superb swimming spots - but the beauty of outdoor swimming transcends any particular location, writes Kate Rew.
There are no rivers on the Yucatán. The soft limestone ground swallows them whole. On a long, hot, humid day there are no streams in which to paddle your feet and provide relief. So it is a wonder to enter one of the many cenotes that drain the peninsula. These caves or sinkholes sit beneath a scratchy earth and hold hanging roots, protruding rocks and deep pools of turquoise water. They are magical, and the swimming endlessly refreshing, despite the mosquitoes...
It's past dawn in the English mountains. Past the time the birds woke up and sang in the thin air, past the time we rolled over in our tent and heard the hiss and static of mizzle against canvas. We are on the top of a Glaramara, next to a tarn and camped in a cloud. I yellow slug my boyfriend in my down sleeping bag and say 'shall we go for a swim?'
I am always like this: a missionary, a believer in the pagan redemption of a wild swim. We unzip and feel colder. The ground is soaking wet from its shroud; water squelches between our bare toes as we hop-scotch to High House tarn. We can talk freely and stand naked because there is no one else up here: not yesterday, not tomorrow.
This is not an obvious wild swim. There is no siren living on the round grey rocks in the middle of the peaty brown water, fringed by wet grass. There are no natural Jacuzzis, no clear waterfalls, no sun-baked rocks. But there's an essential celebration to swimming outdoors. Holidays are started and arrivals marked by the sheer act of stripping off and plunging in. In the water new worlds unfold.
Like many people, I used to be aware of the transformative powers of water when I travelled. In Mexico one Christmas a friend and I skipped through the bush on the Yucatán, high on youth and freedom, days spent drinking tequila and nights sleeping in hammocks. He had been living in Mérida since university, and heard about swimming holes in his pigeon Spanish from a guy in the carwash.
A border of high brush marked the edge of Tulum town, and we picked our way past the exhaust, dried pee and dust that had blown against the scrub. Out the other side in the bush we weaved along an unknown path amidst lower prickles, follow my leader one after the other, improbably looking for a hole in the ground.
'Jump!' said Beau, as we arrived. I stripped off to my bikini and leapt after him into my first cenote: a world I had not previously known even existed. And there, just below the dry earth and windblown detritus was a perfect clean freshwater underworld, a clear azure universe of stalactites and freshwater caves. We swam freely in the areas lit by sunshine, and nervously under the stalactites. We got out feeling new.
Then I discovered the same revelations happen at home. The transformative powers lie in natural water, not its location. In the Outer Hebrides, once past the smack and slap of purple cold in the sea, I find seals swimming with me. In the Oxfordshire countryside moonlit night swims in the silky river water are accompanied by the twinkling of drowned branches and the distant crunches of combine harvesters. It's the swimming that taps you into renewal, reveals the magic of the undiscovered nearby.
The swimming - and the action. The vocabulary of wild swimming belays a philosophy: we 'jump in', we 'take the plunge', we are buoyant, immersed in the experience, we go with the flow. In all of this there is an embracing of life and a surrendering to its uncontrollable elements.
Up in the lakes, I stand on the sidelines with goosebumps and dither my toes. I am always like this too: prone to hesitation. To a doubtful incredulous 'do I really want to?' just before I get in. The water is shallow, peaty brown, cold yet surprisingly warm, its black bottom having soaked up all the heat of previous days.
'The day was beautiful and it seemed to him that a long swim might enlarge and celebrate its beauty,' said John Cheever in his short story The Swimmer. And it's always a beautiful day when you go for a swim, I've discovered, so then I'm in. Head down, chest gasping, knees knocking against rock and water washing the sleep and yesterday's salt sweat from my eyes.
Floating on my back with the cloud parting and then obscuring the mountains.
'I am sure no adventurer nor discoverer ever lived who could not swim. Swimming cultivates imagination. This love of the unknown is the greatest of all the joys which swimming has for me' said long distance swimmer Annette Kellerman. We feel like that, as we float, in this wild little tarn. The water renews us. Redefines us. Makes us sturdy with cold.
And when we get out we feel more of ourselves. We have knocked against the element of the world. We are alive. We have swum.
Kate Rew, June 2010
The OSS map is a growing record of top swimming spots in the UK - but there are also many excellent locations for outdoor swimming beyond these shores.
For some examples, see these recent articles in The Times and La Vie Cherie - which cover swimming in Finland, Morocco, the US and Burkina Faso, among other places.
Also see the OSS list of international open water events.
We hope these act as inspiration for outdoor swimmers seeking out more global swims. Let us know if you find any, and happy swimming!
OSS member Anna Wardley recently swam the Gibraltar Strait between Spain and Morocco as part 0f a series of swims to raise money for charity. She describes her experience below.
I'm delighted to report that last Friday I successfully swam solo across the Gibraltar Strait from Spain to Morocco in just under six hours. I started the swim at 0714 local (0514 UT) at first light from the rocks surrounding the lighthouse on the Isla de Tarifa, the most southerly point in mainland Europe at 36 degrees North.
I'd been expecting to make my attempt to swim from Europe to Africa a couple of days later. Originally Rafael, who was coordinating my swim, told me it'd be likely that I'd be swimming on Sunday or Monday but he called us at our rented house on Thursday afternoon to inform us that we'd got the green light to go the following morning. Never has a poolside reading and sunbathing session come to such an abrupt end!
I swam in a NW Force 4 and the wind, waves and white horses built as I made my way across the busy Strait towards Africa. The sea was indigo blue and clear enough to see a ray gracefully swim below me within a few minutes of starting. If I was going to meet a whale en route, I'd certainly have a good view.
Although I swam just two days before neaps, the current flowing from the Atlantic into the Med was still strong meaning I had to really push to make it across. The pilots have logged the current running at up to 8km per hour in the Strait providing one of the biggest problems, especially for slower swimmers. I needed to get across as quickly as possible to avoid getting swept past Morocco and into the Med.
Within minutes of leaving the Spanish mainland, we were passed by some of the 300-plus cargo ships and ferries that pass through the Strait every day. My crew regularly broadcast our position and communicated to passing traffic to ensure that they altered their course if necessary. Usually this happened in good time, but occasionally they had problems making contact and they passed close enough for me to see the whites of the captain's eyes on the bridge.
In the middle of the Strait I looked up to see British sailor Dee Caffari's Open 60 pass within a few boat lengths en route to the Atlantic. Her boat is usually berthed where I live in Gosport and to see her bold AVIVA livery in the middle of the Straits was a huge surprise, but probably not quite as big a surprise as it was for them seeing a swimmer six miles offshore on a blustery Sunday morning!
As we entered Moroccan waters, things livened up as we were approached by a police launch and a sinister looking black RIB with the Moroccan Navy onboard. After almost running me down, they boarded my pilot boat and demanded to see our documentation and passports. Thankfully, the tension was relieved by some world-class diplomacy and ice cold Cokes and they escorted us right until the end of the swim around two hours later. As well as diverting local traffic as I surfed my way towards shore on the rolling waves, they cheered and took photos when I finished at Punta Leona at 1113 local (1314 UT).
Completing my solo Gibraltar Strait crossing means that I have now successfully completed all five of the swims I have attempted over the last 17 months including a Double Windermere and a solo cross Channel swim.
I've now swam from Europe to Asia in the Hellespont and from Europe to Africa so maybe I'll swim from Europe to the Americas next...watch this space!
I've now successfully swam all five of my Turning the Tide swims over the last 18 months to raise funds for the Samaritans, Toe in the Water and Sail Africa.
People's generosity so far has helped me to raise almost £25,000 and I am still determined to hit my target of £50,000. If you'd like to make a donation, log onto www.annawardley.com and click on the donate page to find out how to donate online or by cheque.
Anna Wardley, June 2010
Hannah Booth attended the recent OSS social swim at the Thames on 5th June. Here is Hannah's report of the swim, reproduced from her blog 'Lives less ordinary'.
The last time I met a group of strangers in a layby it was 1989, the second Summer of Love. Under-age and under dressed, we were trying to find a field with a rave in it.
Over 20 years on, I'm doing something a little more age-appropriate but just as fun: meeting outdoor swimmers, pulling on a swimsuit and jumping in a river.
After making friends in a heartbeat - standing semi-naked by the side of a B-road does accelerate the bonding process - we pick our way across a field. We're quite a sight: barefoot, red hats, wet suits and goggles.
Chat is excited but a little nervous. How long will the swim take? How cold will the water be? Will the current help us? What happens if we want to get out early? We pass a group of picnickers, flushed pink from the sun and the empty bottles of wine littering their rug. They wave and shout words of encouragement.
Soon we're at the riverbank. Here in Oxfordshire, we are around 40 miles from the source of London's great river. The water is brown-green, clean and sleepily slow-moving, the bank lined with lush shrubbery.
I hop down and into the shallows, surprised to feel sand between my toes. The water is colder than I expected but as soon as I dive under and stretch out, my shivers pass and it cools me down. I am at the front (it won't last), cleaving through the water at a gentle pace. No-one is racing: strokes are languid as we drink in the surroundings. It's exceptionally peaceful, just the lapping of the water, murmuring chat and the occasional whoop behind us as someone enters the water.
Reeds and leaves become entangled in my fingers. Ducklings wobble past. And every five minutes a large boat looms into view. It makes me feel very small bobbing at water level as they cruise past.
After a kilometre or so, I'm starting to chill. Most people are in sturdy wetsuits but my new-found friend and I are in skimpy swimsuits (it was only a last minute change of heart that made me leave my bikini at home). So we get out at a stretch of sand and walk back to the parked cars. Our goose bumps are soon warmed by the afternoon sun.
We catch a lift to the end of the swim, at the village of Shillingford a mile away, and await the swimmers.
Soon, red hats appear around a bend in the river. They reach the bank and clamber out into awaiting towels, beaming with the joy of exertion, relief and pride. I haven't enjoyed a Saturday afternoon this much in years.
Hannah Booth, June 2010
Reducing the phosphates in your washing products makes a marked difference to water quality. Ruth Kirk from the Love Your Lakes campaign reports.
Help us hold back the tide of phosphates washing into rivers and lakes and you will help us to keep them a better place for wild swimming.
The Lake District offers some of the finest swimming in the country, with 16 lakes and hundreds of mountain tarns amidst a stunning setting of mountains and fells. However, water quality is under threat as a result of too much phosphate entering the water system and causing the wrong thing to grow - blue green algae.
Whilst Blue-green algae are a natural inhabitant of inland waters, in the right conditions it can reproduce rapidly and very quickly out-compete other plant life to dominate the lake. This is bad news for wildlife and can be a big problem for people and pets enjoying the lakes for recreation and swimming.
The excessive growth of algae stops sunlight from reaching other plants in the lake. The other then plants die, using up oxygen from the water and as a result fish and insects suffocate and birds and mammals that feed on them suffer. Sadly, the disappearance of the rare Vendace fish from Bassenthwaite Lake has been caused, in part, by high levels of phosphate and too much blue-green algae.
Blue-green algae can also be toxic to humans and pets. The bright green blooms occur in calm, hot and sunny weather. They are easily spotted by swimmers but you should avoid swimming in them or swallowing the water as this can cause rashes, vomiting and and other symptoms. Lakes regularly affected are Bassenthwaite, Loweswater, Coniston, Elterwater, Esthwaite & Windermere but many organisations in Cumbria have been working successfully to prevent this happening in the future.
The phosphates which cause the blue green alga to bloom are accumulating in the lakes from lots of different sources including washing machine and dishwashing detergents, sewage and fertilisers. In Bassenthwaite Lake, phosphate levels need to be reduced by 40% to improve the water quality and to restore its ecological balance.
The majority of our large lakes in the Lake District are surrounded by residential homes and hotels. Many of these rural buildings are not on mains sewerage systems and rely on sometimes aging septic tanks for storing and processing their waste water and sewage. Extreme heavy rain and age has in many cases put an excessive loading on these old systems resulting in water runoff into nearby water courses. Eventually this run off finds its way into the lakes.
On average, around 25% of nutrients in sewage come from the detergents that we use in our washing machines and dishwashers. Phosphates are used in detergents to 'soften' water and stop dirt settling back into clothes and dishes in the wash but new alternatives to phosphate (called zeolites) are just as effective with the same cleaning results.
Swimmers should look out for discoloured green, blue-green or greenish brown water and the algae can also look like paint or jelly. There may be musty, earthy or grassy odours and sometimes foaming can be seen on the shore-line.
Unfortunately it is not possible to tell from looking whether or not a bloom or scum is harmful but as there's a 1 in 2 chance of it being so, it's best to assume that all blooms and scums are toxic.
Although algal blooms are not always harmful it's a sensible precaution to avoid contact with the blooms and the water close to them. Swimmers should: avoid entering the water where a bloom is visible, avoid drinking or swallowing water, cover cuts and abrasions before entering the water. Pet owners should ensure that their animals do not have access to the affected water.
The Environment Agency and many other organisations including faming, forestry and conservation have been working together to resolve this problem and in recent years have been successful in reducing the amount of phosphate going into lakes such as Bassenthwaite in the Lake District by over 20%.
And as with so many things in life the solution is very simple; if we reduce phosphates getting into the lake, we will prevent the algae from feeding and blooming. If you are living near a Lake or holidaying in the Lake District here's what you can do to help:
- Choose a phosphate-free brand of washing machine and dishwashing detergent Unlike the USA, few European manufacturers label their products 'phosphate free', but some products you can look out for are, Ariel, Bold, Eco-balls, Ecover, Bio D Fairy, Soap Nuts.
- Use only the minimum recommended amount of detergent. Cumbria, where the Love your Lakes campaign is based, is a soft water area so up to 50% less detergent is needed.
- Wash less often. Fill washing machines and dishwashers before turning them on.
Any swimmers observing blue-green algae should immediately notify the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.
For a detailed list of phosphate free laundry products and more information visit www.loveyourlakes.org
A pdf of blue-green algae advice for swimmers may be downloaded here.
Love Your Lakes is a Bassenthwaite Reflections project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and delivered by Nurture Lakeland in the Lake District. www.nurturelakeland.org
Nicola Houghton is an OSS member based in Tooting, fundraising to make a short film she has written: a comedy called 'The Swimmer' based in a lido on the busiest day of summer.
Want the chance to star in a film with Olympic Swimmer, Mark Foster?
Then...dive in the deep end and donate!
Help us make our film celebrating lido life in this original, new comedy - a British short film packed with all the fun and eccentricities of us Brits on a summer's day.
The story follows the antics of one swimmer in his bid to have a simple swim on the busiest day of the year. It celebrates the beauty, eccentricities and vibrance of a typical day at the pool in summer.
Get yourself a 'Thank you' credit as one of our supporters, the chance to be an extra and a peep behind the scenes.
I would love to see a roll of swimmers names on the credits - the swimming community of the UK coming together to lend it's support.
The film has a real chance of getting onto the festival run and taking our magical world of outdoor swimming to a wider audience.
We need to raise £7,000 (£5,000 production + £2,000 post-production). If each member of the OSS donated, we'd have enough to cover the costs in no time. The film is being shot in September at Guildford Lido, so there's no time to waste!
Please spare a few moments to visit the website and support us: http://www.theswimmer.org.uk/
For further information, contact:
Nicola Houghton
info@theswimmer.org.uk
Photographer Madeleine Waller's exhibition of lido swimmer photos is currently showing at London Fields lido.
The photos capture the swimmer's transformation from normal clothes into their swimsuits, and runs until 12 July.
"I'm always struck by how swimmers have a different persona in the pool," Madeleine has said of her series. "I wanted to document this incredible transformation."
The photos were shot in midwinter and have been described by the Guardian as 'something of a love letter to London Fields lido'.
Find out more about Madeleine's photography on her website.
Plymouth has a fantastic sea swimming heritage, and participants in The Blue Mile, a mass participation event on 3rd and 4th July, will be able to see most of it as they swim along from the Barbican to West Hoe, past the lido, the old diving towers, and end at the beach huts at West Hoe where a thriving group still swims daily. With the town to one side, and the bulk of offshore tankers to the other, it's an exciting mile.
OSS members are being offered a £5 discount on the £30 entry, which includes a hat and t-shirt. Quote BMOWX5 at online checkout. www.thebluemile.org.
"The Blue Mile - Race for the Environment" is the UK's newest mass-participation open water event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment and to encourage steps to look after it.
The inaugural Blue Mile event will take place in Plymouth on 3rd and 4th July 2010 and is open to everyone. Participants are invited to complete a mile in, on or next to the water to raise vital awareness and funds for the event charity partner, WWF-UK, the world's leading conservation charity. Participants can choose between an open water swim, paddle or even just a guided walk along the mile route from the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth's historical Barbican to West Hoe Pier, on the waterfront.
As well as the action on the water, The Blue Mile also includes an interactive Event Village themed around Sport, Healthy Living and a Clean Environment, with exhibits and entertainment for all the family to enjoy, and The Marine Institute Blue Lectures.
Entry to The Blue Mile Swim event is £30 per person (Entry fee includes Swim Cap, Blue Mile T-shirt, Event Goodie Bag, Timing Chip and free entry into The Blue Mile Event Village). To enter or for further information about The Blue Mile 2010, please go to www.thebluemile.org"
We have a new range of OSS hoodies in stock in the OSS shop. Featuring a vintage logo, these garments effortlessly combine style and practicality to make their wearer the envy of the riverbank.
Available in pink, green, black and womens and mens fit visit the OSS shop to order.
All our hoodies are organic, eco-friendly fair-trade cotton. Price £32 (plus 3.75 p&p).
Thanks to all our 22 volunteers who made the OSS Wild Swim at Derwent Island a fortnight ago happen. We had a brilliant event with over 300 swimmers joining our swim clinics and mass swim. Toast is generously giving our volunteers of the month, Jo Daly, Event Manager, and Louise Crathorne, Fitness Course Manager, a stripey Aldeburgh deckchair each (£89), and all other volunteers a cotton Hammam towel (£19).
So no one feels left out, Toast are also offering OSS members a 10% discount on all Toast swimwear this month.* Check out the polka dot swim costumes and separates. The offer is redeemable online at www.toast.co.uk - just enter the promotional code s10ts at the checkout. Alternatively you can order by phone on 0844 557 5200 or in one of Toast's eight shops - just be sure to quote the special code s10ts.
*Offer valid until 21 June 2010
The Outdoor Swimming Society is now active on Flickr with its spanking new Flickr group, and we want you to help make it grow.
The new group is a place to upload, store and share your images of outdoor swimming and see images of other members' favourite swim spots. By joining the group and adding your pictures, you will help OSS build up an amazing archive of wild swimming photography for all to see.
The OSS group is a tiny new seed in the big mad Flickrverse, and we need OSS members to join the ranks and start adding their images and video. Why bother? Here's why:
- Get your swimming feats seen by (potentially) millions
- Create, tag and organise a gallery of your wild swimming images
- Find out what OSS swim spots look like before you take the plunge
- Be part of a community of swimmers posting images of their favourite spots online
- Help OSS build an archive of outdoor swimming images
- Encourage would-be wild swimming devotees to get involved
- Get famous! Your pics could be used in the OSS website, calendar or book
Convinced? Click here to join the Flickr group. From there, it's easy to start uploading images directly from your computer, or even directly via the Flickr iPhone app. With the summer swimming season now upon us, we're hoping to be bombarded with sunny swim pics soon.
(The photo accompanying this story was uploaded to Flickr by cornporn).
Rebecca Thompson, June 2010
Outdoor swimming is good for you! The results of the first OSS members' survey are in and it's official - swimming outdoors makes 83% of swimmers feel happier, less stressed and more energetic.
A staggering 21% (1,574) of you answered a short questionnaire about what you want from your society, why you swim outdoors and how we can help you get the most out of your outdoor swimming.
That's a healthy percentage of our 7,500 members, which just goes to show what a helpful and friendly bunch we are.
While 37% have been swimming since childhood, we're also very welcoming to people with little experience of the joys of wild swimming - 39% have had their first swim with us or been doing it for less than 2 years, and 6% have yet to have their first dip. Newbies are quick to catch the bug. One respondent said, "I have only been outdoor swimming twice but the sense of achievement is fantastic and I want to share my swims with others".
Our motivations for swimming outdoors vary but if there's one thing we share it's that we all feel better after a good swim in the countryside. 77% of people said they like connecting to nature, and the sense of freedom, joy and spiritual connection scored high on your reasons for loving swimming. "There's something liberating about just taking the plunge and swimming freely in natural surroundings," said one outdoor swimming enthusiast. Another called it her "prescription for happiness."
It's not just the taking part either. It seems we're also pretty good at swimming too. More than half of us (57%) consider ourselves strong swimmers. One in ten of us have a good enough knowledge of the tides and currents to plot our own swims.
Unsurprisingly, we're a bunch who like to spend a lot of our time outdoors. Almost two thirds of us enjoy cycling or going for walks - and if you think you've seen plenty of wetsuits around your nearest lido, that's because a quarter of us are keen triathletes.
We try to offer something for everyone - whether it's fitness classes, social swims, sharing the best swimming spots or campaigning for better access when you get there - but knowing what people want from their society will prove very useful in making future plans. So thank you very much for your responses.
James Carr, May 2010
British endurance swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh has become the first man to swim across a glacial lake on Mount Everest.
The environmental campaigner, dubbed the 'human polar bear', swam 1 km across Lake Pumori in icy two degree water to draw attention to glacier melting in the Himalayas.
Wearing just swimming trunks, a cap and goggles, Lewis took 22 minutes and 51 seconds to swim across the lake which lies at 5,300 metres (17,000 feet) on the slopes of the famous mountain.
Lewis, 40, a lawyer from Plymouth has previously swum in Antarctica and the North Pole, so is no stranger to freezing waters - but said that battling altitude sickness had made this swim his biggest challenge yet.
He said: "It's one of the hardest swims I've ever undertaken. When I swam in Antarctica and across the North Pole I swam with speed and aggression but on Mount Everest you can't use the same tactics. Because of the altitude you need to swim very slowly and deliberately."
Lewis had to find a balance between going too fast and risking drowning due to hyperventilation, or going too slowly and facing hypothermia.
"I felt I was going to drown," he said. "I was gasping for air and if I had swum any faster I would have gone under. I was deeply concerned that I wouldn't make 1km and I'm delighted that I've finally achieved it."
Lewis attempted the swim to raise awareness of declining water supplies in the region and the need for action on climate change.
He said: "most glaciers are melting away. The glaciers in the Himalayas are not just ice. They are a lifeline - they provide water to approximately two billion people."
A video of Lewis' swim can be seen here.
James Carr, May 2010
New research provides evidence for the benefits of outdoor exercise. Julie Abrams-Humphries explains.
My first outdoor swim, and I was struggling. Wetsuited triathletes ploughed past - perhaps my pool training was inadequate preparation for the cold, green lake water.
Unable to get my face under the surface, I took a breather and flipped over. As the sun warmed my face and I gazed up at a cracking blue sky, I realized what outdoor swimmers have known all along: this was doing me good, I felt better. When I got out and looked back at the sparkling expanse of water, edged by fans of straw-coloured reeds, I was lighter, calmer, and as an added benefit, my skin was really soft!
Outdoor swimmers have long waxed lyrical about the benefits of exercising outdoors, but now we can prove, scientifically, that it's more than a sensation of wellness you get from outdoor activity - it actually works.
Dr. Jules Pretty - an environmental scientist and author on the benefits of green exercise - heads a team of researchers at the University of Essex, measuring the impact on human health and wellbeing of outdoor exercise.
"Our aims are to explore the importance of human connections to nature. This happens in many kinds of ways. This green exercise research is one component of this work - which seeks to create an firm and quantitative evidence base."
The team's analysis of 1,252 people drawn from existing studies in the UK, showed that activity in the presence of nature led to mental and physical health improvements, and the presence of water generated the greater effects.
There is increasing interest from policy makers on the results of this research, which can be used to push for developing outdoor access. Natural England has adopted Dr.Pretty's phrase 'Green exercise', and workplace, youth offender, probation and social care departments are interested in implementing the research findings.
Another member of the team, Dr. Jo Barton, said her students carried out their final project dissertations on the health benefits of various water sports. They found they improved self-esteem, mood and reduced stress levels. Water was the key component for the positive experience.
Although the research team hasn't undertaken any wild swimming themselves, they recognise its benefits, and could go on to measure the specific effects. There are many wild swimmers out there who could provide evidence that blue exercise boosts wellbeing, just as green exercise does. I'm getting back in that lake next week to prove it.
More on this research can be found at www.greenexercise.org
Julie Abrams-Humphries, May 2010
Dr.Pretty's new book 'This Luminous Coast' will be of interest to wild swimmers. Out in January 2011, it's a narration of the land and sea, and the result of him walking 400 miles and boating another 100 around the coasts of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk over the course of a year.
The British Gas Great Swim Series just got even bigger and better...
Great Swim has just announced they are introducing a brand new event-the British Gas Great Salford Swim-coming soon. They are also adding shorter 500m swims to several events too.
The 500m swims will be staged at the existing events in Suffolk, Strathclyde and Windermere and are perfect for those who are daunted by the thought of swimming a mile outdoors. The 500 events are open to those aged 11 years and over - so swimmers can take part as a family?
The iconic British Gas Great North Swim will also feature The Extra Mile for those wanting to challenge themselves to go that little bit further and swim two miles.
As well as the new Great Swim additions, there are still limited places left in the British Gas Great East Swim (19 June, Alton Water), British Gas Great London Swim (3 July, Royal Victoria Dock) and the British Gas Great Scottish Swim (21 August, Strathclyde Loch).
Take the plunge and enter at www.greatswim.org
When David Cameron entered Downing Street last week he may have felt he was thrown in the deep end, with a huge fiscal deficit and a war to deal with - not to mention leading the first coalition government since 1945.
If the stress gets too much, perhaps he should go for an outdoor swim - evidence suggests that it's a habit that the new Prime Minister is not unacquainted with.
Cameron, who is the patron of Chipping Norton lido (situated in his constituency), has professed his love of swimming outdoors on several occasions.
He has said that 'I spent all my early years swimming in Polzeath and I know what wonderful waters there are in Cornwall,' while more recently has spoken of swimming in the sea off Lord Astor's estate on the Isle of Jura.
His biographer Francis Elliott writes: 'Cameron has a Labrador-like tendency to jump into water, no matter how cold.' This trait was confirmed by a recent News of the World column which listed 'jumping into ice cold water' among Cameron's 'three strange habits'.
A youthful Cameron reportedly once even dived into the sea to rescue a friend from a school of jellyfish.
It is perhaps unlikely, however, that he will follow the example of Sir James Spicer. In 1995, the former MP for West Dorset celebrated his 70th birthday by swimming in the Thames by the Houses of Parliament - in the process raising £19,000 for charity.
Outdoor swimmers of all political persuasions will no doubt be grateful that their concerns appear to be shared at the highest level of politics. Perhaps Mr Cameron might find some time to legislate for swimming rights?
Celebrity swimmers
The Prime Minister is among several high profile outdoor swimmers in the UK. In February the OSS website featured MPs Edward Leigh and Desmond Swayne, who enjoy regular morning swims in the Serpentine.
Alex James, the former Blur bassist pursuing a new life as a country gent, recently described an unplanned river swim as 'beautiful beyond words'.
Steve McFadden, the actor best known as Phil Mitchell from Eastenders, has announced his intention to swim a mile across the River Fal in Cornwall.
Journalist Julie Burchill and artist Tracy Emin have often written of their love of lidos.
And of course, Robson Green featured in a wild swimming TV series at the end of last year.
Jonathan Knott, May 2010
On 3rd May 200 swimmers set off to swim from Turkey to Greece, to commemorate Byron's epic crossing 200 years ago. The winner, Colin Hill, describes the race
When does something stop being merely an interest and become a passion or obsession?
Swimming outdoors has a rich and fascinating history and it's easy to become lost in the stories and legends. Many of these are described in 'Haunts of the black masseur - the swimmer as hero' by Charles Sprawson, and reading this certainly helped inspire me to sign up for Byron's anniversary crossing of the Hellespont. Swimming from Europe to Asia also just has a great ring to it. Culture, challenge, a race and a bit of sun - it sounded good to me.
At the airport I walked around trying to spot swimmers. (Is there such a thing as a stereotypical swimmer?) The first three people that I walked up to were indeed swimmers, so perhaps I was onto something. As we found the rest of the group, I realized that a huge diversity of ages, shapes and sizes had gathered for the trip - but something beyond this united us as we discussed our expectations of the swim.
There was an excitement about this event unlike any other - it had a purpose and significance beyond the usual 'because it's a hard/beautiful swim'. It was fun walking up to anyone in the group and talking about why they were here - but as time went on we focused more and more on the real practicalities: the water was a cold 13 degrees, so wetsuit or no wetsuit...the course had changed slightly...the start time was in the afternoon, would it be rough water later on in the day...
Preparations
The historic side is all well and good, but people wanted to get across the crossing all the same. It turned out a test swim had been arranged: anyone intending on not wearing a wetsuit had to swim for 45 mins and those with for 30 mins. I'd told a few people that I'd swam the English Channel and felt that swimming without was probably the thing to do. It was cold, but luckily my conditioning the year before kicked back in once I got going... anyway based on previous times I expected to be out in well under an hour.
Unlike some of those new to open water swimming, the distance of the Hellespont wasn't really a major issue for me. I'd swum the English Channel in 10 hrs 30 mins, Windermere 2 way 21 miles (through the night) in 10 hours 34 mins. But my goal in this race was really to swim a classic route from Greek mythology: The Hellespont was 'on my list' of must do swims. And once I'd decided to swim without a wetsuit in 13 degrees, that did add an element of the unknown.
On the final evening Simon Murie from Swimtrek gave a final race briefing: "OK, head for the first buoy - keep that on your right, now head for the communications mast for the next two buoys and then head for the football stadium, pick up the last buoy and into the finish - oh and by the way the course is a little longer as the Turkish Authorities have made us move the start and finish points."
As good as the briefing - with photos - was, I could sense people becoming increasingly nervous about the task ahead. You could hear people muttering the mantra: bouy, tower, tower, stadium, buoy, finish...
The race
Standing in the water waiting to start is always the worst part - part of my brain starts nagging me as to why the hell I want to plunge into cold water. I could just make out the present Lord Byron with the starting gun...BANG!
My race tactics were complicated - swim really hard to stay warm! I sprinted off from the start and was soon with two other swimmers, one with a wetsuit and one without. As we passed the first buoy I looked up to sight the communications tower...nothing. Another longer look...nothing. There were lots of boats around - would they keep us on course? I slowed my pace down slightly, as being in front was no good if I didn't know where I was going.
Just then a boat swung in front of us and beckoned us to follow - I decided this was a good chance to stretch out a little. Looking around I could see that the others were probably sitting in behind me, but at least I had a boat to follow. I remember thinking that it was quite choppy, I had to time my strokes right to catch the water and pick carefully when I was breathing. My thoughts were with the new open water swimmers: this was going to be a test.
I knew I'd been going for around 30 mins, but I hadn't reached the second buoy yet. I was swimming hard, but this was taking longer than I'd thought. The tide assistance wasn't as strong as I'd hoped, so I kept swimming hard, aware that a few good wetsuited swimmers wouldn't be far behind me. I was pretty lost course wise and hoped that I wouldn't lose the boat I was following. With a camera boat keeping me company for a while, all I could do was focus on my stroke efficiency.
I could feel the cold on my skin, but kept my turnover fast and strong. Eventually I spotted home straight and could make out the crowds. I put on a big sprint to impress the spectators, looked up and I hadn't got any closer. Another big sprint, and another, and 20 sprints later I eventually climbed out onto the steps to finish. One hour 27 mins, almost twice as long as I'd hoped. I looked out to see my fellow swimmers, spread out and making slow progress to the finish.
There lots of tired but very happy people at the end. Some had hypothermia and took a while to warm up, but it all made for great stories that evening. Everyone swimming felt like they had an adventure and had total respect for the crossing itself.
To immerse yourself in the history of a swim and then to plunge into the very water itself provides wonderful fulfilment and I hope many more will travel to Canakkale to experience swimming the Hellespont (Darnanelles Strait).
"Though in the genial month of May,
My dropping limbs I faintly stretch,
And think I've done a feat today...'
Extract from Lord Byron 'Written after swimming from Sestos to Abydos'
Colin Hill, May 2010
Poet Owen Sheers,who spoke at the OSS December Dip last year, has presented two programmes on the BBC looking at how the sea has inspired British poets and artists.
The documentaries can be seen on iplayer:
1. Art of the sea - in pictures
Image: Turner - The parting of Hero and Leander
Writer and swimmer Brigid Benson introduces five special swims from her beautiful book 52 Weekends by the Sea, a collection of inspirational escapes in Britain with stunning photography by Craig Easton.
As someone who has travelled all around the shores of Britain, I celebrate diversity. I can't help but be excited and intrigued by the quirky, unusual and unexpected, and that goes for my approach to swimming too.
I am as thrilled by the prospect of immersion in a remote sandy loch at the end of a trek in the northwest highlands as I am delighted by the strange sensation of lukewarm seawater in the Olympic size pool of an art deco east coast lido.
For me, the swim alone is not the whole experience, no matter how rewarding. I am excited by all the other stuff that goes with it, the landscape, the locals, the food, drink and accommodation. These have a huge part to play in my watery escapes. And when I come across something special, I can't help myself: I love to share it and pass it on.
My book is stuffed with wildly diverse experiences all around Britain's coast, from shacking up in an isolated mountain bothy to signing up for surf school and riding on the Hogwart's express. And there are plenty of great swimming opportunities too.
I'd find it impossible to pick five favourites, I know some really special places and there's just too much choice out there. But let me suggest five diverse experiences that will, I hope, inspire you to pack your bags for a memorable weekend of great swimming with plenty of other good things too.
Five special swimming weekends:
Kilmory Beach
The Ardnamurchan peninsula, Land of the Great Seas, is the furthest pioint west on the British mainland. This is a world where wildcats, pine marten and birds of prey abound. Long light summer nights are wondrous and a late evening swim under a sunset sky of rose, amber and magenta is breathtaking. This gently sloping beach in the remote crofting community looks towards the Small Isles of Rum and Eigg. Take lanterns and a midnight feast for an unforgettable experience.
OS Landranger Map Sheet 47
Stonehaven
The art deco charms of Stonehaven are magical: try a midnight swim in Britain's one and only heated, open air, salt-water, Olympic sized pool - built in 1934 and still going strong. Feast at the stylish Carron restaurant, an art deco delight where a mysterious mirror may be the work of Picasso.
OS Landranger Map Sheet 45
Port Oer
There are many hidden beaches on the windswept Llyn peninsula. Managed by the National Trust, this is an especially family friendly beach with simple seaside café in season, rock pools, safe bathing and good waves for junior bodyboarders. The squeaky shoreline gives the beach its alternative name, Whistling Sands.
OS Landranger Map Sheet 123
Gwithian Towans
Washed by Atlantic rollers this magnificent coast inspired Virginia Woolf's 1927 novel To The Lighthouse. Today the gently sloping beach backed by wonderful towans (sand dunes) on St Ives bay is perfect for surfing. Hire all the kit you need from the Sunset Surf café or Gwithian Academy of Surfing.
There's lifeguarded swimming, rockpools and seals around Godrevy Island too.
OS Landranger Map Sheet 203
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Entrepreneur Henry Pease dreamed up this handsome resort in 1859. Eight miles of sand make family swimming, surfing and sandcastles the order of the day. Beside the sea are the attractions of Britain's oldest water-balanced tramway and most northerly surviving pleasure pier. Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (SARA) organise an annual New Year's Day dip in North Sea surf.
OS Landranger Map Sheet 93
Brigid Benson, May 2010
The future of an iconic coastal lido hangs in the balance, writes Sarah O'Dair.
For the last 70 years, both local residents and visitors to the south coast have been able to enjoy the delights of Saltdean Lido, a stunning Art Deco pool nestled between the South Downs and the sea... but maybe not for much longer.
At a recent public consultation, leaseholder Dennis Audley displayed plans to concrete over the pool and dwarf the iconic building with a large development of apartments.
The Save Saltdean Lido campaign started on Facebook and soon attracted more than six thousand members, not only locals directly affected by the plans, but swimmers and lovers of architecture from around the country, who have sent offers of support and practical help. At packed public meetings both the leaseholder and Brighton & Hove City Council were left in no doubt about the determination of the local population to save and improve the Grade II listed pool and other community facilities on the site, with an overwhelming majority being in favour of the complex being run by a Community Interest Group.
The campaign is currently applying to English Heritage to have the Listing upgraded and is in discussions with other community-run lidos to find the most effective way of saving this wonderful facility for future generations.
A Use It or Lose It day is being planned for June, shortly after the Lido opens for the summer. Details of this and how to support the campaign can be found at: www.saltdeanlidocampaign.org.
Sarah O'Dair, June 2010
On 19 June, OSS member Chris Cooper, along with his sister Jane, will be undertaking the somewhat hectic challenge of swimming in the English Channel, Lake Geneva and the Med all in the same day, commuting between them all by motorbike. Jane hasn't been on a motorbike before.
Chris says: "It's the swimming thing I am excited about! The bike is a means to do it. We'll be aiming to swim about 500 metres in each body of water." He is raising money to supply mosquito nets for children in Uganda. With every £2.50 donated he can buy one net.
Chris is encouraging OSS members to come along and join him (in the water, or for moral support) at any stage of the challenge. Interested parties can reach Chris on 01273 566 987 or sponsor him at http://www.justgiving.com/3swims.
Anna Morell, June 2010
OSS member Tony Barstow examines how swimming has always been associated with an appreciation of nature.
Bobbing around in the River Taw at the beginning of the month, I found myself surrounded by green pastures full of lambs. Total serenity.
This is what swimming should be about. I felt new and refreshed - and I am by no means the first to stumble upon the reinvigorating feeling of swimming in nature. For it is this type of swimming, rather than the chemically enhanced competitive kind, that has been lovingly remembered throughout history.
As far back as Ancient Greece, the pastoral novel Daphnis & Chloe gives us a clear idea of the pastoral idyll that swimming provided. The protagonists of the novel were a young couple in love that enjoyed bathing in rivers and springs as well as playing the pipes and singing with the nightingales on the island of Lesbos.
Much nearer to the modern day, we come across the near re-enactment of this romantic frolicking with the infamous midnight swim of Rupert Brooke and Virginia Woolf in 1911. The two took advantage of a warm summers' evening to enjoy a skinny dip at Lord Byron's pool in Grantchester. The whole story of what happened that evening will never be fully known, but the mystery and majesty of the image we have in our minds is probably not too distant from those young lovers of Lesbos.
Still in the dawnlit waters cool
His ghostly Lordship swims his pool,
And tries the strokes, essays the tricks,
Long learnt on Hellespont, or Styx.
It is these words of Rupert Brooke's that made this spot in Cambridgeshire known as a place Lord Byron frequented for swimming, and enhanced Byron's reputation as a regular outdoor swimmer. Ever since, the pursuit of swimming in nature has been an integral part of the romantic vision.
Nearly 100 years on from the escapades of Brooke and Woolf, 21st Century Britain seems a far less romantic place than that we hold in our minds.
Little wonder that more and more people want to re-connect with nature and the serenity of simple, idyllic pleasures such as bathing in the sea, rivers or lakes.
The growing popularity of organisations such as the Outdoor Swimming Society can only help in reviving these romantic sensibilities.
Tony Barstow, May 2010
Tristan Gooley's book, The Natural Navigator, is published by Virgin Books and was the OSS' Book of the Month for April. He tells us how reading ripples on a cup of tea can be the way in to reading wind, waves and swell.
A cup of tea can give us the energy to head out into the fresh air, but there is something else it can do for those of us who like to spend time in or on the water. It can give us an insight into a totally different kind of energy. Breath into your cuppa and you will see ripples form in the small hot pond in your hands. This is the start of the relationship between wind and water that gives the surface of all open water, from puddles to vast oceans, its character.
Ripples are the instant effect of wind on water and they die down as quickly as they form, as the surface tension of the water dampens their efforts. If a wind blows steadily across a large enough patch of water for a few hours then the ripples become waves and these will not be dampened so easily. Waves always travel in the same direction as the wind is blowing: if the wind changes then the waves change with it. Wave size is determined by the strength of the wind, the length of time it has been blowing and the distance it has blown over or the 'fetch'.
When strong winds blow for longer than a few hours, it gives the water sufficient energy that it then takes on a character of its own. This character and movement is known as swell, and it will march across open areas of water independent of the wind.
Waves and swell look subtly different. Swell marches in longer lines and appears less steep and more 'stretched' than waves - its wavelength does actually grow slowly as it grows older. The two also behave differently as swell will not normally break in open water, whereas waves will.
Swell continues to move under winds and waves that have long since changed direction, it can even head in the opposite direction as the wind and waves. Swell can cross an ocean of a thousand miles, something that is recognised and studied by surfers from Hawaii to Cornwall.
The fact that the water can store this wind energy explains why we often experience a rougher sea than the wind that was forecasted or felt before jumping in. It is also why we can often see big waves crashing onto a beach on a calm day.
This stored energy is also the reason that a change in direction when swimming outdoors can have such a dramatic effect on what we feel. If you have tuned into these effects then this change in sensation can actually be used to help determine direction. If the smoothest swimming is northwards and the roughest towards the south one minute, then it still will be half an hour later, even if your horizon has ceased to make sense. Inspiration for this technique of direction-finding can be found on the opposite side of the world.
The expert natural navigators of the Pacific have learned to read the water's movement in a way that no other humans can, they are able to tell which way a canoe is heading while lying down on the deck with their eyes shut, just from the feel of the swell under them. They can even tell the difference between the swell of the open ocean and swell that has reflected back off an invisible island dozens of miles away, using this to find their way home.
Swimming outdoors is sometimes about reaching another island, as those who have embarked on a Greek SwimTrek will attest, but most swims have more modest goals. There is a still a huge amount to be gained from the fun detective work of trying to decipher the wind's influence on the water.
In a lido you will probably find only ripples - if there are any waves you are likely swimming on your own, as the sensible take shelter from the gale! But if you are swimming at sea, whether on a beach or off the back of a yacht in the middle of the Atlantic (highly recommended, but not when singlehanded!), then your swimming experience will be heavily influenced by the relationship between wind and water. Like all outdoor experiences, it can be made much more interesting and fun by observing and trying to understand the clues that nature offers.
For more information about natural navigation and the courses run by Tristan, see www.naturalnavigator.com.
Tristan Gooley, May 2010