Scared to swim alone

I think there is a middle ground, personally I enjoy a paddle in the sea. Waist height is about as deep as I go.

Not everywhere.

Pretty much.

Where do you live?

North West UK.

There are plenty of places with clean water.

Yes. But the poster does not have your knowledge or understanding. There may not have to be life guards, but there should be other people nearby.

I wouldn't swim in the sea at all. But if I did I would never do it alone, that's dangerous. Even with a lifeguard there I wouldn't swim alone. There's a good chance they wouldn't spot it if you got in to trouble and was on your own.

First rule of swimming. Never do it alone.

As many have said leave it until 10.

The tides in the Med are quite weak, whereas the UK coastline has some of the largest tidal ranges and fastest tidal streams in the world. For example with the ranges, the difference between low and high tide at Faliraki is less than 40 centimetres for most of the year, in Cornwall it’s anywhere between 2 metres and 8 metres. At Weston Super Mare the difference can be up to 15 metres. Also the water is a lot colder here. It’s just not comparable.

I wouldn’t swim in the sea because the water companies put raw sewage in there.

That makes so much sense - but the OP said ‘not in the UK’? Maybe the answers would’ve been different if the location was clearer then. I feel relieved to know that the answers are (mostly) based on the UK!

Absolutely. I m 77 and have been swimming in the sea alone or otherwise since I was 10. We can be respectful of water without being terrified of going in it. Just be cautious.

I have swim alone on our local beach but usually around 11 am when there are people about. I know the beach and stick to less than shoulder height water within my depth. Just bobbing about rally I'm not a serious sea swimmer.

I’d count myself as a strong swimmer. For example I do open water swimming and can comfortably do a 5km stretch and train 3km’s in an Olympic sized pool. Personally I wouldn’t swim in the sea without a lifeguard or loved one on the beach.

As a ' swimaholic' ( i could swim in a damp sponge!) ..and having done wild swimming in the UK, USA , Oz and N.Zealand the answer is no. Have , at the very least , someone who could call for help . Even very fit people get into trouble if they immerse themselves in cold water too quickly...and that is just one of the dangers you may face...

This makes sense. In my 20s I'd swim way out from the beaches on Greek islands (and on picnic cruises) and never felt any current . Just swam out and then back.

The UK is different.

There might be a local Blue tits group who have regular swims you can join.
Have a look on Facebook for a local group, either by county or town or on the website

https://thebluetits.co/pages/join-our-social-swim-community

My mom warned me not to go past my lower legs when we were at the beach. At the time I didn't understand it as I was an adult, but she told me a drowning story which put things into perspective. And feeling the waves rock you, I learnt that one moment of lost focus can be a problem, especially if you panic while under. I would take precautions: let people know where I was going, maybe even have a friend or stranger buddy on the beach, or just avoid being alone altogether or wait for a lifeguard if possie. It is nice to experience the beautiful waters alone, but do take care out there :) Whatever you choose, I hope it works out.

I would happily swim in the sea, as long as I didn’t go out if my depth. I’m not a strong swimmer.

I would also consider how safe the beach is. There are loads of beaches in the UK which don’t have lifeguards because they are very safe - calm, with no currents. If a beach has lifeguards, it suggests it is hazardous. So I would be even more careful to stay within my depth on one of those.

If I was a strong swimmer, I’d happily go out if my depth on a calm beach.

No, I wouldn't. I'd stay in my depth, only with a lifeguard present. And even then I wouldn't go much past my shoulders.

I think wind is huge factor, have wind - you get bigger waves.

I would also consider how safe the beach is. There are loads of beaches in the UK which don’t have lifeguards because they are very safe - calm, with no currents. If a beach has lifeguards, it suggests it is hazardous. So I would be even more careful to stay within my depth on one of those.

That's not how they choose to lifeguard beaches. There are generally lifeguards at the most popular beaches with lots of visitors, snd therefore more people likely to get into trouble. Many of these are at British beaches which are comparatively safe in terms of swimming conditions.

All beaches are hazardous - it's open water. If there are no lifeguards, it's most likely because it's too dangerous to swim or because it's a small or remote beach where it's difficult to get lifeguards who want to work there, and there won't be funding for it.

Seconding this.

There’s no national regulations about whether lifeguards must be provided on beaches, or how to choose which beaches need lifeguards, regardless of whether a particular beach is safe or whether people have drowned there.

When councils decide which beaches to provide lifeguards at, or whether to provide lifeguards at all, they’re going to be prioritising the beaches that attract most visitors.

This is so true, and I see so many holidaymakers down here not really accounting for it. "It's hot, so we're going in the sea", regardless of whether it's force 6 and there's crashing surf.

Wind=waves=undertow and rip tides.

It seems that most of the drowning deaths down here occur on windy days in the summer. There were a couple on Fistral Beach a few weeks ago (adult father and daughter), although in this case it seems at least one of them fell off the rocks, and it the sea was really rough.

I remember a case a couple of years ago where a rip tide developed at an east facing beach known for being very safe, after days of prolonged easterlies. Several people standing in waist deep water were dragged off their feet, but happily they got rescued.