What age to swim in a lake with friends?

[DolphinAspirations]

What age would you be happy for your DD to swim in a lake with no adult supervision? It would be with friends of the same age in scotland. Mine has swum in a lake a couple of times with me but that’s all. She can swim at a medium sort of level.

We are having a difference of opinion.

Yep, I'm taking DD (4) tomorrow. We even have a proper swimming pontoon in the local lake maintained by the council.

DD is already jumping in off the pontoon (wearing a bouyancy aid and holding my hand). All the local kids will be down there after school this week.

People need to stop being alarmist and having sensible conversation with their kids about how to do it safely, ie not in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall elsewhere in the village, or when drunk.

Two 16 year olds dead in two days on Midlands today. So never...

two in the midlands, one in wakefield. That’s just the three that have made national news.

in one weekend.

She doesn't but children should be wearing proper kit to keep them safe. You can easily spot the locals at our loch as the kids are in wetsuits and lifejackets or buoyancy aids. Tourists come in swimwear and go in up to their knees.

Right, but that sounds a million miles away from a group of 13 year olds, presumably with no buoyancy aids (what 13 year old girl would wear a life jacket to go swimming), with no adults and apparently in an unlifeguarded river.

OP hasn’t said she wouldn’t allow her DD to go in the circumstances you describe. But what her daughter wants to do is almost guaranteed to end with somebody or other getting into some sort of trouble.

When they’ve swam the channel 8 times and worked for the RNLI for 22 years then I may be happy for them to swim in a lake until then NO NO NO NO NO. Show them the news even a day or ago a 16 boy died in a lake/river. If mine did it they’d be grounded for a very very long time. It’s just bloody stupid . Go to a pool/lido

I have swum in lakes and even glacier lakes when I was abroad, but I wouldn't let DC swim in them on their own until they are older and very confident and strong swimmers.

I would let them swim there with adult (me) supervision from the time they could swim, but the OP specifically mentioned her DD swimming without adult supervision, not swimming as a family.

My cousin drowned in the sea, it wasn't rough, he was just unlucky.

Never. Every single really hot day you hear of someone drowning in a river or lake etc. No way.

It's unlifeguarded, and loads of 13 yo without buoyancy aids will be there after school. We also take DD to a river nearby which is very popular, also no lifeguard.

If OP isn't happy with the location her DD is planning on going to then she needs to explain to her DD why and suggest other safer alternatives.

Telling teenagers they can't do something doesn't mean they won't, so at least teach them to risk assess and to do it safely.

The alarmist attitudes on here that no one should ever set foot in 'open water' is just unnecessary and unrealistic.

No OP. Which loch is it? I'm 30 now. When I was 18 my best friend drowned in a Scottish loch - I'll never get over that although the grief has lessened over the years. I still miss him every day.

@RIPWalter it's not alarmist. My friend was not drunk. He was a strong swimmer pulled under by an unexpected current. Also many so called lochs are reservoirs leading to unseen problems.

Loch Lomond - about 5 people died in one weekend last summer. It seems manageable but there is a huge drop that takes people by surprise. She is too young and I'll prepared.

Totally agree!

I'm quite surprised how horrified many posters on this thread seem to be by the idea of teenagers (or even adults) swimming in a lake. Clearly massive cultural differences there, but growing up in Bavaria, swimming in one of the many lakes was pretty much our go-to activity in summer. I actually learned to swim in a lake rather than a pool (at age 6, iirc) and was allowed to go with just my friends from about 12 or 13 onwards.

We were all pretty strong swimmers and open water swimming is still one of my favourite things to do. One of my friends and I regularly do a 3 mile swim (short break on the other side of the lake after 1.5 miles) together and no other kind of exercise makes me as happy as that.

I find these reactions very surprising. As a teenager growing up in Cumbria, swimming in the lakes was a regular summer activity for teenagers, and still is.

My DD has been going paddle boarding on a Loch since she was 13, but she wears a life jacket so likely safer than swimming.
I'd let her swim at 13, as long as no alcohol is sneaked.

It really does depend on where in the world you are, in Scotland with cold water, deep water, strong currents and not a lot of opportunity to practice in hot weather no.
In some other countries with much calmer, shallower, warmer water and a lot more opportunities to practice then maybe depending on a number of factors.
We actually always go with dc13 partly because they aren't more than medium swimmers. I don't love swimming in lakes so usually go out with my paddleboard and they can take a rest on it if they want to.

I'd say about 10 if they're sensible children, maybe 12 if they need to grow up a little first. I grew up swimming in lakes, it's much safer than the sea.

Never. Every summer someone dies swimming somewhere they shouldn't be, or somewhere that isn't supervised by lifeguards with safe areas marked out.

The seaside, or the local pool only.

You'd let a ten year old swim unsupervised in a lake?

Too many variables. Is this a known swimming spot and relatively safe? Also what is a "medium swimmer"? Has she swum in such places before?

I grew up in another country ans we swam in lakes and rivers often. But we were strong swimmers and we a learnt basic life guard and water rescue skills as part of swimming lessons at school, including how to float/relax if you were the one struggling.

My children don't swim often enough for me to be comfortable with that. They are pretty good swimmers but would need a lot more "seasonjng". Eg our favourite river spit was one we had been visiting, with our families, from when we were little. Going there as teenagers was therefore less risky.

That made me smile OP. And does your DD agree with you now?

My sisters done open water swimming.lessons with a guy and bought all the safety kit. This is despite being a very strong swimmer who used to swim competitively.......open water swimming is a very different ball game.

I hate how risk averse society has become
Yeah me too, it was so much better when more kids died early

Clearly massive cultural differences there, but growing up in Bavaria, swimming in one of the many lakes was pretty much our go-to activity in summer. I actually learned to swim in a lake rather than a pool (at age 6, iirc) and was allowed to go with just my friends from about 12 or 13 onwards

But you grew up doing it, that's the difference, you had years of experience by the time you were swimming without adult supervision.

People need to gradually get used to cold water swimming and it's the inexperienced who are drowning or those swimming in unsafe locations.

OP, your daughter seems to have found your post!

Never. Cold, obstacles in the water, cold water shock, deep - no. People die every year swimming in lakes. Even if my Dc was an excellent swimmer, I would not be happy with that.

Never.

We live at the beach and my teens have to be between the lifeguard flags!