Worried about my 17-year-old swimming in lakes and rivers with friends

[Ketley67]

I’m worrying myself sick. DS is 17, a few of his friends have learnt how to drive, add in this glorious weather and of course they’re wanting to go to areas with water to swim in.

Yesterday they went to a river, today they’re going to a lake. The lake permits swimming but I’m so worried about them all! I’ve explained the dangers to him.

Not enjoying this age where they’re got a taste of freedom but haven’t fully developed their common sense!

I grew up swimming in lakes - there were four in my home town.

Sonif your son can swim and knows the dangers he is fine.

Rivers would’ve an absolute hard no though. You are asking for trouble .

I grew up swimming in lakes - there were four in my home town.

Sonif your son can swim and knows the dangers he is fine.

Rivers would’ve an absolute hard no though. You are asking for trouble .

As a general point the blanket "don't swim" mentality doesn't work. Not all open water locations are equal and it's better to be informed how to do it more safely e.g. check entry/ exit points, gradually acclimatise in rather than jumping in, and just locations that genuinely are incredibly dangerous. There's a patch of river near me with a falsely alluring nickname which has a history of drownings due to the weir and is disgustingly just downstream of the sewerage works. It even stinks regularly. Other places don't have specific additional hazards, but the UK's blanket "no swimming" approach ends up lumping everywhere together and undermines informed risk assessment and masks the genuinely treacherous.

Really, cold water shock should be called "temperature difference shock". The biggest temperature difference I've known was when it was 40⁰C and the water was about 22⁰C. In autumn the air and water temperature differences are far closer and there's less adjustment than there is on a hot day even if the water is a couple of degrees cooler.

Open water swimming technique is also different to pools. It's rare to have still water so it costs more energy to move through compared to a contained pool even without temperature issues. It needs adaptability, spotting, varying the stroke.

Statistically most drownings are from people who didn't intend to enter the water for swimming. Ironically I'm statistically more likely to drown while running than by intending to swim! Alcohol is a major factor in hot weather drownings. Also over-confident (under practiced) swimmers who think they're strong along with weak/ non-swimmers who are peer-pressured in.

Ignorance and a culture that obstructs good practice and local knowledge when there will always be a desire to enjoy open water in hot weather has never prevented spates of tragedies. Informed decisions are the best way to manage risk.

Actually, the RLSS is saying that cold water shock is currently a big contributory factor and that water temperature, particularly rivers, is very cold (below 15 degrees).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8plymvm47o