Do you go sea swimming?

[Chefpig]

I live by the coast and would love to give it a whirl this summer.

What do you take and if you go solo, are your towel/clothes safe on the sand?

Use a dry bag to take phone/keys. I can't imagine anyone would nick your towel or clothes!

I couldn't live further from the sea but when I am away I do.

Just make sure someone knows where you are if it's a deserted beach where there might not be other people. Check it's safe for swimming and that there aren't rips or quicksand.

I tend to leave my stuff on the edge of the shore, but don't swim out too deep. You can see if anyone else comes on the beach or near your things.

As an amateur I always stay where I can stand up. Really love a good swim in the sea.

Feel sad because I love the freedom of swimming in the sea but the sewage dumping has put me right off. Watch “ Dirty Business” - it is truly shocking what water companies do.

I sea swim all the time, often alone. I take a camping chair and I have a towelling hooded dress to go over my swimsuit and use as a towel. My stuff has always been safe.

I always try to swim where there are other people. My stretch of beach is fairly quiet and I often see my neighbours!

I've had a swim after work every day this week, just bliss.

No the sewage has put me off sadly

You couldn’t pay me to even paddle in UK water. It’s full of sewage and god knows what else.

Oh and use an app to check water quality...

You can check water quality using the surfers against sewage app.

https://datahq.sas.org.uk/sewage-data-hq/

i put my phone and keys in a tow float which doubles as a marker for where I am swimming if any boats are around.

https://www.yachtingworld.com/yachts-and-gear/7-of-the-best-swim-floats-for-open-water-visibility-137450

So do I 😂

I used to go when I lived near the beach - and still would if going for a beach day.
Never been on my own but we’ve always just left our stuff on the shore (where I can still see it).

I swim in the sea as long as it looks clean!

I take a tow float with dry bag that I can store wallet/keys/phone in and it doubles up as a visibility aid so others can see me and a floatation aid if I am tired. A tow float is absolutely not a life saving device, but it would be bloody helpful at attracting attention and keeping you afloat if you get in to difficulty.

I leave my clothes/towel on the beach. If someone steals them the I’ll manage as I’ll have my phone/wallet/keys with me.

yes
and never take much as live close, just a towel and the keys.

never go in deeper than hip height and swim parallel to the shore.

look up local information (tides, pollution)

don't swim with open wounds and try not to get water into your mouth and eyes.

No way. The sea surrounding the UK is disgusting.

I go in rivers and lakes though.

I have one of those inflatable buoys tow floats that has a dry compartment so bring phone and keys etc with me. Sea shoes or flippers, I hv some short flippers I love for Sea swimming. Goggles as I love diving under:)

Sadly the rivers & lakes will be the same - watch “ Dirty Business”.

Yes, all year round. I don’t tend to go in the busy season so usually I’m one of the only ones on the beach. No one is going to take your towel/shoes. I leave my car keys discreetly there. I don’t bring other valuables. If I was swimming out of sight, I’d use a tow float but I wouldn’t do that alone anyway. If I was swimming so far that I couldn’t see the beach, I’d leave someone on the beach to keep an eye out for me, never mind my stuff.

All the time, it's just called going for a swim. Have been 3 or 4 times this week already.

In summer I just wear my swimmers under my clothes, then take a light towel or towelling hoody to change in after. Normally just put a kind of UV dress/tunic on over my semi dry swimmers when I leave, but if I need to change I'll do so in the hoody or towel. Normal swimming costume, with wetsuit shoes if stony.

In winter I have a dry robe, and neoprene gloves as my fingers feel it.

The kids all have the same, but with goggles.

I don’t but my dc go most days from May through to September. And on Christmas Day 🤣 we are in Ireland.

Often.

In an area not plagued by sewage sills.

I put my stuff in a bag knotted round my beach chair and swim close in.

I don't swim / leave my stuff in the middle of a crowd on a busy beach.

But yes, your clothes etc are safe.

I lake swim, leave my stuff on the shore (don't really take anything valuable) and if I'm in an area with boats, wear a tow float so other lake users can see me.

Yes, regularly in summer (DH goes year round). Have tide times and surfers against sewage app on my phone.

I just take a few bits with me and leave it on the beach where I can see it.

The most important thing is the swimming shoes for the pebbly beach!

We live in the banks of a sea loch, I walk down my garden on to the bank of the loch, I normally just take my dry robe for getting out. When I go further afield I leave my stuff on the bank and have a waterproof phone case I attach to the strap of my swimsuit and tuck it to the hip of my swimsuit, it has my car key and phone in. Nowhere I swim is crowded and I always let DH know where I’m going and what time I’ll be back.

I’m a very weak and nervous swimmer, I can go out of my depth in a familiar pool but the thought of being out of my depth in the sea is too frightening.

When my AC were little I insisted they only went in the sea, even paddling, when the tide was coming in (so they wouldn’t get swept out to sea if they lost their balance). A couple of years ago, at a family friendly beach with DS waist-deep towing DGS on an inflatable, bit the bullet and announced I was going to swim. I waded to shoukder deep and went forward into breaststroke facing the beach, very close to DS, not realising the very gentle incoming waves would lift my legs so my head went under, and it was moving just too quickly to recover and stand up. It’s ridiculous, I know, a granny in a few feet of warm, gentle waves, screaming for DS to help me get my feet down.

It was possibly the third or fourth time I’ve ever tried swimming in the sea in 70 years, never again.

No. Fish gross me out.

I usually go after work, so the water has been warming up all day, the crowds have mostly gone, so I can find a parking space. No need for sunscreen then, either. There are usually still people about. If there are no swimmers around, I'd be wary of going in.

My bag has two towels, cossie, an old sun dress, swim shoes for shingle beaches, goggles (don't always use them, especially when trying to avoid ears getting wet.) Hairbrush, water bottle.

You don't need all of that. Towel and cossie. I leave my keys in my bag on the beach, as the swim bags I've tried haven't been waterproof when testing.

In the last 10 days or so, I've swum at Southsea, Boscombe, Calshot and Weymouth, fitting in with theatre and friend visits. You can check water quality online, and also sea temperature. It's lovely right now.

Swim shoes. Don't swim with any open wounds or let water near your face. Shower/wash hands after. I wear my cossie under my clothes and bring keys only, leave stuff on beach. I know it's filth but I love the feeling too much to stop.