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?

We’re lucky enough to live near the sea in Sussex. I go out swimming with the local Bluetits group - a lovely friendly bunch who made me feel very welcome. There’s usually a swim every day and often a monthly full moon swim in the evening with a fire and a few drinks. You might be able to find a local group..?

I take swim shoes, a tow float (with my phone, keys and a torch in it if the light is fading), a neoprene beanie hat and a DryRobe.

Sitting at the beach today, tide is up and it looks very appealing

The beaches are, in general, much, much cleaner now than they were 40 yrs ago, before the water industry was privatised. At that time, only 28% of bathing waters met the minimum standards set by the Environment Agency, and none of the flow from combined sewer systems received full treatment. Since then there have been decades of multi-billion-pound infrastructure investments, which have made vast improvements in basic water quality. We are in the South of England and 89% of in our region are now rated 'Good' or 'Excellent' by the Environment Agency.

You could contact the local bluetit groups and swim with them for security. I know there’s several in the area I live in but not sure about other places in the U.K.

If in doubt just leave your phone at home or locked in the car.

Thank you