The Wild Swimming thread

[SybilBeddows]

Any other wild swimmers about? I did the Fairy Pools on Skye last week, which was magic. Anyone else had any lovely swims they want to share?

Planning first sea swim in Cornwall at Easter. Need to get my rhino hide prepared for Great North Swim!

Swimming in the sea is my absolutely favourite thing. Have swum lots in lakes and rivers in France too. Anyone know any freshwater places to swim in Norfolk. Desperate to swim in the Cam at Granchester.

I've swum in the Broads, in the Ant off a canoe. The Broads authority person (meant to enforce non swimming I think) chugged past in his boat and grinned.

It was cold tea type water, clear and peaty.

I tend to think if the water's got lots of fish living in it it's probably not going to do me any harm though you may get your foot bitten off by a monster pike.

ooooh, We are planning to do the Fairy pools on Skye at Easter. Cant wait.

i adore swimming outdoors. i miss the sea .

anywhere suitable in north wilts? our river is at a trickle, barely ankle deep and i don't know of any lakes swimmable nearby.

Fairy Pools are amazing but OMG they're cold. Worth taking a wetsuit (and I say that as a non-wetsuit wearer usually).

Did the Swimtrek Thames trip last year - 7k over 2 days, shortly before David Walliams did the same distance in about 8 hours. it was an amazing experience but as someone who has only splashed about in lakes and river bathing places before, possibly a bit long as a first real go! The only person in the group who started without a wetsuit put one on at the first break, it was really, really cold. Very soft and beautiful though. I do recommend the Wolvercote bathing place north of Oxford, it's nice and lovely for kids with a rope swing over the pond etc.

Are you all string swimmers? I was never taught so kind of do my own thing. I move but there's nothing purposeful or graceful about. I feel too weak for the sea which is mad as I live about five miles away

string strong

I'm a confident swimmer but I wouldn't win any races.

actually, i am a strong swimmer, though very unfit now. have you thought about having a couple of lessons? there is a huge pleasure in feeling powerful and graceful in the water - these days I don't feel those things many other places!

beccles I'm also doing the GNS - what wave are you in?

I'm hoping to jump in the Wharfe in Wetherby in the next week or so - does that count?

I wanted to go swimming in the faerie pools when I went to skye, unfortunately I went during hurricane bawbag didn't realise it was a hurricane just windier than normal so didn't get to go. DS has river swum today but says it's freezing still, in scotland.

I think I'm a string strong swimmer because I used to be but I don't imagine I really am any more which is probably more dangerous than being a weak swimmer and knowing it IYSWIM.

I love how many of us like to get out and get wet!

I've swum in a flooded quarry near Llanberis which was lovely and also at Dancing Ledge.

wildswim.com/dancing-ledge-langton-matravers-swanage

Best place I ever swam was in the lake at Annecy many years ago.

I'd love to try river swimming but am worried about currents and the river being stronger than what it first appears, etc.

I'd love to try Dancing Ledge.

With rivers, if you find a place where swimmers traditionally go it's likely to be somewhere with an ok current if the river is behaving normally. You can easily watch what the current's doing before you get in, and then just make sure you swim upstream of your getting-out place.

My favourite river has deep bits and shallow bits, and there's no danger even if the current is strong because it would just sweep you down to a shallow bit.

vigglewiggle i'm doing the 3pm 2 miler on the Fri.

Did the first one (when unknowingly pg) and due to EMCS & DC2 haven't participated since so am shitting myself training hard looking forward to it!

Dancing ledge is a wonderful spot-but quite a climb down so I got stuck watching dh from a distance whilst v pregnant! Lots of climbing groups as dh discovered to his cost whilst skinny dippy

Faerie pools sound magical :)

beccles 2 miles - respect!
I've done the 1 miler twice. The first time I trained really hard and ploughed along, head down all the way. Last year I was still recovering from hip surgery so I has a lovely mosey round with my head up enjoying the spectacular scenery. It's enjoyable whichever way you do it.

I'm staying at the Low Wood Hotel, so I'll come out on Fri afternoon to cheer you on!

Inspiring thread BTW!

Other option for me is mid Wales /Shropshire. Is there anywhere around there?

My other big query is about safety, do you tend to go on your own?

And who takes their children?

Bronze/Myleene have a look here hope link works... I'm in Norfolk, not too far from Beccles town and am thinking of giving this a go, used to swim in various rivers and the sea as a child/pre-children and would love to get the kids into this too, there must be more places in Norfolk/Suffolk as there is so much water...

Just found this inspiring website.

philis50swims.wordpress.com/page/5/

I have just been thinking about swimming in the ladies' pond on Hampstead Heath this year, we've lived here for over 20 years but I've never done it. Anyone else go there? We go to Austria every summer and DD and I "jump in the lake" which always makes us laugh. Inspired to go to HH by reading about a new novel called "The J.M. Barrie Ladies' Swimming Society" by Barbara Zitwer and one that I think is more factual called "Taking the Waters" by Caitlin Davies