Wild Swimming

[jazzactivist]

One of my favourite books is Waterlog by Roger Deakin. He was a wild swimming enthusiast, and in the book goes all over the UK swimming in rivers, lakes, outdoor swimming pools, etc., and meeting lots of people who do the same. It is such a fascinating book, as it opens up a whole dimension of the British landscape that has almost been lost to people who live here. I love swimming, and am really keen to go on a wild water swimming holiday in the summer. Do any of you do this, or know of local places where it still goes on? What do you think of it?

[Healing Hands]

Hi Jazzactivist, no I have not heard of "wild swimming" before. I used swim quite a lot but I really do not seem to have the time anymore to go. I will be interested to hear more about this subject.

[Oola]

I haven't really heard of wild swimming either, although I have seen a programme where a guy would go swimming in his local natural pond/lake. I used to swim regularly and am hoping to get back into it this year, although I get fed up with seeing people who don't shower before they get in the pool - I don't want to share a pool with people's sweaty armpits and groins!!!!!

I wouldn't dream of swimming in our local largest (Ouse) because I'd probably be arrested and secondly I hate to think what ends up in there - couple of bodies have been pulled from there this year already I think.

But if there was somewhere monitored and I had better visibility, I see it's no different in principle from swimming in the sea. I wouldn't mind doing a Mr Darcy (or just being there to watch the likes of Colin Firth half strip and get soaking wet) and just jumping in for a quite splash on a hot summer's day...

[Healing Hands]

Now that sounds like fun with Colin Firth! Mmmmm lovely as it is a wet horrible day here I will think of Mr Darcy on a hot summers day!

Quite agree I too hate it when people do not shower before using the pool. I always give them such dirty looks or the ones that did use the shower would leave it running this was when we had the water shortage!

[sunflower]

When I was six, I learnt to swim in the river in the City of Oxford. They had 'fenced' a bit of the river off(sounds bizarre I know but true) but still very much the same water etc. Then I became mysteriously ill, so much in fact that, I spent 2 months in hospital including over Christmas. I had a Kidney infection, with altered eye sight. It was like looking down the wrong end of the binoch. and could only see in black and white. Years later I met a man who had the same condition only worse....perm. damageto eyes and kidneys. It turned out he was swimming in the river around the same age as me. He got abrasions around his stomach from jumping in and was diagnosed with Kidney problems caused by river pollution. I remembered that often I had grazed knees from jumping in and falling on the stones on the waterbed. So, wild swimming sounds romantic......but do'nt try this at home!!! as the saying goes!!

[jazzactivist]

Eer! sunflower, that sounds a bit grim. The book does say that you have to take local warnings of eColi and Weils disease seriously, and to check with the local authority if local waterways are considered safe. Hopefully, rivers are cleaner now than they were back then, but I'll definately be keeping your warning in mind. River and lake swimming does sound more attractive than at the swimming pool, though.

I agree with others, and don't like it if people don't shower before getting into a swimming pool. Do you think that it is just the UK that has this, as in most other countries that I have lived in showering every day was part of the culture, but it doesn't seem to be here? When I first moved to this part of the country I went to the swimming pool in a nearby town at about 5pm when it was supposed to be quiet. Just as I was enquiring 4 local farm workers just walked in and plunged into the pool without showering, leaving a foaming scum of muck on the surface - yuck! I haven't been back.