• This topic has 38 replies, 28 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by ton.
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  • open water swimming, anyone?
  • ton
    Full Member

    getting less mobile, and unable to ride for long periods now through arthritis.

    so I need a new outdoors thing to do. I can swim pretty well.
    did a fair few triathlons in my 20’s and early 30’s.
    so I am going to give open water swimming a go. well both me and the good lady are.

    anyone do this? any tips, safety ones obviously. and what kind of suit would be suitable.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    kinda wrong time of the year to start? Water just gets colder from now on in?

    Ro5ey
    Free Member

    Where’s the nearest Open Water to you ?

    Find out if it has a little club or facebook group attach to it.

    And/or … get back into touch with your local tri-clubs … half a chance they’ll do open water sessions… all be it the wrong time of year with the Tri season finishing and XC running starting.

    Good luck

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    Teetosugars
    Free Member

    Used to do a fair bit when I left the Army,having done a good few triathlons Ripon Race Course had a lake that is a mile around it, so used to go there and train.

    keen to start off again- there seems to be a lot of Meres around here where you can do it.

    As for a wetsuit?

    Orca were Spotty Dog IMHO, but have a look on any Tri- forum and no doubt they’ll through up the latest Gucci kit.

    Edit: Alpkit do them too, so should be good value…

    scruff9252
    Full Member

    I do a bit of open water swimming & triathlons. For a wetsuit, get a proper swimming wetsuit. They are tighter than sailing / surfing suits and tend to have thicker thighs to provide your legs with more buoyancy & stop sinky legs.

    Rivers can be lovely places to swim when slow moving. Reservoirs can get very deep, very quickly and be cold year round. Their volume means that whilst the top meter or so can warm in summer, below that remains cold and can lead to cold shock.

    If you do swim in a reservoir, stay well away from the damn / reservoir outlet. Being sooked into the water treatment works would be akin to being fed through a cheese grater – not an enjoyable experience.

    Open water is lovely though & there are many open water groups popping up on facebook – have a look round and find one local to you, pop along and say hi.

    ton
    Full Member

    there is a couple of nice shallow sand lakes near where I live. I have seen people swimming in both of them.
    I wont be going in any reservoirs or deep lakes. and I wont be swimming alone.

    re the cold weather, I was thinking of a thickish full tie wetsuit.

    I will have look on facebook to see if there are any local groups.

    cheers.

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member

    Beware the man eating reeds near the tiny rock island off the ferry jetty near glenridding!!

    wors
    Full Member

    Alpkit do a thicker wetsuit aimed at wild swimming, I love swimming outdoors, get one of those floats that you pull behind you for safety.

    globalti
    Free Member

    I strongly recommend this book:

    ton
    Full Member

    , get one of those floats that you pull behind you for safety.

    deffo Jase. safety joe all the way me.

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member

    Get a swim specific wetsuit – should be good offers this time of year

    Remember it should feel very snug BEFORE you get in the water

    ton
    Full Member

    when I was doing the triathlons, some of the places I swam were pretty cold and exposed.
    semer water for the Yorkshire dales tri, waskerely res for the weardale tri, the north sea for the north tyne tri, and the river wharfe for the otley tri.

    quite excited about having a go.

    mogrim
    Full Member

    If you’re on a budget the Wiggle DHB wetsuit is fine, otherwise decide how much you want to spend… Definitely heading into the wrong time of year for it, though!

    wors
    Full Member

    Guy I know swims in the River Nidd near Pately Bridge Ton, think he swims in it most of the year too! 😯

    Caher
    Full Member

    WEll, September the sea is at its warmest around the British Isles – I swim off the coast of Ireland around this time of year. Getting out not so warm.

    scruff9252
    Full Member

    .there is a couple of nice shallow sand lakes near where I live. I have seen people swimming in both of them

    Sounds ideal, get stuck right in!

    My wetsuit was bought this time of year a few years ago. A few tri shops do tri season rental them sell the rental stock off for buttons. I bought a perfect condition suit (suspect I was the first person to try it on!) For £50 incl delivery.

    You should be the perfect time for some cracking deals on 2017 suits.

    DezB
    Free Member

    It’s definitely the right time of year! Beaches are empty.

    Ton – chap of your size will have to go to a shop to try wetsuits – I’ve got an XL and am quite a bit smaller 🙂 Mines a Zone3 Advance, whch is great, but there was a thread a while ago where people mentioned front zip suits – sounds like a good idea that.
    Also – if you go swimming in the depths of winter, get neoprene gloves and hat!

    ton
    Full Member

    all advice being taken on board. cheers all.

    rogermoore
    Full Member

    IIRC, Wakefield Tri Club do open water swimming at Pugneys every Saturday.
    RM.

    RoterStern
    Free Member


    Do it the German way! 🙂

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    Do it the German way!

    From a raft made out of giant Kit Kats?

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    [double bubble]

    poolman
    Free Member

    Go for it i d love to have a go. My mate is really good and i ve watched her swim 10k in the sea. When she finishes her face is so puffed up she looks like a hamster.

    I was sailing on windermere last month and an old chap was swimming with no wetsuit, doing breaststroke and not immersing his head. He looked v happy, water was freezing but i suspect you get used to it. South end of lake nr fellfoot is popular.

    sparkyrhino
    Full Member

    The Mrs uses Blue Laggon near Womersley,prefers it to the Pugneys(ie its closer to us)

    TomB
    Full Member

    I swim in a winter surfing wetsuit. Might lose a couple of seconds if I was racing (I’m not) compared to the clever slippy finishes on swimming wetsuits, but a lot more robust, and cheaper. Hard to get out of quickly if you are triathloning (I’m not). Mine is an Xcel zipless (I.e. Very stretchy) type.

    forzafkawi
    Free Member

    Another possibility (maybe for the future) is that there are many more lakes in France that are suitable for swimming and it seems to be actively encouraged over there with lots of recreational lakes having sandy beaches.

    I’ve done quite a bit of swimming in lakes all over France when training for triathlons (and also just on holiday) and it’s generally a much nicer experience than in this country.

    olddonald
    Full Member

    Did the leeds tri in June – roundhay park lake was very pleasant – nice and clear – you could see the floor of the lake ( very much like Ripon race course lake mentioned previously) Harewood house on the other hand I believe is a bit of a black mudfest….

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    Ton you live Leeds way?
    I remember when I lived in Otley there was a spot on the river near Ilkley that had a nice shallow stoney beach where we had a few dips and I remember thinking that the river seemed deep enough to continue swimming downstream there. Dunno if the lido near Ilkley is still going? not quite open water and likely a bit warmer than a flowing river or lake.

    jambourgie
    Free Member

    What on earth is ‘Open Water’?

    Edit; just outside? ie; not in the swimming baths?

    DezB
    Free Member

    @jambourgie – this article is for you. Not swimming.. not mountain biking… not just plain old cycling…
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/15-britains-best-wild-cycling-routes/

    bubs
    Full Member

    Wild cycling 😆 Clacket Lane Sevices! Brilliant.

    pistonbroke
    Free Member

    Mrs PB was a member of Wakefield Tri we lived in Penistone, they do swim sessions at Pugneys just off Jcn 38 M1. You don’t have to compete in Tri’s to go. The water has to be over a certain temp to have the sessions so it’s generally May to Sept. If you want to swim in the sea or lakes where there’s motorised traffic, instead of paying a fortune for a pull buoy, just get a bright coloured dry bag and attach a 6ft line to a belt.
    Her swimming has become a lot more pleasant now we live 15mins fom the Med.

    tuboflard
    Full Member

    Yorkshire Outdoor Swimmers do year round sessions near Rotherham (Harthill to be precise) and Swim Your Swim do sessions at Thrybergh in Rotherham, and Hatfield just outside Doncaster. Both excellently run clubs and they run all year round. YOS used to have the highest number of Ice Milers of any club if I remember rightly.

    ampthill
    Full Member

    I’m not great at open water swimming but I really enjoy it

    I swim once a week in a local lake with friends. I did 11 sea swims in Scillies this summer. Just a great way of keeping fit and mobile

    Caher
    Full Member

    Just been into the Atlantic now. After the initial yelp from cold it was really refreshing.

    PJay
    Free Member

    Wasn’t Brant from On-One into this is a big way?

    Alice Roberts did a programme on the BBC a while ago but it doesn’t seem to be on the IPlayer (could be available on DVD I suppose).

    Moses
    Full Member

    There’s a sense of freedom about swimming outdoors. I’m a member of an open air swimming club in Bristol which owns a drowned quarry in the suburbs. The quarryment hit a spring which filled up the hole.
    We have sessions all the year raound for the hardy, but the main season is May-September. I’m a wuss, and stop when the water gets below 17c or so. but don’t use a wetsuit.

    ton
    Full Member

    i went for a dip on thursday evening, in a lake at a local nature reserve. seen people in the lake a few times.
    it wasnt too cold, i managed 20 minutes without a wet suit, which is on order.
    enjoyed it but found it hard work as i have not swam for a fair few years.

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