River and Water Quality for wild swimming
By wildswim at July 2, 2020 | 9:51 am | 1 Comments
A new campaign from The Rivers Trust show the location of all sewage outflows, including 'CSOs' which should only discharge during periods of exceptionally high rain. Open the map to check out your local stretch of rover to see where sewage discharges are, and how often CSO tend to discharge, in their new river water quality interactive map. You can read more about the
The Thrill of the Chill
By wildswim at January 28, 2015 | 5:28 pm | 0 Comment
If you think winter swimming is only for the very brave (or the very foolish), Jonathan Buckley tells us why we shouldn’t let some nippy weather get in the way of stripping and dipping… Last Saturday Tooting Bec Lido hosted the 6th UK Cold Water Swimming Championships. Hardy swimmers embraced this cold water swimming festival – all in water less than
Sea swimming safety, dangers and risks
By wildswim at July 4, 2012 | 12:25 pm | 10 Comments
Escaping a rip is straightforward if you are a strong swimmer and remain calm. People drown from panic, followed by exhaustion, so never fight against the current. Keep an eye on a shore landmark to establish whether you are in a rip. If so, stand or wade if possible. If not, swim out of it at 90 degrees parallel to the beach for about 20m. Once out of the rip, head back
Wild Swimming health, safety, risks and dangers
By wildswim at April 3, 2012 | 2:09 pm | 25 Comments
Not being able to swim - sounds obvious but shallow water can deepen suddenly. If you, your children or your friends cannot swim make sure you scout out the extent of the shallows, set clear boundaries and keep constant supervision. Remember that even shallow sections of fast-flowing water can knock you off your feet. Be careful with inflatables, which can create a false
Health Benefits
By wildswim at April 2, 2012 | 9:21 pm | 0 Comment
From a secular perspective the health and psychological benefits of dipping in natural waters were also long known. George Bernard Shaw, Benjamin Britten, Charles Darwin and Florence Nightingale were all advocates of regular cold baths to strengthen the mental constitution and physical state. Cold immersion soothes muscle aches, relieves depression and boosts the immune
