More Swimmers Taking The Plunge In Open Water

The lure of taking the plunge in Britain’s bracing waters has seen a growing number of swimmers seeking an alternative to the pool.

Informal groups have been popping up to swim in rivers, lakes and stretches of coastline across the country.

Nicola Naunton’s first sea swim at Felixstowe in Suffolk with the Swimscapes group was only in May and now she is in training for a five-mile (8km) challenge.

“I popped in the sea in my swimsuit from my holiday and my son’s swimming goggles because I had seen a friend on Facebook posting how wonderful open water swimming was and I’ve been a little bit addicted ever since,” she said.

Helen Oliver is another newcomer. She also swims in Felixstowe on a Saturday and then heads to the River Deben in nearby Waldringfield to do it all again on Sundays.

Even in a wetsuit with neoprene gloves and socks, the temperatures in winter can take your breath away.

“At this time of year it’s so cold when you get in the water, any ideas you’ve got about your stroke technique go straight out of the window!”

But sometimes, she said, there is an added bonus.

“You never know when you might get a seal come along by us and it just adds to the ‘naturalness’ of it.”

The Outdoor Swimming Society (OSS) is a national group set up in 2006. It attracted 300 members within the first year. Now it has 21,000.

Lynne Roper from the OSS is not surprised at the growing popularity.

“I think if you can get into the wild, it’s just you and the environment … and it does something to you,” she said. “It almost cleanses your soul.”

For some, it is also about training.

Anna Street started swimming in the sea at Felixstowe as part of her Ironman Triathlon that sees competitors swim 2.4 miles (3.8km) and cycle 112 miles (180km) before running a marathon.

“It’s made a massive, massive difference to me. The first time I came down it was quite rough and I only stayed in for 10 minutes … but I can do about 5km (3.2 miles) now,” she said.

Michael Mann is no less ambitious. He plans to swim the channel to mark turning 60 in a couple of years and that means getting used to swimming without a forbidden wetsuit.

He said: “It’ll take me a couple of years to get used to swimming in this cold water, so that’s why we do it – every week!”

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More Swimmers Taking The Plunge In Open Water