Issues

Once you start swimming outdoors you soon realise it is not straightforward. You find you are coming up against issues such as safety and access. Here are some pages on the issues.

Swimming safety

Swim safety in rivers and lakes, and why it is important to be able to and to learn how to do so safely and enjoyably

Q&A with key info on swimming safely.

More info: What you might want to know if you have just started swimming outdoors (detailed note, with index)

Understanding Drowning Statistics, on the Outdoor Swimming Society website, covers some of the issues and adds further analysis on the risk level of swimming. See also older article, Drowning prevention campaigns & stats

Page on Bathing water quality with more links and info

Swimming after rain and in bad weather

Swimming in Tidal Rivers and Estuaries

Taking responsibility for your own safety is part of the Outdoor Swimmers Code

Download Note: Risks to health and safety of outdoor swimming, and how to mitigate them (Word.doc, 6 pages). Some pages/notes on risks and benefits of swimming; and More info on risks, finding places, moving on once you get started; and a shorter and simpler key info Q&A with key info on swimming safely.

Access, legality, landowners

Page on Access and legality, including the OSS guide and much more

Landowner liability and swimmers

(Download) National Water Safety Forum’s Water Safety principles, https://www.nationalwatersafety.org.uk/media/1151/water-safety-principles.pdf

Sixteen reasons why we need UK-wide swimming access in reservoirs

Swimming in clay and gravel lakes (post)

Other issues and info

Being a responsible swimmer, for environment, others and your own safety in Outdoor Swimmers Code, and more from OSS on respecting the environment in Swimming without a Trace

Presentation at VSG guidance launch on swimming responsibly and landowners engaging with swimmers

Getting Started in Inland Outdoor Swimming

Outdoor Swimming in Norfolk and the Brecks

Swimming in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads with links and notes to download on swimming in tidal rivers, getting started in open water, and places to swim in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.

Bathing in the Brecks: Outdoor Swimming past, present & future

There is a separate section on the website,  OS Brecks, about two projects on outdoor swimming in the Brecks, with one – Healing Waters – focussing on swim safety and access, and the other – Tales from the River – on history, including swim places. These projects are part of The Brecks Fen Edge & Rivers Landscape Partnership Scheme (BFER), supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

swims and swim places, and related issues