Wild swimming is popular, and it’s here to stay. It’s not dangerous, and there are a few key tips swimmers can follow to stay safe and avoid the risks. Accurate information and improved access are the best ways to help people learn about swimming safely and responsibly. We need more access and clearer rights – ideally a Right to Roam on land and in water as in Scotland – and meanwhile we need to Go Swimming!
Continue reading Wild Swimming and Inland AccessLandowner blocks access to popular river pool – with consequences
Popular swim spot easy access blocked with a large amount of felled hedgerow trees, with implications for swimmers and the village, and in breach of wildlife guidelines. It’s not clear why but if there were issues of concern this will make things worse, as well as being horrible and upsetting.
Continue reading Landowner blocks access to popular river pool – with consequencesWhy swimmers love Knettishall
This is what local swimmers said they liked about this Brecks river pool with a sandy beach – perfect to take children to have fun and learn to swim, and lovely for picnics and dips. Some safety tips and links, and earlier memories – more invited, too.
Continue reading Why swimmers love KnettishallWild Swimming Books
I was recently asked to recommend books on wild swimming to someone who was keen to get started. It’s not easy to do this, as there are so many books that it’s difficult to know where to start, and it all depends what you want from a book (though Roger Deakin’s Waterlog is my first choice!). Some ideas here.
Continue reading Wild Swimming BooksExploring Bawsey Pits
We had heard a lot about this supposedly dangerous lake, and another experienced outdoor swimmer and I went to explore it and assess the risks and the possibilities for swimming there. We found it to be a wonderful location and from this visit couldn’t see any more hazards than in other similar lakes, other than the usual risks of swimming which can be mitigated with accurate information. But anyone visiting must do their own assessment each time, and take care. And if anyone has any specific information about unusual risks at this location it would be interesting to hear about those.
Splashing Out!
Joys, benefits, risks of swimming outdoors, Myths, Top Tips to stay safe. By Fiona Weir, @thisfionaweir
Continue reading Splashing Out!Responsible Swimming presentation to VSG
Outdoor Swimming Society members were invited as guests to the webinar of the Visitor Safety Group (landowner body), at the launch of its Open Water Swimming guidance 8 July 2021, and I was invited to speak about the Outdoor Swimmers Code and to chair a breakout room on landowners engaging with swimmers. This is the presentation I delivered.
Continue reading Responsible Swimming presentation to VSGNature, outdoors, swimming and health
Swimming outdoors, especially in cold water, being outdoors, and nature are good for you – for your mental and physical health. So say growing numbers of reports, books, articles, studies and organisations. This is a collection of links with brief descriptions (March 2021). And occasional updates and additions subsequently.
Continue reading Nature, outdoors, swimming and healthSwim Journey 2016 Day 1 places and significance
Starting with seaside resorts and crumbling cliffs on the east Suffolk coast, via two tidal rivers, to the upper River Alde valley.
Brief explanations of the memories and significance of all the swim locations on Day 1 of my A12 swim journey (Roundups and charity info in post: A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it! https://www.imogensriverswims.co.uk/blog/imogens-a12-swim-journey-june-2016-i-did-it/). This and the other posts were written in 2016 just before or after the swim journey and updated December 2022.
Continue reading Swim Journey 2016 Day 1 places and significanceSwim Journey 2016 Day 2 swim places & why they matter
From the Suffolk family home to Ipswich where we spent much of the last nine months of mum and dad’s lives, under many A 12 bridges, to leafy and watery Essex.
Brief explanations of the memories and significance of all the swim locations on Day 2 of my A12 swim journey (Roundups and charity info in post: A12 swim journey June 2016: I did it! https://www.imogensriverswims.co.uk/blog/imogens-a12-swim-journey-june-2016-i-did-it/). This and the other posts were written in 2016 just before or after the swim journey and updated December 2022.
Continue reading Swim Journey 2016 Day 2 swim places & why they matter