Swimming

I've swum a few times at Chiswick with no problems. Swim in it, don't drink it. Wash your hands when you get out. Don't swim in the river after heavy rainfall. Have fun.

Also drink a can of full fat full sugar coke afterwards.

That stuff absolutely ruins any nastys you may ingest.

I've heard that but your stomach acid is fairly harsh and I can't find any studies either way and I prefer beer after a swim

Going to pop to Hampstead Mens' Pond tomorrow for the first time. Any tips? There are no lockers, right? Safe enough to leave a backpack with wallet/phone/keys in?

There are no lockers, right?

Correct.

Safe enough to leave a backpack with wallet/phone/keys in?

I've done it many times, including work laptop on the way to the office. The odds are in your favour.

Do you have a ticket or are you going for the 5pm free flow? I understand the queues are long at the moment.

I’ve always left everything and never known anyone to have anything taken. Though I’ve mostly swum in winter, and can’t vouch for the summer crowd.

Good to know. It's fully booked, and the "free flow" sessions seem busy too. My local lake is fully booked too. Looking forward to cold weather to thin the herd a bit!

I have got next Monday off for a swim in the Cam though. Thinking about walking as far upstream as I can be bothered from train station and swimming back, with clothes and phone/keys in float. Any tips?

Been years (20+) since I've done that but Grantchester Meadows is a common place to go in and swim back into Cambridge.

I don't know the river so don't know where you can get in and out. I'm swum from Grantchester Meadows back. Fantastic swim. The Orchard Tea Garden is lovely but a cream tea just before you set off isn't ideal.

Is there a go to good pair of comfortable goggles that don't leak these days?

I left my Fastskin Elites on the hook by the showers at the Aquatics Centre. Again.

Pool or outdoor?

Guessing pool, I really like Nike Vapor goggles. Find they don't mist up, don't leak and are pretty comfy.

All depends on your face shape. I’ve used AquaSphere kayman for years.

I really like Decathlon's 'Swedish style' goggles. Cheap as chips too.

Thanks. Pool with some occasional sea/river/lake.

It definitely does but that's the problem with internet shopping isn't it @kl

I was actually thinking where could I go to try on some goggles and need to go to Decathlon anyway @Skülly - I was thinking for the money how bad can they be!

I don’t , but a lot do near teddington on the Kingston side nr the Hawker centre .
I have friends that swim regularly nearer shepperton.They’re all still alive and well .
I think the general rule is don’t swim immediately after a downpour and no deep open cuts etc …. Common sense I guess .
Have you tried shepperton lake ?

I took a while to adjust to them, as they sit right on the eye socket. But now I have, I really like them.

On no account look in a mirror though as you look really alieny in them.

After booking last Monday off for a swim at Hampstead and it being full, I now have tomorrow off and train tickets to Cambridge for a swim in the Cam, and there's rain forecast - is sewage outflow likely, do we think?

I’d probably be more worried about run off in the days after heavy rain rather than day of heavy rain. Even then I’ve swam most days after heavy rain, as it never really stops raining on the west coast of Ireland.

That all said I’m sure run off in rural Ireland is a bit different to run off in a city, and the Atlantic is a bigger body of water than the river.

TLDR; I’d probably go anyway and just not drink the water. Can of coke afterwards to nuke anything per the old wives tale

Do you have a link? As a swede I'm intrigued by this.

Do you have a link? As a swede I'm intrigued by this.

I found them in the shop. I guess Decathlon’s website might feature them, have you looked? They’re among the cheapest they sell; have a piece of string (going thru a small tube) to join the eyepieces ie you can adjust it loads to fit, and a double looped thin rubber headstrap. Pretty sure they call them ‘Swedish’ or ‘Swedish-style’.

Cambridge was well worth the train. Shoulders are throbbing now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/7564340973

So you're regretting going to Cambridge on one of these?

Goggles clip broke, managed to get by tying the strap round where the clip went in.

Really annoying as these are my £££ prescription goggles which take ages to get a replacement, and I'm going on holiday (for some lake swimming) in a couple of days and then Swim Serpentine a few weeks after that.

Might get some cheapo normal goggles and suffer being mostly blind. Only really need prescription googles for the pool to see the bottom of the pool to keep straight and be able to turn properly (neither of which are necessary in open water swimming).

Can't risk the knot coming undone in a lake as the googles would be lost instantly.

Decathlon are cheap for prescrip. goggles and much better than eg Aquasphere.