Swimming

That’s a mighty impressive swim! Well done.

Swam just under 4km down St Patrick's Stream on Saturday. Lovely.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9411383118

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8gIkjL0w_E

47 days until Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim.

Total swimming so far in July: 400m

Going to be a fun shoulder aching August.

Anyone swim at Parli Hill Lido and know whether the silly 7-7.30am widths is still a thing?

It was last time I was there that early.

Update: no widths, lovely wide lanes from 7.

As glorious as ever there

Some new swimming facilities announced:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/lido-valentines-park-ilford-redbridge-council-gym-cafe-dance-studio-b1105067.html

As the weather starts cooling down again, I'm thinking about what I can wear to keep me swimming outside longer. Anyone got any strong thoughts on neoprene jammers, swimskins or similar? I have a Zone 3 full length wetsuit, but would like something to bridge the gap when the water drops below 20 but the air is still around 25 and I can't bear forcing myself into a full wetsuit.

If you keep swimming outdoors fairly regularly, you should be fine in trunks pretty much year round in the sea, or until close to Christmas in freshwater.

I live in Switzerland so the freshwater gets pretty cold in the winter ;) Can't comment on the sea...

Biggest issue I've found swimming in cold water is my head getting cold. A decent swimming cap will help.

I swim year round in regular swimwear, occasionally with floating ice. I find it much easier to swim 'proper freestyle' without a wetsuit, otherwise the difference between my fairly warm body and freezing face is too much.

For me below 12 is when it starts to get interesting. Some people rate neoprene socks and gloves but I find them a bit of a faff.

2 hats avoids ice cream head.

They're making the final call on Swim Serpentine by 5pm today due to blue-green algae in the Serpentine.

It's due to get hotter Thu/Fri/Sat with usually causes it to bloom further. So my guess is that will be off.

(Selfishly I hope they postpone it for another year as I can't do it. But I can imagine many people will be annoyed since it was cancelled last year due to Her Maj's funeral.)

For me below 12 is when it starts to get interesting. Some people rate neoprene socks and gloves but I find them a bit of a faff.

I read that as '12 below it starts to get interesting' - I like a chilly dip, but would duck out of that one!

Neoprene socks are useful when you're having to climb over rocks or are on stony beaches. I used gloves occasionally for safety when swimming in Shadwell as had overdone it a couple of times and seized-up hands had difficulty gripping the ladders to get out. Didn't want to die of stupidity.

I read that as '12 below it starts to get interesting'

Yup. I start to feel the cold in different parts of my body. Eg chest mostly around 6-8 but fingers and toes below 5. IIRC, I didn't swim much last winter. Massive endorphin rush either way.

I've just signed up to Polar Bear Arctic for this winter. 3km each month between October and March, at least 2 of which must be longer than 250m. All in normal swimwear without gloves/boots/etc. Can't wait!

https://polarbearchallenges.com/

I'll mostly be swimming in lifeguarded places with plenty of other swimmers about so getting out shouldn't be an issue. The lifeguards at the West Res/Highgate Pond/PH Lido are all lovely and seem to not mind nutters too much.

'12 below' rather than 'below 12'.

Ah yes. Sorry. Makes me think of the ice cold American beer adverts (Coors?)

Is anyone here doing the Dip a Day challenge?

https://www.sas.org.uk/take-action/fundraise-with-us/dip-a-day/
I just did my first swim, a nighttime dip in the Thames.

Been following this thread for a while when I had been swimming regularly but that totally dropped off during COVID. I've been getting back in the pool again and I'm looking for a watch to track swims. Don't need anything too spectacular, just something to track distance time etc.

Any recommendations?

Garmin Swim 2 perhaps. I have a Fenix which I also use hiking etc. which is 99% accurate at counting my lengths in the pool.

Not everyday, but in the sea about four times a week.

It's getting to the point it's a bit chilly now and you don't warm up to much in skins.

Trying to delay wetsuit for as long as I can. Might be rashvest soon.

The ever-generous chalfie sent me a Garmin fenix 2 for this purpose and it does everything I could hope for and more. Syncs to strava as well so my 7 friends get treated to something other than the same boring commute.

@Tonts & @jellybaby cheers for the suggestions. I'll check them out

After swimming lengths in an indoor pool I've started to get a completely blocked nose for at least a day and a half afterwards. Reaction to chlorine I expect. Never used to get this but it's been 4 days now and I'm still a bit blocked up. Anyone else get this? Is a nose clip the way to go?