YOUR FAVOURITES TOP SPOTS
Our readers recommend their favourite places to swim. Kate Rew, author of Wild Swim, picks the best
AVETON GIFFORD ESTUARY, DEVON
“The swim from Aveton Gifford to Bantham beach is a sandy-bottomed joy,” says wild swimmer Kari Furre,
an artist from Devon. “Most estuaries are muddy places, but with this one the visibility is marvellous because you are swimming over sand. You can always tell what time of year you’re swimming – in spring the buds come out, in autumn you swim through fallen leaves.” What makes this swim so special is the countryside. “The banks are wooded; it feels like swimming down the Amazon because it’s so green. There is an oyster bed at the start of the swim, which is an indication of how fresh the water is. It's also shallow; if people get tired they can stand up and wade.” For this swim, catch an outgoing tide, which reaches the head of the estuary about 30 minutes after high tide at Bantham (this varies with the moon). Do a recce beforehand so you know where to start and fi nish, identifying mid-way exit points if you get cold or tired.
THE BEST… SPRING SWIMS Spring is here! With the water warming up, it’s time to take your swimming outside. The sea is the kindest temperature for outdoor swimming right now – certainly warmer than rivers and lakes. Wetsuit boots and gloves will take away the sting so it is finally enjoyable. These four swims in oceans and estuaries will allow you to put a few km under your belt, too.
SEND YOURS IN AND WIN! Do you have a favourite swim? Tell us what it is and why you love it, with a stand-out picture and win a signed copy of Wild Swim (Guardian Books, £12.99), or an Outdoor Swimming Society hoodie. Send your suggestions to kate@
h2openmagazine.com. For more wild swims, see the Outdoor Swimming Society website:
outdoorswimmingsociety.com
Photo © Natalie Davis
“Allow a few hours,” says Kari. “The tide will assist you all the way. Serious swimmers can do it in an hour, but we’ve also done it in high summer with a gaggle of lilos and tyres and children.” At this time of year, consider attaching a dry bag to your ankle, carrying a thermos of hot chocolate, and park a warm car at the end. Start point: the tidal road at Aveton Gifford, OS ref: SX 683 468 End point: Bantham Beach, opposite Burgh Island. OS ref: SX 662 441. Or shave 800m off, and exit at an up-stream boat house. Hazards: Cold, tides (spring tides run fast) and boats. Open water swimming carries risks, including death. Do your own risk assessment before getting in, and swim within your limits for both distance and cold. Wear a bright hat and watch out for boats: although generally quiet, there is a waterskiing club. ∆
BURNHAM OVERY STAITHE, NORFOLK, 2.2KM
This inlet in Norfolk empties and fi lls with the tide. Start at Holkham Bay. “Get your timing right, and the incoming tide will race you across the lagoon and up the creek under a towering Norfolk sky,” says Alex Hickman. “Look out for waders, oyster catchers, and ‘Dead Man’s Hole’, marked by a green buoy, which the locals claim is unfathomably deep.” Beware: it's shallow so get it wrong and you’ll be wading. OS ref: TF 848 461
LOCH AN T-SAILEIN, ARGYLL “A gorgeous, magical sea loch with easy entry from the many rocky fi ngers and small beaches,” writes OSS member Olly Watts. “Sheltered by an island to the east, the strip of coastal grassland is backed by a sweep of ancient woods and rhododendrons and protected from the sea beyond. I swam on a deserted, sunny, June day with two inquisitive but wary seals, and oystercatchers and sandpipers piping alarm.” OS ref: NR 430 470
ABERPORTH TO TRESAITH, CEREDIGION. 2.1KM
‘This swim can be done either way – Aberporth to Tresaith on an ‘in’ tide and vice versa on the out,” says OSS member Ieuan Llyr Jones. “On a low tide the reef needs to be navigated; otherwise hug the coast. There are plenty of easy out points, joining up with the Ceredigion Coastal Path. It is really worth swimming around Ogof Goron, an underwater cave at high to medium tide.” OS ref: SN 259 516
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Photo ©
tournorfolk.co.uk
Photo © David McManamon
Photo © Steve Chapple
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