Page 66 - David Burr Rooftops Winter/Spring 2021/2022

What’s open water swimming like?
Great Cornard based enthusiast Joanne Greenhalgh (right) has the answer
Inever really liked swimming. I particularly hated putting dry clothes on damp skin in humid changing rooms! Then I discovered open water. First a lake, then rivers, then the sea. Now I love swimming. There is nothing comparable to the feeling of water around your body like liquid silk and the reflection of the sky all around you, as if you are completely part of nature.
We open water swimmers are a mixed bunch, for some it’s about the cold water, for others, the camaraderie of swimming with friends. The one thing we all have in common, whether we swim in skins or a wetsuit, breaststroke or front crawl, is the sensation it leaves us with long after our dip. The feeling of euphoria, of being truly, fully, alive.
‘ mostly is – water – and it begins to move with the water around it. No wonder we feel such sympathy for beached whales; we are beached at birth ourselves. To swim is to experience how it was before you were born. Once in the water you are immersed in an intensely private world as you were in the womb.”
If all this has you longing to squeeze into your old bathing trunks, please don’t put yourself at risk. Always take care in the water.
TIPS FOR A SAFE SWIM
1) Research your chosen swimming spot in advance to ensure it is safe. Rivers can have strong currents and even calm seas may have a dangerous rip tide. Reservoirs often have underwater drains or submerged objects.
2) Acclimatise your body to the water temperature by entering slowly. Don’t jump straight in as the shock of very cold water can be fatal.
3) Don’t stay in too long and have warm clothing and a hot drink ready for when you get out.
4) Make yourself visible to boaters by wearing a colourful cap.
5) Don’t swim alone. A companion is essential in case either of you get into difficulties.
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