WILDSWIM APP
Tell us about the WildSwim app.
The app is designed to provide all the information a swimmer needs in one easily accessible place. It’s also made to be as easy to read as possible. It’s designed around safety.
When users upload their local swim spots they have a section where they fill out the hazards at that spot, the facilities, parking, etc. The app pulls in the tide times and local weather, and an algorithm suggests the best time of day to swim based on lots of factors, including the tide, wind direction and wind strength. It also advises the maximum time that should be spent in the water based on the current water temperature, before the risk of hypothermia increases.
I would love for WildSwim to become the go-to app for sea swimmers in the UK, allowing swimmers to swim in new locations with confidence.
What inspired you to create the app? I designed the app because my mum had a scary experience with her swim group which I hope the app will prevent in the future.
Jersey do a Christmas event called the 12 Bays of Christmas, where people swim in 12 bays over the Christmas period. My mum’s group were swimming in one of those bays in mid-December a couple of years ago and there was a strong rip at one end of the bay. It was well known to locals, but it wasn’t my mum’s local spot, and they weren’t aware of the hazard. Two of them were swept out and needed to be rescued. It was a close thing and my mum was really shaken up by it. It was really cold and she was lucky not to get hypothermia.
I tested the app on my mum’s swim group and they all loved it. The feedback was that at a glance they know where and when is best to swim, and when they travel they can easily see local swim spots and get all the info they need before swimming. My mum and her group are already discussing a ‘swim holiday’, where they use my app to do a tour of the South West.
Did you code the app yourself?
I had noticed that my mum used to check three or four different webpages and apps to get all the info she needed before swimming. This motivated me to sign up for some online courses and teach myself to code. After I’d made enough progress I started building the app. The whole process took about 20 months.
The app is free, although there are more costs than I anticipated when running the app, so I have added a premium option (£3.95/year) if you want to extend the forecast. I’m hoping this covers the costs of running the app, and it would be great if there was some left over so I could treat myself to some new budgie smugglers!
How does outdoor swimming enhance your life?
I’m a keen surfer and my mum is a keen
swimmer. She swims daily with her small group, the Bathing Beaus and Bluebells, who are based in Jersey in the Channel Islands. I join in when there aren’t any waves, which is probably a couple of times a week. I try and do it all year, but there’s usually a week in February that I can’t bring myself to get in! I get the endorphins all day and I feel great, but my mum gets her social life and community from her group. It’s honestly changed her life.
They are such a great group, a truly eclectic mix.
Where can we download the app?
You can download the WildSwim app from the App Store and Google Play. Follow @WildSwim on Instagram for updates. You can also email Ren at wildswimapp@gmail. com if you have any feedback or questions.
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