SAFETY TIPS FOR WILD SWIMMING IN THE LAKE DISTRICT
You can swim anywhere in the Lake District where you are able to access the water without trespassing. Ordnance Survey maps are invaluable for planning swim adventures. But the mere existence of access does not mean you should swim. Whether it is ‘safe’ depends on you, the swimmer, and conditions on the day. Remember, if an easily accessed section of lakeshore looks undesirable, a gem might be just around the corner.
Always let someone know where you are going and try not to swim alone. There are lots of social swim groups across the country.
Don’t drink and drown. As well as lowering your perception of risk, having alcohol in your system impairs your body’s ability to regulate its temperature. Ditto drugs.
Identify your entry and exit points.
Get in slowly; don’t jump. Leaping in might make a great Instagram photo, but if you are unacclimatised or unaccustomed to cold water, this is the quickest way to suffer cold water shock, which can be fatal. Never jump in without first checking the depth, even in a location you are familiar with.
Protect your belongings from the elements while you swim. In busier places I use a camouflage dry-bag to hide things in the undergrowth or I pop my clothes in an inflatable swim bag and take them with me.
Watch out for other users on the lake. I try to avoid swimming where I might come across boat traffic, but if it’s unavoidable make yourself as noticeable as possible. Wear a brightly coloured cap, use a tow float and attach a whistle.
Know your limits. Tempting as it is, especially on a warm day, don’t stay in too long or overestimate your ability.
Build your confidence by swimming parallel to the shore.
Be aware of currents. Currents are not usually an issue in lakes. In large bodies of water the flow is slow. But be careful where rivers flow into a lake; be aware of the potential for them to push you away from the shore.
Don’t hang around once you get out, especially if it is windy. Your body cools down more quickly when wet and exposed to cold air.
Wrap up well after you get out even on a mild day – you continue to cool down for around thirty minutes after leaving the water. Have a hot drink and something to eat.
nnnnnnnnnnWinter in Ullswater, below Stony Cove Pike and Caudale Moor wild swimmer I recommend hiring the services of a reputable guide: someone who has swum in those waters many times, who maybe has their own guiding business. They might have even written a guidebook telling you all about swimming in the
Lake District!
But scan any wild swimming website or forum and you’ll see that variations of the question ‘How do I start wild swimming?’ are popular. A frequent reply is ‘Go with a friend’ and ‘Just get in’. So, like most people, I didn’t hire a guide. I just got in.
My first foray into open water was in Bassenthwaite Lake. I don’t think I had ever heard the term wild swimming before, I was simply going for a swim outside. I dipped a tentative toe in the water and then spent several minutes psyching myself up to get fully submerged. I swam in frantic circles for what felt like an age, but was
probably no more than a few minutes, before I hurried out again.
For the next few years that was the sum total of my wild swimming experiences. Quick hesitant dips in the heat of summer, always tinged with a slight sense of ‘There must be more to this’.
Then, in the same way that my friends Liam and Kath had handed me a guidebook to expand my horizons beyond the familiar paths of Whinlatter Forest, my friend Jude took me for a proper swim in Derwent Water in the early morning – and changed the way I looked at water forever.
DERWENT WATER
Jude and Ailie are redoubtable mainstays of Derwent Water. They swim in any weather and at any time of year. Wander down to the boat landings at first light and you will invariably find them on their way to their
early morning swim; Jude’s laugh ringing out across the water and Ailie sipping hot lemon from a flask, the dogs trotting behind. There are no selfies and no Strava. No posts to Instagram or Facebook.
They just swim. It is their morning routine of many years, riding out fads as they come and go.
It was Jude who transformed me from a summer dipper to a true outdoor swimmer. After that early morning ‘baptism’, I started to take swimming more seriously and became more ambitious in my aims. Living in Keswick at the time, Derwent Water was a short walk from home and where I swam most often. We swam loops to the islands and held sunset barbecues, took quick dips to purge a day in the office, and delighted in morning light seeping through trees lining the shore. Even swimming the same line day after day, I never grew tired of the view.
Afterwards, there was no turning back. Wild swimming went from being something in did in brief dips, to an extended form of exercise over long distances, and Derwent Water was the place where that change happened.
I still treasure the opportunities to swim in Derwent Water at its most spectacular moments. Swimming first thing, before the world comes to life, has been my preference since that first swim with Jude and Ailie, turning me from a night owl to a committed early riser.
From nuclear sunrises and balmy sunsets to baltic misty mornings and biting winter winds, it’s my lake for all seasons. These conditions are not unique to Derwent Water but the memory of experiencing them in the water for the first time will stay with me in the same way my first mountain sunrise does. Derwent Water is a lake of many firsts for me, and it will forever hold a very special place in my heart.
This feature is an edited extract from Swimming Wild in the Lake District by Suzanna Cruickshank, an informative and inspiring book for both new and experienced wild swimmers, exploring the larger lakes in the beautiful Lake District National Park.
Illustrated with stunning photography, and featuring overview maps, the book is full of useful tips for both new and experienced wild swimmers. It contains sections on getting started in wild swimming, how to look after your own safety, and impartial advice on all the essential kit you’ll need. Whether you’re an experienced wild swimmer or just dipping your toes in the water for the first time, you’ll find plenty to inspire your next adventure.