In open water

I have a strong memory of being on holiday in Tenerife when I was nine or 10 and seeing a poster that said, “come swimming in the crystal clear waters, one mile off the coast of Playa de las Americas”. It was right next to another poster with an identical design that said “come shark fishing in the crystal clear waters, one mile off the coast of Playa de las Americas”.

That poster is one of the main reasons I’ve avoided open water swimming in the last 30 years. But on Saturday I was invited by Scottish Swimming to try open water swimming at the Helix Lagoon in Falkirk and really couldn’t come up with a good excuse not to go.

With cycling and running being so popular at the moment, adding in outdoor swimming is quite an attractive proposition for people who want to try a triathlon. However, most people have an understandable aversion to simply chucking themselves into a loch and hoping for the best.

A wetsuit takes care of the cold and a good teacher can help with skills and techniques. I was most surprised that wetsuit not only made the temperature tolerable, but the experience of swimming in Scotland hugely enjoyable.

I’m a long way off training for a triathlon, but I could be tempted to give some more outdoor swimming a try. Scottish Swimming run regular “come and try” events and you’ll find out more at www. scottishswimming.com