New natural swimming ponds in London | Exercise for breaststrokers | What to do if you find a stranded turtle
Published: Sat, 02/18/23
Your essential weekly edit of outdoor swimming
YOUR ESSENTIAL WEEKLY EDIT OF OUTDOOR SWIMMING
#swimwildandfree
Dear fellow swimmers
Last Sunday I did the 100m front crawl at the GB Ice Swimming Championships at Sandford Park Lido, Cheltenham. I like racing, and I do several masters competitions each year. I also enjoy cold water swimming in the Thames. But racing in cold
water is something I don’t have much experience of. It’s very different to both racing in warm water and recreational winter swimming, while at the same time combining something from both. Anyway, it was a bit scary and a lot of fun. I’ve written an event review if you want to find out more.
Our editorial team have had their heads down this week as
we sent the March edition to print. In the northern hemisphere, the spring equinox is fast approaching and we’re looking forward to longer days. But we’re also thinking about swimmers in the southern hemisphere, who are preparing for the winter. We’ve captured these contrasts in this special ‘tilt & turn’ issue – that’s right, flip the mag to read stories from the northern or southern hemisphere.
In the March edition, meet the swimmer who followed grey whales from their calving lagoons off Mexico to the Arctic. Discover why Cape Town, South Africa, is a playground for open water swimmers. Explore the crystalline cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula. And read a training session for the solar equinox –
designed for any time of the year – plus our guide to help you decipher pool training abbreviations.
Meanwhile, in this week’s newsletter, East London Waterworks Park – a community project working to transform an industrial site into London’s first new wild swimming ponds since the creation of Hampstead Ponds in 1777 – has raised the £500K needed to move into the
next phase; Vivienne Rickman is your guide to a lower-body exercise that’s ideal for breaststrokers; and we review flasks for outdoor swimmers. Finally, stranded turtles have been
washing up in cold water shock on British and Irish beaches this winter – here’s what to do if you find one.
Warm wishes
Simon Griffiths
Founder & Publisher
NEWS
EAST LONDON WATERWORKS PARK ONE STEP CLOSER TO REALITY
East London Waterworks Park – a volunteer-led community project working to transform an industrial site in east London into a bio-diverse park with natural swimming ponds – has raised the £500,000 they need in order to move into the next phase of the project.
WHAT DO I DO IF I FIND A STRANDED TURTLE THIS
WINTER?
An unusual number of young turtles have been washing up on UK and Irish beaches due to stormy conditions – some suffering from cold water shock. If you see one, the Marine Conservation Society advises you to not return it to the sea but to report it. Here’s how…
Join us for a swim adventure on the edge of the Atlantic. Our Outer Hebrides expedition is based aboard our fast & comfy cabin RIB. We’ll search for fantastic marine life and aide our basking shark research. Explore uninhabited islands, swim and snorkel in remote white sand bays with crystal clear water, in addition to the Politician shipwreck, ‘whisky galore’. Head offshore to the
St Kilda archipelago with our marine biologist team.
Cold water swimming looks easy enough, especially at Sandford Park Lido when the sun is shining and the water is blue. Accomplished cold water swimmers barely flinch as they enter the water. When they swim, they look competent and comfortable. But don’t be fooled. There’s no magic that happens when you race in cold water that stops you from suffering its relentless impact on your body and mind. It’s tough. And the further you
swim, the harder it is.
Robust enough to withstand knocks on the beach; sturdy enough for cold hands to grasp; and able to hold enough soup to warm you right through. Omie Dale reviews the best flasks for outdoor swimmers.
Outdoor gear brand Alpkit is working with Sheltersuit to send warmth to Syria and Turkey. Find out how you can donate your used sleeping bags so they can be upcycled into vital protection for the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
February 2023 - CHALLENGE | Read it on digital or in print from anywhere in the world. Purchase a single issue or subscribe to a monthly magazine and save up 20% each month.
Inspired by a dream holiday in Alaska and a jubilant dip in Ullswater, reader Magdalena Maklakiewicz-Evans decided to start her own swimming group near her home on the Welsh coast.
Lateral squats particularly target the legs, butt and inner and outer thighs as well as help with side to side muscle imbalances. Vivienne Rickman is your guide to a lower-body exercise that’s ideal for breaststrokers.
