River Etive to the Corryvreckan: fancy some open water swimming?

A group of members of Mid Argyll Tri & Cycle Club co-ordinate regular open water swimming sessions and are happy for non0-members to come and join in.

Now that the ice is melting and Argyll still has the fabulous sunshine it’s enjoyed virtually non-stop since before Christmas, the Club is organising these enviably at-home-with-the-elements events.

The schedule is two pronged:

• a Tuesday evening swim each week
• a weekend away-swim once a month

But relax – they’re not suggesting taking to the open water just now. The Tuesday evening programme will start in April. There is information on locations – and request for suggested new locations below; along with guidance on safety in open water swimming.

Weekend trips 2010

Below are the dates and places scheduled for the 2010 monthly weekend trips for the Mid Argyll Tri & Cycle Club‘s open water swimming. The names in brackets after each event are those of the club members leading the event. For non-members or would-be members interested in these events, email Lorna MacGregor: lorna.macgregor@virgin.net

• 11th April: Westpost: beach/surf (Lorna)
• 1st & 2nd May: West Loch Jura (limited numbers) (Ali and Sally)
• 30th May: Easdale (Rebecca)
• 27th June: River Etive Pools (Lorna and Rebecca)
• 25th July: Loch Awe
• 21st August: The Great Scottish Swim
• 4th & 5th September: The Corryvreckan – by invitation only (Ali and Sally)
• September (event and date to be confirmed): Full Moon night swim

Safety measures for open water swimming

Everyone taking part in the Tuesday evening swims and the monthly weekend swims does so at their own risk. There are, however, certain safety measures that are applied and it’s useful to make these as public as possible.

• Each swim will have an identified organiser. That person will distribute details of the location and the time of the swim and keep a list of all those taking part. They will check everyone in and out of the water and will make sure that each swimmer is aware of and happy with the plan for the swim.
• Before entering the water, the swim plan is discussed and agreed.
• Not everyone needs to do the same thing. There are often two or more groups whose membership is based on what people want to do – things like distance, speed, stop for a chat etc. Each swimmer should be clear about which group they are in and who they are with.
• No one should swim alone. Less confident swimmers can be allocated a more experienced ‘buddy’ if they wish.
• Anyone wishing to deviate from the swim plan – like return early – they must clearly tell another swimmer they are doing this and ask for someone to accompany them.
• To stay in the water long enough for a worthwhile swim, the Club recommends participants wearing wetsuits – but this is not compulsory. Anyone choosing not to wear a wetsuit should be aware that they may not wish to swim as far as others and include this in their swim plan. Fins always helpful for anyone concerned with ‘keeping up’.

Locations – and suggestions for appropriate locations

The Club has a list of sites where last year’s swims took place – but it is keen to extend that list and swim in as many sea and loch locations as possible.

Proposed swim locations need to have easy access with appropriate car parking. Water entry and exit points need to be explored beforehand; and tides and currents identified and considered. Areas with ‘take off’ for water supplies or fish farms should be avoided, if possible.

There is a concern amongst fish farmers about people swimming in lochs from which water is taken off to supply fish hatcheries, cages etc. There is a risk of parasites present in sea water being transferred to the freshwater lochs from wetsuits and other equipment in which they can live for up to 48 hours. For this reason, no one should swim in such a freshwater loch within 48 hours of having swum in the sea. The risk may be small but the concerns should be respected.

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code provides for swimming in any water, as long as this is done responsibly.

All suggestions for swim locations are welcome. Email Lorna MacGregor: lorna.macgregor@virgin.net

If you want to see the Corryvreckan swim in action, here is a story and video of the event shot by Tony Gill from Ardfern.

The photograph above is of the Corryvreckan whirlpool – in modest mode – at which the Mid Argyll Tri & Cycle Club organise annual invitation only swim. The photograph is by copyright holder Russ Baum and is reproduced here under the Creative Commons licence.