Anyone done open water in Scotland?

[girl30]

Just wondering if anyone has tried any of the more northerly waters; Loch Lomond, Stonehaven etc. Some of the lochs are beautiful to look at but whether or not I could stand more than 5 mins in, I have no idea.

I am hoping to do some open water at some point.

Also, does anyone know if cold baths would be of any help at all?!! I am not that hefty so am trying to think of some techniques. :confused:

[OpenNewbie]

Hello :)

Ive not done the Loch's you mention, but i have heard of people swimming them with no problems. I swim in the Resiviour up the back of mine in the Pentlands.

Where about's in Scotland are you?

No idea about the bath thing. Id imagine you would just get cold. What ive found (and i am very new to all this!) is that once you catch your breath and start swimming you forget about the water temperatures.

The advice i got from Wild Swimer was to start off only 10-15mins and work up. Always wade in - dont dive, wear a bright colured swim cap, streach properly, always have someone with you and dont push yourself!

I think thats all, although i am sure the more knowledgable will be allong soon.

Cheers

Martin

[girl30]

Hi Newbie, can't say that without thinking of Scrubs. :doctor:

Thanks for the reply. I'm in Glasgow area at mo, though I move around a lot and may be leaving again soon.

I will start off slowly for sure. Actually, a few years ago I found a nice spot where there was a little pool bit and I was swimming away, yes it was chilly but it was so nice I didn't focus on the goosebumps. Trouble with more lengthy swims is that you aren't looking at the prudy scenery, you have your head in the water and it must get a bit boooooring. I am going to look up getting a little music thing that can go underwater.

Regards the stretching, I recently read :read: that it is not advised BEFORE going into cold water (it elongates the muscles or something and then they suddenly contract on entry - ouch!). There has been some talk re this on the forum:

SwimClub.co.uk Forums > Noticeboard and Advice > Ask the Coach? > stretching


Even at the gym I find stretching is more likely to hurt my muscles, nowadays I do a slow jog and find it's better. I think years of being told at school to stretch into these completely dangerous positions put me off for life. If you are going to do gymnastics or dance then perhaps it is more use, that's just my opinion. :)

What's the resevoir like? Been cycling up there once or twice but can't recall a resevoir. :wave:

[OpenNewbie]

LoL @ Scrubs :)

Hope this link works.....
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=55.859863~-3.256312&style=h&lvl=16

Thats where i have been mucking about. Next challange is to swim from the wee island bit round the corner to where it gets narrow and back (depending if am alive!)

Have to say i have never had a problem with getting bored in the water. I am a little sad tho so will spend most of the time trying to get a little more power out of my stroke, although i do remember in long pool sets getting lost in thoughts and just swimming! Coaches dont like that! means your not workin hard enough :rolleyes: Biggest thing i seem to find in open water is that time flys by!

Fair enough about the streaching. I did fire in without streaching before, but found i got all tight. Suppose its dif for dif people, but i think the whole wadeing in thing helps with the sudden shock.

Ive no idea what its like in Glasgow for open water, but if you are ever thro this way, feel free to give me a shout :)

Resivoir is amazing :D :D Something really cool about taking a breath and seeing hills, clouds, trees bla bla! Beats the swimming pool wall hands down!

[justkeepgoing]

Hi
I've done a few races in Scottish Lochs. Loch Rannoch is beautiful for swimming in. Cold but it has lovely clean water. Maybe not the best idea just to go swimming there alone though? Loch Lomonds also nice to swim in but has a lot of boats so I dont think they like it too much when people just head off for a swim. This place http://www.lochore-meadows.co.uk/ holds a few Scottish Open water events each year and is very safe and has nice changing rooms and warm showers for afterwards. If you phone up they can usually tell you a suitable time for swimming. Also you could enter some open water competitions. The last one run by Scottish Swimming is this weekend so its too late for this year but if you keep an eye out here http://www.scottishswimming.com/downloads.aspx under the open water section, information will be posted next year about events next summer.

Not sure if that will be any help but I hope maybe a little.

[Wildswimmer]

Last year when a friend had to collect a lorry from Elgin to bring it back here, I went with him as I'd never had the chance of swimming north of the border.

We made the return trip down the Great Glen and while he had his hour's break I had a swim in the most famous (notorious?) of Scottish lochs. Having seen piccies of Loch Ness looking at its greyest and most forbidding I was fearing that my cold-hardening was going to be seriously put to the test.

I was surprised then to be faced with calm blue water under an azure sky, with a water temp of 18C (64F). And this was in the middle of September!!! And yes I did stay in the whole hour - it was a pity we couldn't stay longer but we had a 400 mile journey in front of us.

I'd never been to the Highlands before, and to be quite honest I was expecting a sub-Arctic wasteland. In reality, climatewise they don't seem all that different from Snowdonia in North Wales. I suspect that a Highland winter may be somewhat harsher than ours, though.

Wildswimmer Pete

NB Didn't get to see Nessie :cry:

[girl30]

Thanks for al the information, the links are of great interest to me. I hadn't heard of that meadows place either.


I am thinking of aiming for one of the events for next year so I have time to prepare. I may be moving down south soon though, so I will be posting again and asking for some advice on places wherever I end up.

Newbie; is the resevoir often used for swimming? Is it clean? I know that is a weird question from someone living in Glasgow where the River Clyde might not be your first pick for some clear blue water but there we go!

I am also thinking of going on a Swimtrek holiday, in fact it would be good to find out if anyone else would like to do similar. Basically this is an open water swimming holiday. So you could arrive in Malta and SWIM to one of the little islands nearby!! :eek:

[Wildswimmer]

I know that is a weird question from someone living in Glasgow where the River Clyde might not be your first pick for some clear blue water but there we go!


Don't write off your local rivers. I regularly swim in the Mersey, not so long ago the UK's most polluted river. It's now so clean that salmon have returned to the estuary, but still looks as murky and muddy as it always has done. However you've got to be careful when swimming in estuaries - tides, currents, mud etc. Best go along with an experienced river swimmer until you get the hang of it.

Wildswimmer Pete

[OpenNewbie]

Newbie; is the resevoir often used for swimming? Is it clean? I know that is a weird question from someone living in Glasgow where the River Clyde might not be your first pick for some clear blue water but there we go!

I am also thinking of going on a Swimtrek holiday, in fact it would be good to find out if anyone else would like to do similar. Basically this is an open water swimming holiday. So you could arrive in Malta and SWIM to one of the little islands nearby!! :eek:

Morning!

Nah, ive never seen anyone else swimming in it and by the looks of the Fisherman i dont think anyone else goes in! I think its clean, but it does have sheep arround it so i am sure it is possible to find the odd dead one by an inlet! It has a lot of silt in the water from the hills etc so visibility is poor... But it is the local water supply so it cant be that bad!

Swim Trek sounds a realy good idea, think i may have a bash at one of them when i finish uni, might be nice to swim in slightly warmer waters!

Cheers

Martin

[girl30]

Well Newbie, I've decided that although I wouldn't trust you as my doctor :eek: , I trust your opinion on the resevoir. I guess if it's good enough to drink (I hope they clean it after I swim in it or some granny in morningside will be complaining :fingers: ) then it should be ok. i will defo bear it in mind for future.

Windswimmer, I know what you mean, I reckon that rivers must be quite clean these days, especially ones with fast flowing water.

Once I book up my Swimtrek stuff, prob for next year, maybe someone off swimclub will go too. Of course we'll probably hate each other, that's the trouble with friends you meet online; it's a perfect online relationship but once you hear their annoying cough it's a different matter :flash:

[lakes-claire]

In August 2006 when the sun was shining and the wind was still.
Fab scenery, but very cold. Eventually had to get out as I couldn't get my hands to work. Fingers would not close unless I formed a fist! Hence front crawl and breaststroke is slow with your fingers wide apart!
Also swam in the sea off Tiree, much warmer than Loch Morlich.
Live in the Lake District and often get to Coniston for a swim in the early evenings or weekends. The Lakes are noticeably warmer than the northern Lochs!

[swimdream]

Hi newbie. You didn't see a soul in the Pentland reservoirs because most of them if not ALL of them do not allow swimming. They are reservoirs for drinking water for the nearby cities included Edinburgh and are managed by the East Water Scotland. Limited human activities are allowed except fishing with permit.
You naughty boy!!

[OpenNewbie]

LoL, i know, shocking behaviour! Thankfully Scots law allows me to get in, even if frowned upon. Dont think it makes any odds tho, sure ive seen a few dead sheep up stream not to mention the dogs that nip in for a dip...

[swimdream]

No comment, not sure about the Scots law allowing you to get in when it's clearly stated on signposts that you're not supposed to be in there, DAaaa! Mind you, it's like dumped rubbish, it's about attitude really ...and perhaps a wee bit of education. The trouble is humans are like sheeps sometimes; it takes one individual to show the way...well here, the bad way and everybody else will follow. Anyway, I'd better stop lecturing for hopeless causes and I leave you play hide and seek with the water authorities.

[swimdream]

Hi here. I'm a bit like girl30. As far as I'm concerned, I'm interested in open water swimming but don't really know how to start. Do you know any club? or section of clubs that organises training in open water with other folks? I bumped into 2 triathlon people ready to head to the sea at Portobello nr Edinburgh the other day. They're from a triathlon club so must of what they do is land, well cycling training though they hold swimming session occasionally outdoors. But is there some gathering for just swimmers in order to specialise in open water?? I wonder? Then how do you train? do you do that on your own? ok in the pool but outdoors, I'd rather join other people.Ooh dear so many questions!
If anybody have an answer to any of these, that'd be great.
Thanks

[bullone]

Just noting the earlier reply, is this the loch up at Flotterstone? Just that I live in Edinburgh and am looking for new open water swim locations.

Cheers.

[OpenNewbie]

Aye mate, that’s the one :)

I was speaking to a friend of mine who works with Scottish water and he was telling me that if your gonna swim up there then try not to go out of your depth. Was saying that if they open a valve else where it can create a bit of a current.

Let me know when you are going up tho, i would be happy to join you. I am going to take a bit of time out at some point and head up the hills to look for some other puddles.

Have you swam open water before?

M

[happySwimmer]

I am also thinking of going on a Swimtrek holiday, in fact it would be good to find out if anyone else would like to do similar. Basically this is an open water swimming holiday. So you could arrive in Malta and SWIM to one of the little islands nearby!! :eek:

I'm planning to go to Malta with SwimTrek next year. I did Greek Islands this year with them. The swimming was brilliant and so far I have been very impressed with all my dealings with SwimTrek.

I also tried open water racing this year and loved it, although the cold water can take a bit a getting used to. Amongst other races I swam at Lochore Meadows and had a great time - everyone I met was really friendly and encouraging.

Marian

[waterhorse]

if anybody needs any information on Open water Competitions in Scotland and open water training venues...just contact me...This would also include information on european competitions.:zip: