Thinking of Wild Swimming this Summer? Try Essex

The county of Essex is littered with stunning swimming hotspots, thanks to its vast and exciting waterways. Anyone considering taking up wild swimming should only do so if it’s the right sport for them, as, with any water activity, open water and wild swimming does come with many risks and dangers.

Check out this advice for new Open Water Swimmers by Outdoor Swimmer

If you decide to take up wild swimming, you need to be a strong swimmer with a good swimming stroke that you can maintain for a long time. Be aware of cold water shock and dress in the appropriate swimming equipment. Never swim in reservoirs, fast flowing rivers or water which you cannot safely navigate. Go with a group and ensure you have the tools and equipment to communicate with spotters on shore, and the emergency services should you need to do so!

Be visible, remember ‘float to live’ and in an emergency, dial 999!

In Essex, there are a number of hotspots across the county that make for great wild swimming, when it’s done so safely and with the correct precautions taken.

One such site is the beautiful Hadleigh park in Hadleigh, Benfleet. During the summer and between April and September, wild swimmers can enjoy a 380 long swim course, with an experienced and qualified safety team on site to ensure that your activity is safely supervised. Here, you can find some nice quiet swim spots and can enjoy the refreshing and invigorating feel of swimming in open water, in a safe environment.

Gosfield Lake in Colchester is another such stunning and supervised open water swimming site. The lake is mostly used for water skiing, however there are bookable open water swimming sessions on the weekends and some weekday evenings. There’s a lifeguard on shift and also access to changing facilities and a hot shower - something you’ll probably want after enjoying the cool open water!

For more information and tips on some of Essex’s best open water swimming sites, check out this news piece by Essex Live which explores a number of other open water swimming sites in the county!

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