Personal Safety

Personal Safety

Swimming is a healthy and worthwhile sport, and being able to swim provides safe access into sports such as water polo, scuba diving, dinghy sailing and many others. And basic swimming pursuits such as racing,lifesaving and water polo lead to far fewer injuries than other sports.

You're unlikely to get into trouble when swimming in an indoor public pool with lifeguards on duty, but outside this environment you will be reliant on your own swimming skills, fitness and experience. Don't over-estimate these. Be aware of your limits.

River swimming is great fun; I've done it myself and have made mistakes,luckily none of them serious. So check the list below

1)The health aspect. You need a reasonably healthy environment; no sewerage or other effluent discharges.

2)Keep well clear of power boats of all types. A rubber dinghy with an outboard motor can inflict nasty injuries.

3)Find a safe place to enter the water and to exit. I once jumped into a river from a low bridge, then had to swim about 400 yards to find a place to get out.

4)Enter the water feet first unless you know it's safe to dive.

5)Don't enter fast-running water nor go too near weirs.

6)Don't attempt to swim after drinking alcohol. I lived in a town where people would come out of a riverside pub at night and take a dare to swim across the river, by the town bridge. Currents swirling around the bridge meant that some finished their swim in the morgue.

Sea Swimming

When I was younger and a really strong swimmer, I would see people swimming in the sea in places where I wouldn't venture. Don't overestimate your swimming ability; the sea can look very benign but it can be a killer.

Preferably swim from a beach patrolled by lifesavers. And swim between the flags. Respect the rights of other swimmers and users such as surfers and don't intrude on their territory.

Don't swim alone from an unpatrolled beach

Get local knowledge of conditions before venturing on to a beach without lifeguards. Keep away from the sides of bays where there may well be a 'rip' , a fast-moving stream of water that can take you out to sea very quickly. If caught in a rip, swim parallel to the coast until you get out of it.

Keep away from rocks - it's easy to get injured by being thrown onto a rock.

Be aware of changing conditions at all times. The sea can be unforgiving.