Cold, wind, glare and water you did not treat
Open water is a different environment from a pool in every respect that matters: temperature, visibility, glare, water quality classification, and the fact that nobody dosed it. This section covers the checks, the classification system and the group question.
Open water as an environment: cold, wind, glare and nobody dosed it
Open water differs from a pool in every respect that matters: temperature, visibility, glare, water quality and the absence of any treatment system at all.
Read02Bathing water classification and where to check it
Designated bathing waters in the UK are sampled and classified each season. What the classification describes, what it does not, and where to look it up.
Read03Sea, estuaries and inland water: how the environments differ
Salt water, brackish estuaries, lakes and rivers behave differently for visibility, temperature, water quality and glare. What changes between them.
Read04Planning a wild swim: the checks before you get in
An unsupervised open water swim moves every check onto the swimmer. What to look up in advance, what to look at on arrival, and what to plan for the whole session.
Read05Cold water, wind and everyday skin care afterwards
Cold and wind change what skin feels and hides the signals people rely on. Ordinary everyday care afterwards, and the point at which this becomes a question for a pharmacist.
Read06Open water groups and who is looking after whom
An organised open water session moves the checks from the individual to the leader. What that means, where the line between a group of friends and an organised session sits, and what changes at it.
Read07Outdoor swimming after summer: autumn and winter decisions
Lower ultraviolet but low sun and glare off the water, shorter daylight, colder water and wind on wet skin: who owns each autumn and winter decision at a heated lido and in open water.
ReadThe Swimming SPF briefing
A monthly email for swimmers and for the people who run sessions. One subject at a time, worked through properly. It carries a single sponsor line, always labelled, sold at a published rate, and the sponsor sees nothing before you do and changes nothing.
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