Would you and yours take a swim on the wild side?

The water is cool and dark, with shoals of minnows and water weeds under the surface and water boatmen skating on top. We have to shout to hear each other above the roar of the waterfall, and we’ve just pulled a leech off our youngest child, but we have a beautiful Australian national park to ourselves and I couldn’t be happier. On our recent round the world trip we swam in freezing Hawaiian lakes full of crayfish, played in waist deep mud at the edge of swift Borneo rivers and had invigorating massages under Lao waterfalls (pictured). On a day when the mercury’s hitting 30 degrees, there’s nothing lovelier than a spot of wild swimming, and, leeches aside, my children agree.

Wild swimming, or swimming in lakes, rivers and hidden natural places, used to be the only way to swim, but since the Second World War, public swimming pools and lifeguarded beaches have turned it into a niche activity in the UK. In recent years, however, it has been enjoying a resurgence as people rediscover and the joys of swimming, paddling and playing in beautiful places surrounded by wildlife.

Not worth the risk

As with any activity involving water, wild swimming is not without its dangers. Becky from English Mum wouldn’t dream of letting her teenage sons swim in their local quarry. When she was young, kids used to swim there all the time.  “One lad dived in and never came up. They said later there was disused machinery under the surface. Beautiful place, but not worth the risk.” 

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents says: “On balance, wild swimming is not as safe as pool swimming, simply because one activity is more likely to take place in a regulated, supervised environment than the other.” In 2009, the latest year for which figures are available, of 405 people who died in water, 48 were swimming. Around half of those were in lakes, rivers, ponds, quarries or reservoirs.

The National Trust at Carding Mill in Shropshire tried to clamp down on swimming in their reservoir for health and safety reasons, but according to Visitor Services Manager, Emily Knight, people simply ignored them. So they now let the public assess the risks for themselves. They’ve put up posters which

• Say how deep the water is
• Explain what to do if someone is in trouble
• Confirm that the water is cold
• Warn you not to swim alone 
• Tell you to always let someone know where you are

Expert guidance

This chimes with the safety advice offered by the organisations Wild Swimming and the Outdoor Swimming Society.   These bodies are a great source of information on where to swim around the UK and how to meet other wild swimming aficionados. They have both published books listing the best places to swim, highlights including the Lake District's “Magnificent Wastwater: England’s deepest, most dramatic and most beautiful lake. It also has an underwater ‘gnome garden’” and Cornwall's “St Nectan's Kieve, where King Arthur’s knights were baptised in this mystical circular waterfall before beginning their quest for the Holy Grail”. Their websites are also crammed full of safety information and fun ideas for family days out, including plenty of suggestions for warming up once you’ve dried off, which is very important in the UK!

Blogger Kat at Housewife Confidential recently introduced her children to the joys of wild swimming near their Hampshire home.  "After a long hot day the invitation to head up to the river with friends was too tempting to pass up." While they didn’t spot any otters this time, the increasing health of Britain’s waterways makes it a real possibility.  

So with a healthy dose of common sense and an adventurous spirit you can enjoy some of the UK’s most stunning scenery and have a lot of fun with your children. But don't forget the thermos of hot chocolate...

Further reading:

Wild Swimming by Daniel Start, is a great book to inspire you to jump in.  The associated website is also a fantastic source of information.

Wild Swim by Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, is also an inspirational read and the OSS website lists a host of wild swimming events and get togethers.

Other useful resources on the internet include Hung Out to Dry, The River and Lake Swimming Association and BBC Four's page about their TV programme, Wild Swimming.

Photo credit: Victoria Wallop