40 recommended UK open water swimming venues and events

40 recommended UK open water swimming venues and events Zmailsports SWIMSPECIALIST www.mailsports.co.uk 2. GREAT NORTH SWIM THE LAKE DISTRICT IS HOME TO THE LARGEST LAKE IN ENGLAND, KNOWN FOR ITS 2 DAY OPEN WATER SWIMMING EXTRAVAGANZAS. 1. IRISH (NORTH) CHANNEL IRELAND'S NORTH CHANNEL STRETCHES 21 MILES FROM IRELAND TO SCOTLAND, AND ONLY 16 SWIMMERS HAVE EVER THE HEAVY SEAS AND THUNDG E BATED COME BEFORE THE FINISH LINE 3. COLD WATER SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS OVER 680 SWIMMERS AND 2,500 VISITORS COME FROM 21 COUNTRIES EVERY YEAR TO BRAVE THIS COLD-WATER EVENT, HELD AT THE TOOTING BEC LIDO IN SOUTHWEST LONDON. 910 12 11 8 19 20 35 38 40 36 37 15 34 39 23 16 30323 -25 18 17 29 28 24 27 4. SANDYCOVE ISLAND CHALLENGE RACE AROUND 150 SWIMS TAKE PLACE EACH YEAR AT THIS 2 KILOMETRE STRETCH IN IRELAND'S COUNTY CORK, USUALLY ATTENDED BY THOSE PREPARING FOR AN ENGLISH CHANNEL ATTEMPT. 6. GREAT CHANNEL SWIM THE MOST FAMOUS CHANNEL CROSSING LOCATION IN THE WORLD BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE, AND HOSTS SOLO AND RELAY SWIMS IN OPEN WATER BETWEEN TRETCHES ACROSS 21 MILES JUNE AND OCTOBER. 5. VIBES & SCRIBES LEE SWIM THIS EVENT ORIGINATED IN IRELAND's COUNTY CORK IN 1914, AND SEES SWIMMERS TRAVELLING 1.7 KILOMETRES DOWNSTREAM AND 300 METRES UPSTREAM TO REACH THE FINISH LINE. 7. QUEENSFORD LAKES THIS WELL MARKED OUT 1100 METRE COURSE IN OXFORD IS OPEN TO EVERYONE WHETHER YOU ARE A COMPETITIVE SWIMMER, A TRIATHLETE OR JUST ENJOY "WILD SWIMMING" MAILSPORTS IS ON HAND FOR ALL OPEN WATER mailsports ISWIMSPECIALIST SN NEDATCE NE SESSIONS. ADVICE AND TRY CALL ALAN FOR DETAILS ON 01628 529206 NORTH WEST LONDON AND SOUTH EAST 8. BOUNDARY WATER PARK 22. RG ACTIVE OPEN WATER SWIMMING THE BOUNDARY WATER PARK HOSTS 400 TO 700 METRE RACES SUITABLE FOR NOVICES AND EXPERTS ALIKE, AND EACH THESE OPEN WATER EVENTS TAKE PLACE AT A NUMBER OF VENUES THROUGHOUT LONDON, AND AT VARIOUS TIMES OF THE YEAR, WITH SESSIONS STARTING AT JUST ES. WEEKLY SESSION IS OVERSEEN BY A GUALIFIED COACH. 9. PENNINGTON FLASH (IRONMAN UK SWIM VENUE) 23. GOSFIELD LAKE VERFECT CON IN RURAL ESSEX IS R NOVICES, WITH OPEN WATEROR BEING 5 FEET DEEP TAKING PLACE EACH WEEK AT ONLY E5. THIS L PENNINGTON FLASH, LOCATED WITHIN GREATER MANCHESTER, IS HOME TO THE ANNUAL UK IRONMAN EVENT, AND ALSO HOLDS ONE-ON-ONE AND GROUP COACHING SESSIONS WITH QUALIFIED GB SWIMMING COACHES. SESSIONS AT ONLY 24. HAYSDEN LAKE, TONBRIDGE WITH 7OAKS 10. SALFORD WATERSPORTS CENTRE TRIATHLON CLUB THIS OPEN WATER SWIM IN SALFORD QUAYS HOLDS SESSIONS ON MONDAYS, TUESDAYS AND THURSODAYS, NOT FAR FROM THE CENTRE OF MANCHESTER. 7 OAKS S TRIATHLON CLUB HOLDS EN WATER SWIMS AT THIS LOCATION, AVAILABLE FOR NON-MEMBERS AT ONLY ES ON MONDAY EVENINGS FROM 18.30 TIL DUSK 11. MANLEY MERE OPEN WATER SWIMMING 25. HERON LAKE THIS BEAUTIFUL LAKE IN THE HEART OF THE CHESHIRE COUNTRYSIDE HOLDS SESSIONS ON TUESDAYS AND SATURDAYS AT ONLY ES PER HEAD. ONE OF THE BIGGEST OPEN WATER SWIMMING VENUES IN ENGLAND. SESSIONS TAKE PLACE ON MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS FLACE S AND SUNDAYS. HIRED COACHING IS ALSO AVAILABLE 12. VITAL EVENTS - CROSBY LAKE, WATERLOO 26. OPENWATERSWIM.CO.UK THIS 24 HECTARE LAKE IS LOCATED IN THE E10 MILLION CROSBY ADVENTURE CENTRE. VITAL EVENTS HOSTS REGULAR BASED AT WESTHORPE WATERSPORTS, ROUGHLY HALFWAY BETWEEN BOURNE END AND MARLOW.COST OF ES PER SESSION (GROUP BOOKING AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE), OPEN WATER SWIMMING COACHING AVAILABLE OPEN WATER SWIMS WITH DISTANCES TO SUIT ALL ABILITIES NORTH EAST 27. SHEPPERTON OPEN WATER SWIM 13. QUEEN ELIZABETH II COUNTRY PARK / NEWBIGGIN-BY-THE-SEA THIS BEAUTIFUL LAKE HAS A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE, PERFECT FOR NOVICES AS WELL AS SEASONED PROFESSIONALS, WITH WEEKLY SESSIONS STARTING AT JUST ES, WITH HIRED COACHES AVAILABLE ON SITE THIS OPEN WATER SWIM TAKES PLACE AT OUEEN ELIZABETH I COUNTRY PARK ON THURSDAYS BETWEEN 18:30 AND 20:00, AND ALSO PROVIDES COACHED SESSIONS THAT CAN BE 28. THE QUAYS, CAMBERLEY BOOKED ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OPEN WATER SWIMMING SESSIONS ARE HELD EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY AND THIS BEAUTIFUL LOCATION. PROVIDING WETSUIT HIRE, PLUS GROUPED OR ONE-ON-ONE COACHED SESSIONS AND GUIDED SWIMS 14. ALLERTHORPE LAKELAND PARK A VARIETY OF WATERSPORTS ARE ON OFFER AT THIS BEAUTIFUL YORK LOCATION, WITH OPEN WATER SWIMMING SESSIONS TAKING PLACE ON MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS 29. TRI20 SWIM CENTRE THE TRI20 CENTRE IS VERY WELCOMING TO NOVICES AND EXPERT SWIMMERS, WITH A 750 METRE SWIMMING LOOP AND TRAINERS AVAILABLE TO HIRE ON-SITE EAST ANGLIA 15. FRITTON LAKE 30. DENHAM WATER SKI CLUB, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE OPEN WATER SESSIONS AT FRITTON LAKE TAKE PLACE ACROSS THREE COURSES, MARKED OUT 200, 400 AND 70 WITH COACHED SESSIONS AVAILABLE AT JUST ES PER HEAD. THIS PRIVATELY OWNED 20 ACRE LAKE IS SITUATED IN THE HEART OF THE DENHAM WOODLANDS AND IS OPEN TO SWIMMERS OF ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS. SOUTH WEST 31. BRAY LAKE THIS BEAUTIFUL LAKE IN BERKSHIRE I5 KNOWN FOR ITS WARM AND FRIENDLY WELCOME FOR TRIATHLETES AND OPEN WATER SWIMMERS OF AL SKILL LEVELS, WITH WEEKLY SESSIONS AT ES 16. COTSWOLD WATER PARK FOR ADULTS AND FREE SWIMS FOR JUNIORS. THIS CRISP, CLEAR LAKE IN THE HEART OF THE COTSWOLDS IS AVAILABLE EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR FOR A SEASON MEMBERSHIP OF ONLY E40. 32. RICK KIDDLE THORPE LAKE, LONDON 17. VOBSTER QUAY THORPE LAKE IS A SPECTACULAR VENUE WITH EXCEPTIONAL WATER QUALITY. STAFF ARE CAREFULLY SELECTED, HIGHLY 36 ACRES OF CRISP CLEAN OPEN WATER ARE AVAILABLE FOR SWIMMING AT VOBSTER QUAY FOR £7.50 PER HEAD. SUITABLE FOR SWIMMERS OF ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS. TRAINED AND WILL ENSURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE IN THE WATER. 33. TRIFARM, ESSEX 18. BRISTOL OPEN WATER THIS 800 METRE OPEN WATER SWIM AREA IS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK BETWEEN APRIL AND OCTOBER. MONTHLY TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR E45 PER HEAD. THIS LAKE STRETCHES ACROSS 600 METRES AND IS HOME TO A SWIMMING, CYCLUING AND RUNNING ROUTE, AND HOSTS WEEKLY SWIM SESSIONS FOR JUST ES. MIDLANDS WALES 34. INSPIRE 2 TRY, OAKHAM 19. LLYN IDWAL - SNOWDONIA INSPIRE 2 TRY IS OPEN TO ANYONE WHO CAN CONFIDENTLY LLYN IDWAL IS A RELATIVELY SMALL OPEN WATER LOCATION AT SWIM 500 METRES. PRIVATE GROUP SESSIONS ARE ALS ONLY 800 BY 300 METRES, BUT IT IS VERY POPULAR WITH AVAILABLE FOR BEGINNERS AT E17.50 PER HOUR. SWIMMERS DUE ITS LOCATION WITHIN THE BEAUTIFUL GLYDERAU MOUNTAINS OF SNOWDONIA, WALES. 35. BARTON MARINA WITH DERBY TRIATHLON CLUB 20. THE WALES SWIM, WALES AT ONLY 500 METRES. THIS SMALL LAKE SWIM IS SUITABLE FOR LOCATED IN PEMBRICKSHIRE'S PICTURESOUE NORTH BEACH. THE WALES SWIM IS A POPULAR OPEN WATER EVENT WHICH BOASTS AN AVERAGE OF 2,000 COMPETITORS ACROSS TWO COURSES SWIMMERS OF ANY ABILITY, WITH SESSIONS RUN BY THE DERBY TRIATHLON CLUB AVAILABLE FOR THE COST OF ES FOR S AND ES FOR NON-MEMBERS 36. NATIONAL WATER SPORTS CENTRE IRELAND THIS BEAUTIFUL NOTTINGHAM LOCATION HOSTS COACHED OPEN WATER SWIM SESSIONS WEEKLY, WITH TECHNIQUE BASED TRAINING PERFECT FOR BOTH BEGINNERS AND 21. SLIGO SWIM CLUB, IRELAND EXPERIENCED TRIATHLETES SLIGO SWIM CLUB IS BASED IN SLIGO'S CLARION LEISURE 37. BOSWORTH WATER TRUST CENTRE. MEMBERS REGUARLY TAKE PART IN OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS TRHOUGHOUT IRELAND THE 1465 TRIATHLON CLUB HOLDS OPEN WATER SWIMS AT THIS GREAT LOCATION EVERY THURSDAY AND SATURDAY AT THE COST OF ES FOR THE PUBLIC AND JUST E2 FOR OFFICIAL TRI CLUB MEMBERS 38. RACETIME EVENTS, LEICESTERSHIRE THE SIX HILLS LAKE IS OPEN EVERY SATURDAY AND TUESDAY BETWEEN MAY AND SEPTEMBER FOR ONLY E4 PER HEAD COACHED SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE FROM RACETIME EY 39. RAGLEY HALL OPEN WATER SWIM, EVESHAM RUN BY THE EVERSHAM VALE TRIATHLETES CLUB, OPEN WATER SWIMMING TAKES PLACE AT THE BEAUTIFUL RAGLEY HALL LAKE TWICE PER WEEK, PRICE JUST EI FOR MEMBERS, 40. STONEY STANTON LAKES OPEN WATER SWIM, LEICESTERSHIRE THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND COURSE HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR NOVICES. PRICES ARE £20 FOR A TWO HOUR SESSION, WHICH INCLUDES CONFIDENCE BUILDING EXERCISES AND PLENTY OF FEEDBACK. DATA TAKEN FROM HTTPWWW.OPENWATERSWIMMINa.COM/WORLDS-TOP 00-OPEN-ATER-SWMS HTTPWWW.TRIRADAR COM/TRANING-ADVICE/OPEN- WATER-SWIMMNG/ TYR. MAKO sailfish Aqua Sphere speedo> 3ROD 7ONE3 Zmailsports SWIMSPECIALIST www.mailsports.co.uk