Swimming Course at the Jubilee Pool

We recently ran a 4 week course at the Jubilee Pool. We looked at water safety and rip currents at the beach, the theory behind breathing, arm pull and recovery, body roll, head position, leg kick….we then ran a practical in the pool. The lady featured in the video had never swum front crawl - this was week 3. Not everyone progressed this quickly but we were really happy with all the progress that the participants made.

We’ll look to run further courses like this one over the summer.

Financial Times Article

Last week we hosted Will Hide (a travel journalist), who then wrote a piece for the Financial Times…featuring Sea Swim Cornwall. On his stay we took in a delightful swim at Penberth Cove, followed by swims at Cadgwith Cove (and the Devil’s Frying Pan), Coverack and Mousehole Harbour. Great few days and article.

Swimming in Cornwall in a westerly wind

Strong westerly wind blows in - what do you do?

This week we were hosting a journalist for a national newspaper and the wind was howling in from the west. We had to do a bit of travelling but still got in some great swims.

A medium to strong westerly can be a little tricky to escape when on the north or west coast but it can be done…generally with a little bit of driving. With a strong westerly you may also need to check the swell direction. A SW swell along with a westerly wind may well rule out the south coast.

You can always hit most of the harbours at high tide for some sheltered swimming but if you want a bit more of an adventurous swim…

If you don’t mind a bit of a drive - Cadgwith Cove, Coverack or Church Cove in the Lizard.

You could take up the opportunity for a strong tail wind and swim from Mousehole to Sandy Cove, just before Newlyn Harbour. St Clement’s Isle (aka Mousehole Island) may also be an option.

Additionally, you could check out most of the swims in the Falmouth area, Gorran Haven, Charlestown/Porthpean, the Portscatho area or you could head for somewhere like Carrick Roads - obviously do your research on the tides.

Cornish swims in a strong northerly wind.

You get that horrible strong wind blowing in from the north - where do you swim in Cornwall? Here are some of our suggestions….

Salt Water Images .co. uk

1. Provided the wind isn’t too strong - St Michael’s Mount isn’t too bad. The wind doesn’t have a large fetch to whip up chop, so it remains fairly calm. You have a tail wind on the way out, protection from the island and then you obviously have a head wind on the way back. Swim anti-clockwise as you’ll have a tail wind for the longest stretch and watch out for the ferry on the way back in!

2. If you’re on the north coast and the tides are right…head for the Gannel. Do your research though, you need to get the tides right.

3. You have a number of beaches in the Penzance area, including Mousehole/St Clements Isle, Porthleven area, Rinsey, Prussia Cove…. as well as Porthcurno, Lamorna and Penberth.

4. Lizard area - Kynance (get there early!), Lizard Point or Cadgwith. All stunners. It’s a bit of a drive for most…so do a little mini-tour.

5. Falmouth shouldn’t be too bad. Head for Maenporth and Swanpool areas.

AVOID : You’ll pretty much want to avoid the whole of the north coast and St Ives. There’s not a lot of escape from a strong northly in those areas.

Short Notice Summer Swim Double-Ups

 We trialled this at the end of last summer and it worked really well. This summer we’ll offer our standard 2-3 km short notice swims (short-notice as we check the conditions midweek and then pick the swim based on the forecasted conditions). We’ll also offer shorter distance swim double-ups…so we’ll swim around 1km at two different locations, that are fairly close to each other. These are more of an exploration and as they’re fairly laid back you get more of a chance to get a few coaching tips and ask questions.

Potential Doubles for this summer :

Porthcurno / Penberth or Nanjizal / Porthcurno : Porthcurno is easily one of our favourites and a stunning swimming location. The beauty of Porthcurno is that it also has some stunning swimming ‘neighbours’.

Kynance / Cadgwith : Kynance is Cornish Top 3 swims material. Cadgwith offers the breathtaking ‘Devil’s Frying Pan’ swim, as well as some very cool nearby caves to explore.  

Mousehole / Mount : swimming over to St Clement’s Isle (Mousehole Island) and back. Then swimming off the beach at Marazion.

Porthleven Harbour / Rinsey or Prussia Cove : swimming out of the iconic Porthleven Harbour and back in. Rinsey or Prussia also offer fabulous, peaceful swims.

The Gannel / Polly Joke : Crystal clear water, meets a little Cornish gem.

This summer we’re offering memberships for return/frequent ‘short-notice swimmers’. The membership offers around 1/3 discount – and is only £15! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Top 10 West Cornwall Swims

We’ve pretty much swum every inch of the west Cornwall coast. Here are our top 10 swims-ish. It’s really hard!

10. Prussia Cove - it’s not just the swimming but the whole experience. Beautiful, fairly quiet cove. Magical walk down. You can swim around to Keneggy or go west and back round to the start. Typically fairly clear water, always a bit chillier than other local areas though!

9. Swimming out through Porthleven Harbour (we definitely wouldn’t recommend this without an experienced guide!) and swimming SE along the beach. This is a hard one to beat in the right conditions. It’s difficult not to be impressed with some a stunning harbour.

www.saltwaterimages.co.uk

8. Carbis Bay to Porthkidney and back. Crystal clear water and a white sand beach. Definitely worth doing at high tide.

7. Lamorna Cove. Can be a bit hit and miss. If storms and rough seas bring in seaweed it often gets stuck there for months. You get this beach right however, it’s like being in the tropics. Clear water, white sand, an abundance of fish…

6. Mousehole and St Clement’s Isle. Mousehole is one of my favourite places in the world. Stunning village and harbour. St Clement’s Isle offers a 1-1.5km swim (depending on how straight you swim!). Give the island a wide birth ensuring you don’t get too close to the seals.

Mousehole Harbour

5. Rinsey to Praa Sands and back. Loads of see on the way. A few caves and rock features to explore en route too. At the time of writing there isn’t much sand on Rinsey beach so might be difficult to get into the water.

4. Zennor. Again, this one is about the whole experience. Stunning village, followed by a stunning coastal walk. You have to scramble down the side of the valley to het to the beach…something that older, or less mobile readers may struggle with. For me though, it’s well worth the effort. Secluded bay, clear waters….don’t swim alone though and ensure someone knows where you are.

3. St Michael’s Mount. I think I’ve marked the Mount down, simply because I’ve taken so many groups around it. I don’t think I need to write much about the Mount.

2. Kynance Cove & swimming around Asparagus Island. Breath-taking swim. Incredible rock features, both on top and underneath the water. The walk down to the beach is worth a visit alone. Best swimming at low tide and get there early. It gets very busy in the summer months.

1. Porthcurno. World Class swimming here. Plan your swim for mid-low tide or on a small neap tide. It’s great at high tide but it just gets a bit deeper, a bit darker, the golden sands get lost a little under a high tide. You can swim over to Logan Rock or head west and take in the Minack Theatre.

*To help plan your swims in Cornwall we’ve created a Cornish swimming map book - where you can record, plan and get suggestions for your swimming trip or check out our Cornish Swim Trumps card game. CLICK HERE

Open water swimming safety courses

With decades of beach lifeguarding experience between the team, in both Cornwall and all over the world - Sea Swim Cornwall have put together a beach safety swimming course. We’ve focussed our efforts on teaching the participants about reading the conditions both at the beach and from home. We then go through rip currents, how to identify them, common myths surrounding rips, how to manage yourself in a rip current and what to do if you see someone else in one.

There is also a practical element to the course, provided the conditions are suitable. For the participants that would like to participate - we’ll take them out in a rip current in small group and go through what to do if you get caught in one. We’ll obviously have water safety present throughout. If the conditions aren’t appropriate we’ll put on a demonstration.

We have set date courses running through April / start of May - ready for the summer season. We then resume running set date courses in October. You can also book private group session through the whole of the summer, simply get in touch.

Planning your summer of swimming in Cornwall

Whether you’re a wild dipping enthusiast or a serious open water swimmer - Cornwall offers more coastline than the rest of the south west put together…and what a coastline! I’m based in Penzance and we’re spoilt for choice but it’s the same throughout Cornwall. The main advantage we have in Penzance is that we have beaches and swims that pretty much face every direction. This obviously means that you can generally get a swim in regardless of the conditions, with minimal driving involved.

Photo supplied by www.saltwaterimages.co.uk

Here’s a run down of where to swim in various areas…although I may miss out some of my favourite ‘secret spots’ :

ST IVES : Carbis Bay is always a winning choice - clear water, sheltered from S wind/conditions. Easy to add distance if you want an adventurous swim. Rarely any swell. You could attempt the ‘Island’ if you’re feeling really adventurous but we’d recommend a guide and prefect conditions. Any of the town beaches offer beautiful wild dip opportunities.

PENZANCE : the whole of the Mousehole area is world class, especially at high tide. Porthleven Harbour is a swim you’ll remember but again you’ll need a guide, you need to get the tide right. You have several beaches around the Porthcurno area…and if you’re really adventurous you can try and find the beach at Zennor…it is a bit of a scramble down to it mind.

NEWQUAY : can be tricky as it’s hard to escape a westerly wind and big or rough seas if the conditions are challenging. The Gannel Estuary at high is a stunner! As is Crantock Beach when the conditions are flat. You can travel north to Mother Ivey’s Bay. Whipsiddery to Watergate is one of my fave’s but it’s quite secluded…only attempt that one if the conditions are right, you’re a competent & experienced swimmer and you have company.

ST AUSTELL : straight to either Charlestown or Porthpean. A swim from one to the other…and possibly back. Can’t go wrong! Gorran Haven just down the road is also worth a mention and visit. Lovely little village, full of character. There is another beach in the Gorran Haven area…but I don’t want to upset the locals!

FALMOUTH : I’ve always enjoyed getting off the main drag in Falmouth and popping around the corner from Gyllyngvase to Swanpool or Maenporth. Great spots from swimming!

THE LIZARD : Oh boy! Take your pick. Kynance, Cadgwith, Lizard Point, Church Cove…. Take a few days off.

Photo courtesy of www.saltwaterimages.co.uk

We’ll check in at a later date and talk about north Cornwall.

Swimming Card Game

We’ve gone and made an open water / wild swimming card game - made up of some of our favourite swims from around Cornwall. Cornish Swim Trumps is made up of some stunning open water swims from around Cornwall - including St Michael’s Mount, the St Ives area, Mother Ivey’s Bay and areas around north Cornwall. As well as an entertaining card game the cards also detail 36 different swims from around Cornwall and work well as inspiration for planning your swimming summer (or winter!) in Cornwall.

Cornish Swim Trumps is ideal for a rainy day, as a gift (for a fellow swim enthusiast), Christmas / birthday present….

The cards are split up into 5 categories : Water calrity, accessibility, safety, crowds and wow factor. Each category being marked out of 100 and include some stunning images of each beach / swim.

VIEW PRODUCT PAGE - https://www.seaswimcornwall.co.uk/open-water-swimming-shop/swimming-card-game

Wild & Open water swimming clothing

We’ve been working hard to add additional swim-related clothing to our collection over the past 6 months. We’ve added :

Wild swimming t-shirt, with the logo ‘Wild Swimmer 365’. It’s a celebration of the all year round swimmer. With large swimming logo on the back and a smaller logo on the left, breast pocket.

A large selection of ‘Wetsuits are for Wimps’ t-shirts…one of our most popular t-shirt logos. This swimming themed t-shirt comes in a number of sizes and colours. We’ve also recently added a hoodie to the collection.

A very recent addition is the ‘Wetsuits are for Wimps’ nightie. We mistakenly added the logo to a number of men’s vests! They are however, perfect as evening wear (nightie) and 100% organic cotton.

In the men’s ranges we have the ‘Real Athletes have Beards’ logo, on a 100% organic cotton, dark grey t-shirt. In addition, we’ve design a new ‘Powered by old man strength’ logo to put on a series of t-shirts. Watch this space.

SWIMMING ST JUST-IN-ROSELAND

Jo - the sailor and river expert of the team, had been telling me about this little harbour near St Mawes for ages. A few years ago, whilst we went sailing with Jo he pulled up nearby and we rowed over to a nearby beach. We then walked along the coastal path to St Just-in-Roseland harbour. Whilst on the walk I wore my speedos and flip flops, opting to carrying my wetsuit. It was a Sunday and I got some very funny looks as I strutted past the church…that just happened to have finished it’s Sunday activities and…of course, all of the attendees left the church to be confronted by a young(ish) man, in a very colourful pair of speedos and his flip-flops! What a treat for all concerned!

Anyway, we’ve since taken a few groups here and they’ve all fallen in love with the place. You have to make sure that you get the tides right, or you’ll be dragging yourself through the mud flats. Stunning area and a stunning swim. This will be the start of our St Mawes Swimfari 2021.

Starting out in open water swimming and front crawl.

With a massive rise in wild swimming, dipping and open water swimming we thought we’d write a little piece on improving your swimming…taking the first few steps from bobbing around in the water, bit of breaststroke or limited front crawl - to swimming front crawl…and increasing your distances.

FACE AND BREATHING : if you’ve just started in the open water, getting your face in is step one. Make sure you wear a swimming cap, you can wear 2 if it’s really cold and a decent pair of goggles. By decent, I don’t mean expensive. Everyone has a different shaped face and not all goggles will suit everyone. Sometimes it’s a case of trial and error. Also, wear ear plugs or something to stop you getting ‘surfers ear’. Best place to start is to simply take a breath, put your face in and slowly expel the air, before bringing your face out and taking another breath. You shouldn’t bring your face out and breath out. The breathing out section should be completed underwater. Repeat. Whilst swimming some people breath in and then expel the water when their face goes in quite quickly, some breath out consistently until their face comes out for another breath…it’s an individual thing.

FRONT CRAWL STROKE : once you’re comfortable breathing in the water, you can then look to put your breathing and stroke together. I’d suggest starting off by focussing on the relationship between your arm strokes and breathing and getting comfortable and efficient with this part of your stroke. In salt water or with the assistance of a wetsuit you’re nice and buoyant. So initially it’s nice and easy to take your leg kick out of the equation. Simply put your ankles together and let your legs float behind you. I say this because it’s almost impossible to focus on your arms, breathing and leg kick at the same time. It’s like trying to ride a unicycle, whilst juggling and having a conversation!

LEGS : Once you feel like you’re making progress and you’re not having to put too much thought into what you’re doing, you might then consider adding leg kick to the mix. Leg kick is one of the most difficult parts. It’s not difficult to kick your legs…it’s having an efficient kick that’s the tricky bit. When coaching 90% of the issue we try and correct are poor leg kicks. Your legs will use a lot of oxygen and if you’re not kicking efficiently you don’t get any propulsion. Which isn’t great. You’ll also be deprived of oxygen, which in turn will slow you down over distance and increases fatigue. The other issue is for runners. Leg kick is all about the flexibility in your ankles. Runners notoriously have stiff ankle and often really struggle with leg kick. Your kick should be short and sharp - with the most important bit being that your ankles should be together, with heels just breaking the surface of the water.

DISTANCE : start with short bursts and get it right over those bursts. Have regular rest intervals. Once you feel like your getting it right over shorter distances start to extend the distances that you’re swimming.

COACHING : the most cost effective way to get coaching would be to follow the advice above and once you’re swimming take yourself to see a coach. If you want to swim in the sea, have an open water swim coaching session. If you want to swim in the pool….a pool session. If you want to do both I’d complete a pool coaching session. Think about the area that’s most important to you.

You can see a coach at the very start. It’ll help but will be a little more expensive.

Your coach should give you drills to take away and practise. It’s also really helpful to know where you’re going wrong as you can then visit Youtube and look at drills to correct the issues and do your own homework. The best place to practise drills is in the pool but you won’t have the buoyancy in the pool, that you typically have in salt water/wearing a wetsuit. The salt water is also more forgiving with your stroke, so some problems won’t be as visible in the salt water, as they would in the pool. A low hip position, for example may be hidden by the buoyancy salt water provides.

Why book a swimming holiday in the UK?

When we set up our swimming holidays business we looked at what was currently available. Options in the UK were limited…options in Cornwall were definitely limited! A number of holidays out there were focussed on swims abroad. All of the research around swimming holidays and the types of people that took them suggested that participants were professional high earners.

Living in Cornwall we were a little shocked that there wasn’t much going on - in terms of swim holidays. You obviously don’t get the warmer waters that you do abroad and the weather is a little less consistent but….

We have all the ingredients you could ever want for a world class swimming holiday. We have : white sandy beaches, shingle beaches, rock beaches, pebbles, shear Granite cliffs, amazing arches, rock features, caves, flat waters, calm waters, sheltered waters, surf, swell, rivers, estuaries, crystal clear waters, forests of Kelp and seaweed… If you look at the areas of Cornwall individually they all have their distinctive, unique features :

West Cornwall : beautiful Granite features, large cliffs and dramatic coastlines, quiet, secluded beaches and coves

North Cornwall : hundreds of sandy beaches, surf, lots of holiday attractions

East Cornwall : higher end accommodation, flat grassland, flat-calm beaches, rivers and estuaries…lots of areas that are more remote but nice and quiet

We decided to set up more affordable and accessible holidays, that were typically 3-days in length (meaning you may only have to take 1 day off work), were flexible in the swim locations that we offer (meaning they are safer and more enjoyable as they’re swum in the ideal conditions) and didn’t cost an arm and a leg to take part in. Sure, there’s a chance it might rain all week but, at under half the price of some of our rivals, you can always come back!

Our swims typically run parallel to the coastline, with multiple exit points. They also vary in length, depending on our clientele. If you don’t think you’re fit enough for a holiday, check out our ‘assisted swims’ page.

Eating before a swim

How long before a swim should you eat?

I’ve been asked this question a few times recently and there isn’t a clear answer. I think the major reason there isn’t one is because everyone is different. Not only that but the way you digest food and the speed of the process also changes over time. As a teen I could eat a decent meal an hour before a swim and be fine. I’d have to get out of the swim if I did that now…at the age of 30…something! The main rules are as follows :

1. Don’t eat a big meal before a big swim. Even if you digest it in time it takes energy to break down a large mass of food. On the day of a big swim eat smaller quantities, more often.

2. If you’re short of time and have to eat before a swim, eat something that will give you energy but is easy to eat…like Wheetabix.

3. Slow release energy sources are good (depending on what you’re doing) - brown rice / pasta.

4. If you’re new to swimming - experiment

5. I hate swimming on an empty stomach - get your timing right

6. If you don’t have a chance to eat before swimming and are really hungry, break out the emergency energy gel / bar

7. I’ve found that your body will get used to activity with food still in your system. It will take time to adjust however.

8. I always think it’s a good idea to eat something straight after training…before your energy stores get to depleted.

9. How far are you swimming? If we’re talking a prod around, some head up breastroke in the depths of winter…eat when you want.

Private / Bespoke swimming event and mini-events

We’ve always prided ourselves on our flexible approach to our swims. For us the clients happiness is second only to their safety. We do our very best to accommodate swimmers from all walks of life and all abilities. Our events typically cover distance (up to 10km of swimming) , multiple swims in the 1 day, swims with multiple exit points, shorter distance swims, night swims, stunning swims (of course)…we try and cover it all. If however, our swimming events don’t suit your needs tell us.

We’ll happily put together a mini-event for you. What’s required :

• 6-10 Swimmers to participate (fewer swimmer may result in a price increase)

• A desired swimming location/s

• An idea of distance

• Preferred dates

Leave the rest up to us. Prices tend to be around the £60-90 mark depending on a few variables.

Valentine's for the open water / wild swimmer

Tom looked around and couldn’t find too many good Valentine’s Day cards…specifically aimed at open water or wild swimmers anyway. In terms of romantic open water swimming cards there was a definite gap in the market. So he sat down and designed exactly that - a Valentine’s Day card for the open water swimmer. It was tough. Just entering the second lockdown inspiration and creative energy was but Tom soldiered through and managed to come up with a Valentine’s card that incorporates a swimming theme. There is a certain irony attached, as Tom enjoys swimming in the pool! The front of the card states ‘I love you more than I love swimming’, with the central section then saying ‘…in the pool’.

We have a second swimming-themed Valentine’s Card with a stunning image of St Michael’s Mount - stating that ‘you make me happier than a swim around St Michael’s Mount!’.

Both swimming Valentine’s Cards available at - https://www.seaswimcornwall.co.uk/open-water-swimming-shop

Open water and wild swimming advice

I swore I’d never get sucked in again….yet last week I found myself giving a quick bit of technical swimming advice on a social media page and then 3 days of disputing and arguing the advice, with 60 year old Dave….that took up swimming 3 weeks ago…or whoever else! This is quite a regular pattern it seems. You view any posts asking for help, on social media and you’ll have an avalanche of answers from people that have been swimming for 5 minutes, to people that have been swimming for 50 years. I almost feel sorry for the people that ask for advice, as if you read all of the posted responses it’d take you a week….and you’d be no closer to getting an answer. Or possibly worse, you’d take the wrong advice and be worse off.

Now I’m not arrogant enough to think that I’m definitely right or my way is the only way to do something, to train or sort out an issue. Time and time again however, I find myself reading a post by someone seeking advice and then reading the horror show of answers that people dish out. Ranging from good, solid advice to the ramblings of a simpleton. Now, if you’re asking for advice in the first place you’re probably not qualified to figure out the gems, from the fossilised turds. So what to do…?

My advice would be simple. Look at the source. If you want advice about cold water swimming…ask someone that swims year round. If you want technical advice…ask a coach, ask someone that swims big distances…and just because someone shouts the loudest or uses big words, it doesn’t mean that they know what they’re talking about. The best advice I think I’d give is to get off social media and do your research. Better yet, meet with a coach (when safe to do so) and pay for some coaching. If you’ve just taken up open water swimming for example, and get it wrong early it’s much harder to fix a technical problem later on down the track. Get it right from the start. Failing that - check youtube. It’s a great resource. If you’re not sure….how much to kick on a distance swim or how often to breath - check out what the Olympians do. Make sure you watch the correct discipline though. If you want to know how often to breath over distance, watch a distance race - don’t watch a 50m sprint. You won’t get far not breathing for 50m over a 3 km swim! There are also a number of great slow-mo videos on there.

Swimming around Mousehole and St Clements Isle (Mousehole Island)

If you visit the Penzance area and have your swimming stuff there’s no excuse for not visiting Mousehole! Whether your looking to pop in for a quick dip or fancy a more serious swim you can’t go wrong.

This is me swimming out through the harbour - shooting a promo video with a good friend of mine and owner of Ulu Dry Bags - Ben.

At high tide you can venture round the harbour. There is generally very little boat traffic to be cautious of...but still obviously be cautious! At low tide there’s absolutely no chance of doing any swimming in the harbour at all.

For the more adventurous swimmers out there you can venture out of the harbour mouth (being very cautious of any boat traffic) and swim over to the island. We’d advise that you wear a tow float for this swim. You can do this swim at low tide but will have to walk through some mud to start the swim. The island is home to a colony of Seals. Please don’t get too close to the island. At a distance of around 20m the Seals may be a little curious but will leave you alone. Any closer and they can get a little feisty.

If you fancy a longer swim but don’t fancy the island, then you can swim east (left as you look out to sea). Follow the coastline, around the corner and visit the Penlee Lifeboat Station.

Mousehole itself has a number of fantastic cafes and delis and is well worth an afternoon out.

Swimming at Kynance Cove

There’s no disputing that Kynance is a world class swimming location. The walk down to the beach alone is worth the visit! The only issue with Kynance Cove is the fact that it’s not a very well kept secret…and is usually quite busy. I’ve visited the beach before at 7am and there were a couple of kids on holiday body boarding! Get there early to ensure that you can park.

If you want a magical swim at Kynance Cove get there early. To be honest, once you start swimming you get away from the crowds anyway…but if you want a nice peaceful experience get there before the crowds. If you get there before the crowds be sensible! It is a remote beach, with very limited phone reception. So take precautions, take a friend, check the conditions….be SENSIBLE! At the time of writing lifeguards aren’t present at Kynance during any of the summer. Avoid obviously unfavourable conditions and big tide, particularly when the tide is going out.

Once at Kynance be careful getting down to the beach…it can be slippery and there is often loose gravel and stones under foot. There are 2 ways down, one an access road used for supplies (although the public can’t drive down it) and the second is the public footpath, at the back of the car park. This is steep in places and appropriate footwear is advisable.

Once on the beach there are lots of small stones and boulders to clamber over. I prefer swimming at Kynance at low tide, there’s more sand, better underwater views, easy access to the sandy beach side (far side of the beach) and more room in general.

Once in the water, there are a number of different swim routes. For the less adventurous swimmers I’d advise staying out the front, close to shore or popping through the gap at the far end of the beach (more picturesque on this side) and lots of rock features to swim around and explore. For the more adventurous you can swim around Asparagus Island. It’s around 2km in length. Be aware that you will be out of sight for some time on the swim. Stunning swim though and this swim should be on your bucket list!

If you are feeling adventurous and want to be safe get hold of a local guide.

Swimming in Penzance

Tom lives on the outskirts of Penzance, so knows the area really well….and what an area! In terms of swims you’re spoilt for choice. In the immediate area you have Penzance sea front which is best at high tide, the Battery Rocks being a particularly popular area. Along the same stretch you have the famous Jubilee Lido and Penzance harbour - which offers great sheltered conditions at high tide.

The highlights of the Penzance area are St Michael’s Mount (you need to swim this in the right conditions), Mousehole Harbour and Island, there are some wonderful cave swims on the outer Penzance area (but the area is my favourite and I’m not telling!). A little further out you have Porthcurno, Penberth Cove, Lamorna Cove….all stunning.

The issue with Penzance, much like St Ives is the fact that pretty much all face south. If you have chop and wind coming in from the south you’ll struggle for a local swim. You do have St Ives just up the road though, that is north facing.

Image from www.saltwaterimages.com