Selection of safe Swimming Guides
/If you’re looking for swim-spiration for the 2022 summer here it is! I’ve selected a few safe swimming guides.
Our Safety Record
/We come from a swimming and lifeguarding background, here at Sea Swim Cornwall. For us, good lifeguarding is all about being pro-active and preventing people from getting in a situation where they need to be assisted or rescued. This is the approach we adopt with our swimming holidays and activities. On occasion we will do the odd ‘rough’ swim but it will be with a group of swimmers that we know and we’re always very transparent about the conditions you’ll be swimming in…particularly if they’re going to be less than ideal.
We do offer set location swims but these do come with the risk of being cancelled or re-arranged, as if the conditions are not safe we will cancel. The majority of our swims (and the swims that we publish on our social media) are arranged at short-notice, having looked at the short-range forecast. They are selected based on the quality and beauty of the swim itself but primarily they’re based on the conditions. For both your safety and enjoyment.
Since 2015 (at the time of writing) we've never had to rescue a customer. In that time we've assisted 2 swimmers over approx 200-300m of slightly choppy water...before they continued swimming. Off the top of my head we've had 1 swimmers since 2015 injure themselves (rolled their ankle on dry land).
We totally appreciate that some people get a little anxious at the thought of sea swimming, especially if they’ve never swum any kind of distance in the sea. We can assure you that all of our swims are thoroughly risk assessed and selection is based on the appropriate conditions.
Breathing when learning front crawl
/It’s become very obvious over the last 5 years + of running Sea Swim Cornwall that breathing or simply the act of putting your face in the water is quite a big barrier to swimming front crawl for a lot of people. The other issue is that if you haven’t mastered breathing, it makes it incredibly difficult to then work on your leg kick, arm pull, body position etc when you’re still focused on your breathing. Over the last few years we’ve developed a nice little exercise that introduces breathing technique slowly and in a safe and controlled environment.
Step 1 : this can be done in the open water but I think it’s far better done at home. Simply fill the bath up, then sit on your knees and put your face in the water. You’re simply looking to breath out in the water and then bring your face up and out of the water and breath in. These aren’t big breathes, where you’re filling your lungs up. They’re shorter, sharper and quicker breathes. Repeat this for 5-10 minutes until you’r enice and comfortable doing it at quick intervals.
Step 2 : Once you get used to step 1 try and progress to lying flat in the water (on your knees) and breathing to the side…as you would swimming. You’re then looking to having your face in the water for around 2 seconds (breathing out), turn your head to the side and breath in for around 1 second. Keep repeating this for an initial period of around 30 seconds and once you start to get more confident extend the time period to 1 minute +.
Alternative : you can also try this in the open water or with a bucket full of water. Simply stand just deeper than waist depth and lean forward and follow the steps above.
Step 3 : not really a step. Just remember that in the open water the water is a lot colder! Acclimatise to the temperature before trying these breathing exercises. Don’t go straight in and start try them whilst gasping for air and getting used to the cold!
Step 3 : once you’re comfortable with your breathing start to them work on your stroke. Particularly breathing whilst using your arms.
Remember : worth being aware that lots of people that start swimming front crawl in the open water get worried about taking in a mouth full of water. They try to avoid this by over-rotating and bringing their mouth as far away from the water as possible (effectively looking up). This is fine in the very short-term. The problem with doing this long term is that you’re over rotating to achieve this high breathing position. To prevent yourself from rolling too far over and flipping onto your back your leg kick often then become wider (like the stabilisers on a bike). This in turn creates drag and slows you don’t, as well as sapping your energy and preventing you from getting into a rhythm.
Moving forward : it really depends on your lung capacity but you generally want to breath every 2 if your swimming distance. You can breath 3…and you might find that you swim a little straighter doing so. You do this to try and stay in the aerobic energy system for as long as possible…ie. you continue to use Oxygen. If you go into your anaerobic system earlier than you need to, you’ll more than likely find that you get tired and stiff far earlier.
Plan your own salt water wild swimming trip
/Unless you know the areas you’re swimming very well we’d always recommend a local guide…I appreciate that we are a local guide and it’s obviously in our interest but…it should always be safety first. If you get together as a group, the water safety can be very affordable and it’s always good to have someone with you that knows the local area and is familiar with the conditions.
Generally and if you’re swimming in areas without swell, the shallower the better. Again, without swell it’s generally better to swim on neap tides and on an incoming tide. Ideally on a slack tide (ie. 20 minutes either side of high/low tide. That’s because there is less water movement around these times…but be careful you don’t stay in too long after high, as the water will then start to flow out quite quickly.
WHERE TO START : ideally you’d choose two areas. Both facing opposite directions. That way, if there’s a strong onshore wind and chop on one coast, you can move across to the other. We often base ourselves in Penzance and the Lizard Peninsula for that exact reason. In an ideal world you’d have a light off-shore breeze.
If you’re planning a series of swims your best bet is to find a central parking location and park up early. You could then potentially walk or cycle to multiple swim locations.
THE SWIMS : try and pick swims with multiple exit points. Have a plan B. If there is water movement and you can’t get in you’ll already have an exit point. This will potentially avoid panic, which typically leads to silly decisions…
HELP : inform the RNLI/coastguard/local lifeguards of your plans. Give details regarding timings, swim locations and numbers. Also, look up local businesses. If you’re quite remote and don’t have phone r3ception, they might. Taking a mobile, VHF radio or rescue beacon is always a good idea.
VISIBILTY : just the usual. Take a bright swimming cap, tow float etc.
ADDITIONAL SAFETY : do a head count in and out. You could also take emergency contact info and med records for everyone.
RESCUE EQUIPMENT : something like a SUP could be ideal. It’s not specifically designed for rescues but can cover distances quicker than swimming and can be used for buoyancy, should anyone get in any trouble. Visibly they’re also far easier to find in the sea. The group could take it in turns and an inflatable SUP are quit3 easy to transport.
Swimfari Range of swimming caps
/A friend of Tom’s used the term ‘Swimfari’ a while back and it got the creative juices flowing. Not only did we go onto name one of our event using the term but Tom then designed a whole range of swimming caps. He tried a number of designs that didn’t quite work and then…just went with nature! Simply using the natural patterns of a number of wild animals.
Tom spent over 10 seasons beach lifeguarding and designed these swimming caps to not only be stylish but also very visible in the water. As well as incorporating bright colours, they also include patterns. When you look out to sea any distinctive, different colours or patterns really stand out and these swimming caps include both.
At the time of writing they’re a pre-order option only but will be in stock very soon.
The images below are a mock up of the swimming caps. All seamless, thick silicon swimming caps. We’ll look to add to these designer swimming caps in the near future.
Planning a swimming trip / holiday in Cornwall
/Cornwall is packed full of world class open water swimming options. In the wrong conditions however, these can be unpleasant (at best) and sometimes quite dangerous. If you want to get the most out of your swims you’ll need to do your research and give yourself plenty of options. You’ll need to consider the following points :
LOCATION : as picturesque as some areas are you need to pick a location that offers swims facing at least two different directions ie. west and east. If you picked Newquay as your destination, for example, a strong westerly wind and/or swell pretty much rules out any local swims! This is the exact reason we based a lot of our swimming activity in Penzance and the Lizard…lots of options.
BE PREPARED TO TRAVEL : getting away from the wind and swell may require travel. If you’re planning to swim summer season, this in turn may also require planning…as you may need to park up early (in the popular spots) and get the tides right.
RESEARCH : do you research. We offer safe swimming guides to a number of our blog posts. Talk to local swimming groups, look up articles specific to your swim, speak to local lifeguards…Don’t just turn up and swim.
CONDITIONS : Look up the conditions for the swim as late as possible, so that the forecast is as accurate as possible. Ideally you want a light off-shore wind. Always best swimming on a neap tide and avoid the first hour after high tide…particularly on a Spring tide.
SWIM IN NUMBERS. Contact local open water / wild swimmers that may want to join you. Try and find swimmers of roughly the same fitness levels / pace. Fairly easy contacting swimmers through social media.
GUIDED SWIMS. Find a local professional swim guide. You don’t need to do this for all of your swims but if you want to get adventurous or go off-grid, this is definitely advisable.
RESCUE EQUIPMENT. Get yourself a tow float that allows you to take a mobile. Well worth getting a waterproof phone pouch also. Just be aware that you won’t always get phone reception!
PLAN YOUR SWIM ROUTE. Most people get in real trouble because they PANIC. Plan your swim route. Try and figure out multiple exit points. Think ‘worse case scenario’….and how you’ve navigate these situations.
RIVERS. Cornwall has a phenomenal coastline but it also has a number of beautiful rivers. If you can’t get in the sea, head a little inland.
Most of all though…have a great time!
Swimming at Charlestown, St Austell.
/Walking down to Charlestown Harbour is like walking into a film set…possibly because it is used as a film set! The site has been used on the BBCs recent adaptation of Poldark and Doctor Who, as well as Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland….and a number of other titles.
Charlestown is a UNESCO world heritage site and it’s a little like stepping back in time when you access certain areas of the harbour and won Tripadvisor’s ‘Travelers’ Choice Award’ for 2021.
For swimming Charlestown is ideal. It’s not great on a moderate to strong easterly wind…but we don’t get that many days (particularly in the summer) where the wind blows in that direction. Europe is also in the way for big swells to roll on in.
In terms of swims - you can swim from Charlestown to Carlyon Bay and back, swim Charlestown to Porthpeanand back or opt for a shorter swimming route from Charlestown to Duporth and back. Alternatively, you could swim one way and walk back across the coastal path.
Charlestown has quite a few spaces in local car parks, as well as lots of on-street parking. The local town has all of the facilities that you’d need for a swim or day out.
Swims are best accessed from the beaches either side of the harbour. The harbour is quiet in terms of traffic but you still get the odd boat travelling in or out… Take care.
Swimming Charlestown to Porthpean (& back) - approx 2.5-3km
Swimming Charlestown to Carlyon Bay (& back) - approx 2km
Swimming Charlestown to Duporth Beach (& back) - approx 1-1.5km
Swimming at Porthpean Beach, St Austell
/We carry out a lot of our swimming activity in west Cornwall, mainly as we’re based in the local area. Cornwall as a whole has some stunning swims throughout the entire county.
Personally I’m not a massive fan of the town but St Austell in particular has a number of outstanding swimming options. The highlight of these options (for me) being the Charlestown and Porthpean area.
Porthpean - is a quiet beach, a mile or two along the coast from Charlestown Harbour. You can find a small car park just up the road from the beach (PL26 6AX). It’s then a 2 minute walk down to the beach. We’ll include a video/photos rather than a description. The water quality and clarity is always great. You’d want to avoid the entire area on an moderate to strong easterly wind.
Charlestown - always a real treat. Ample car park space and a fair bit of on-street parking. I always pop into Short and Strong for a coffee whilst in the area…there are lots of other options. The harbour itself is stunning and has featured in a number of films, including Alice in Wonderland. As well as Dr Who and the BBCs most recent adaptation of Poldark.
SWIMS : great swim from Porthpean to Charlestown and back. Best attempted on an incoming tide, near to high. Approx distance 2-3km. There’s also a very active, very social group of local swimmers.
Other routes might include a longer swim from Porthpean to Carlyon Bay.
Swimming at Prussia Cove, Penzance.
/You’ll find this delightful little cove, just tucked in around the corner from Penzance. With a long and colourful smuggling history.
In any northerly wind direction the cove offers some fantastic swims. The water at Prussia Cove is typically slightly cooler than other areas but the water is often very clear. You also have swimming options in the immediate area, from Prussia Cove to Keneggy or possibly further around to Praa Sands.
There are a number of parking options in the local area. With your best option being to park at Praa Sands and use the coastal path to walk over. The walk is stunning, as are the surroundings.
We’ve attached our safe swimming guide below. We’d also add that this can be a quiet area and quite remote. Be careful when swimming, especially if you’re covering distance around the cliffs and headlands. Also, avoid swimming just after high tide, on a large spring tide.
Porthleven to Rinsey
/
This is a swim we’ve been talking about for some time. Swimming out of Porthleven Harbour is always great (stick to flat conditions and away from the main, central channel whilst in the harbour). It can be a little tricky to plan as you need nice flat conditions and either a light N or NE wind. Today was the day however!
Swimming out of Porthleven Harbour is always spectacular. Once you swim around the corner you’re greeted by an underground forest of seaweed and boulders. As you pass the first corner you can follow the spectacular cliffs and rock formations for a good mile and a half. You get to see a few beautiful, remote, sandy beaches, as well as lots of cave formations (including Nichols Cove) . You then head straight towards Trewavas Mine, perched right on the edge of the cliff. As stunning as the mines are they’re also slightly soul destroying. They’re far enough away that every time you ‘sight’ them they look exactly the same distance away…which makes you feel like you’re getting nowhere for quite a while!
Once you pass the mines you’ll shimmy around the headland, complete a short stretch before you shimmy around the last point and you’re then on the home straight. I love swimming the Rinsey stretch. We were greeted by a shoal of thousands of Sand Eel, as well as the odd larger fish. At this stage boulders rise and fall as you swim over them, you swim over large patches of white sand and eventually end up at the beautiful Rinsey Cove.
We also had the bright idea of running the coastal path back. Having done very little training all year - what could go wrong!? It is an absolutely stunning route across the side of the cliffs/hills and absolutely brutal to run (unfit anyway!). Up and down STEEP hills for 4 miles.
Epic swim. Best to do in a group or with water safety cover. BE CAREFUL. Probably best to start just before high tide and do your research and planning.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Swimming at Lizard Point
/I still haven’t done this swim! I’m going to tick this off my swim list this summer! Stunning dipping opportunity here, well worth the drive. Beware that this isn’t a very safe spot to swim. This area is very exposed to the elements and you can get a lot of water movement, in most tidal states.
Swimming in the Praa Sands area
/This is a really easy area to ‘sell’ but we do recommend swimming around the Praa Sands area with some caution. If it’s pan-flat conditions and the wind is light the area offers some stunning swims. The reason we’ve mentioned being cautious is simply because of the remote location of the swims. Swimming around some of these headlands offer very limited opportunities to passers-by to spot you, should you have any issues.
With either of the following swims - always swim in a pair or group…or even better, take someone along on water safety / get a guide. Both swims can easily be extended in length and offer a stunning swim, that’s a little off the beaten track.
Praa Sands does regularly get swell. However, in the peak of summer…when we’re (potentially!) surrounded by high pressures the swell often subsides and we get nice flat, calm conditions.
Here are 2 guides to a couple of swims in the Praa Sands area.
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 :
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.
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.
Slow release energy sources are good (depending on what you’re doing) - brown rice / pasta.
If you’re new to swimming - experiment
I hate swimming on an empty stomach - get your timing right
If you don’t have a chance to eat before swimming and are really hungry, break out the emergency energy gel / bar
I’ve found that your body will get used to activity with food still in your system. It will take time to adjust however.
I always think it’s a good idea to eat something straight after training…before your energy stores get to depleted.
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.
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 Sennen Cove
/Sennen Cove is well known for it’s surfing but we think it’s very undervalued as a swimming spot. Now, this is obviously a beach with surf but when the swells are small it offers a fantastic day out and some really nice swimming conditions. The water quality and clarity (without swell) are pretty good, the beach is another Cornish stunner and it’s a little out of the way. It does get quite a crowd in the peak seasons but offers you a bit of a chance to escape the crowds in the early and late season.
Best to swim in the main season and chat to the lifeguards before swimming.
In terms of a wild, winter dips you also get some protection from the harbour wall at mid-high tide, with very affordable parking right next door. Ideal for a cold water dip and coffee at the local cafe.
Safe Swimming in surf and on the beach
/Whilst having a chat with the Sea Swim Cornwall team (including our part-timers) we realised that we have over 50 seasons of beach lifeguarding experience between us! Mainly in Cornwall but also seasons spent in Australia, India and a few other locations!
From here we decided to put together a straight forward open water swimming safety guide. In it we dispel some common myths people have around sea swimming, we look at rip currents, how to spot rip currents, how to swim out of a rip current, reading the sea and conditions…
We’ve priced our safe swimming guide at just 49p (with any other purchase) or you can buy a multi-pack…for yourself, family and friends. It is a lightweight guide, so we would recommend either laminating it or sticking it in a waterproof bag and then leaving it in your kit bag.
The guide obviously won’t guarantee your safety but there are lots of common sense suggestions and advice that should keep you out of trouble! Available for purchase or given out on our beach water safety courses, which we’re rolling out in April. Either book individually or as a private group.
