Swimming

When you think of the seaside, you probably think of warm sunny days lying on a towel, maybe reading a good book and cooling off with a nice refreshing dip - but for one group of swimmers it's all about early morning alarm clocks, freezing cold water and huddling together afterwards with a hot flask. To find out more about the extraordinary Weston Supermares Sea and Lake Swimmers & Dippers read on or, if it's only information on other swimming opportunities in the area then click the read more button and scroll down to the bottom of this page.

It's 4am, dark and freezing cold, would you get up for four minutes in the water?

Visit Weston meets Christopher Hawley one of the extraordinary Weston Supermares Swimmers and Lake Dippers

It’s 4am. Your bedside alarm clock goes off. It’s another five hours before you need to be in work. What do you do? Do you roll over and go back to sleep? Or, do you get up, grab your swimming towel or dry robe and head for Weston-super-Mare beach – all for about four minutes in the water?

“I can’t explain why I do it,” said Christopher Hawley (pictured above) who is one of the Weston Supermares Sea and Lake Swimmers & Dippers – a group set up for outdoor sea swimmers.

“To everybody else – my wife included -  it does sound pretty mad. And I was one of those people that also thought they were all absolutely mad before I went along.

“I went for the first time after a friend of my wife’s introduced me. Once became twice and now it is no longer a hobby, it’s a way of life.

“I find it addictive. I’m checking my phone during the day to see who else will be down there, we’re all checking the tide times and sending each other messages. Once you’ve said you’re going, you don’t feel that you can back out, you don’t want to let anybody down, you feel you are sort of locked in.”

A quick Google of cold-water swimming will tell you all about its health benefits (as well as potential risks for beginners particularly) and how it can reduce stress levels but, while all that might be beneficial, it’s certainly not what motivates Christopher to leave the comfort of his armchair or warm duvet to jump into the cold sea.

He said: “When you’re there, there’s nothing like it. It’s a bitterly cold evening. Ten o’clock at night. There’s 100,000 people living in Weston-super-Mare and there’s you and maybe one or two other people with you near the pier in the freezing cold waves and it's dark.

“You may only be in the water for three or four minutes but when you come out, you’re all having a laugh and giggle. It's that sense of achievement of having accomplished something that others haven't done, of almost thinking 'we're the special ones' if you like.  And then you’re under the pier with a flask of coffee and a slice of cake still laughing, still chatting away. It’s all about that community and that shared experience. It’s a second family.”

He says it's a bit different in the summer when you can swim for 15 or 20 minutes as the water gets warmer.  But, in an almost bizzare way, Christopher, who only took the sport up in his late-forties, likes it more the colder it is, the bigger the waves are and the more unsociable the time is. It’s that shared thing, the bonding over an experience that other people aren’t having. The quizzical looks, shaking heads and the comments from passers by - particularly in the winter - only add to the memories and the feeling of being part of a special group doing something so interestingly different.

There are around 1,000 members on the Supermares Facebook page with about 40 to 50 of them being regular active dippers. Numbers swell for events, such as the summer Solstice Swim, and the fancy dress dips for Halloween and other such occasions. Christmas Day is another biggie for the real hardened dippers who try to juggle tide times with making sure they are home in time for the kids opening their presents.

Marine Lake, where the tide is always in and Marine Lake in Clevedon – where you will often find swimmers no matter what time of day – is an easy get-around this problem and has made it easier for the swimmers to get their fix at whatever time they want it, but for Christopher it is the sea where the most fun lies.

“I do love a bit of wave action, even if it is just jumping around in it. People tend to think you don’t get big waves in Weston but you can do and it’s so much fun. None of us are here to break records, we’re probably all a bit mad. We’re just here to have fun and to be part of this wonderful community. I don't even call it a sport really. It's as strenuous as you want it to be."

The sea swimmers don’t go alone – preferring to buddy up with at least one other member for safety and also for that all-important social side of the experience as well.

They welcome anyone to come and join them, whether that’s for a one-off dip or with a view to it becoming a longer-term thing. They advise newbies to try it in the warmer summer seas first and to make sure that they recognise their own tolerance levels might not be the same as other more experienced cold-water swimmers.

Christopher said: “We are a really inclusive group. It doesn't matter if you're in a swimsuit, Speedos or a wetsuit we're just there to have a bit of fun and a laugh. One lady in the group is partially-sighted, she has a guide dog and is a real inspiration. It's a fantastic group and I’ve made some really good friends down there. I always look forward to catching up with the group and when you come out of the water there’s a sense of accomplishment and sense of doing something different and a bit special with people who have become your friends.

“Every couple of months we’ll have a fancy dress theme. It’s hilarious, even when it’s tipping down like Halloween last year when there were about 40 us all getting in for a dip."

He says you don't have to be a strong swimmer to get involved, saying people are just as welcome even if all they want is a splash and a paddle.

If this tickles your fancy then watch the Supermares Sea and Lake Swimmers and Dippers facebook page, see when they are meeting up, prepare your flask and go and join them...if not, then here are some other more time convenient and potentially much warmer swimming options.

* Everyone has different tolerant levels to water temperature. Summer offers a safer and gentler introduction than winter and newbies shoudn't try to match experienced cold water swimmers to start with.

Marine Lake

The beauty about Marine Lake, at the northern end of Weston-super-Mare, is you can swim whenever you want. You don't have to wait for the tide to come in. The water is always there. It is still sea-swimming because the water is refreshed by the tide twice a day. You are protected from currents and waves by the sea wall. As well as being good for swimming, this 200m sea lake is also great for paddleboarders and is dog-free during the summer.  

Hutton Moor

Hutton Moor Sports Centre on the outskirts of town has an indoor pool. It's an eight-lane pool with a learner pool as well.

Brean Splash

If it's slides and rides you want then Brean Splash at Brean, a direct bus ride or car journey away, has it all. There's an outdoor waterpark with three waterslides and rides including the Serpentine and Turbo Drop during the summer. There's also a separate kids' splash zone and baby pool. Meanwhile, there is an indoor laned-pool open all-year round.

Clevedon's Marine Lake

Similar in style and design to Weston's Marine Lake. It's another outdoor sea swimming area separated from the main sea by a sea wall and the water is replenished by the tides. Unlike Weston's Marine Lake this one does not have a sandy beach. Hugely popular with cold-water swimmers at all times of the day or evening. Just like at Weston, there are steps to get in if you prefer.

Portishead's heated open air pool

This isn't as brrr cold as you might be thinking because this 33metre pool is heated from April until the end of October. It is run almost entirely by volunteers and sits right at the far end of the pretty Lake Grounds up on Battery Point with its very distinctive, unusual lighthouse. Advance booking is highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

Water Adventure Play Park

For youngsters who just want to be splash around, the water adventure play park on Knightstone Road is ideal and superb value at just £3 all day (10am-5pm) during the summer months when the water is on. There's no swimming pool here, but you'll still get all the shrieks of excitement as the children soon discover the jets of water delivered by the apparatus which works on sensors. There's also a fort, swings, some table seating as well as plenty of room on the grass. There's also an on-site cafe during busy days and peak season as well as toilets.