Swimmers

[trebor]

Hi All, are we the only club plagued by swimmers? What measures if any have your club taken?

[Nessa]

swimming is banned!

[trebor]

Hi Nessa, Swimming is banned in our lake unless you are a member of open water swimming club, fishing is also banned whilst boats are on water, but their is a constant stream of people who ignore all signs and dive in.

[Nigel]

We usually find that the mud and sewage put them off . If not, the tide will probably get them.

Only joking about the sewage nowadays but the water is a funny brown colour

[Pat]

We leave it to the water board official (at Cheddar) or bailiff (at Shearwater) to police it as it's the landowners' rule. Usually those that do jump in aren't in our way and the prospect of tangling with a boat or a fisherman's hook puts them off as do the blue-green algae signs and the awful state of the water at Shearwater.

[trebor]

Their is a flooded quarry in derbyshire called the blue lagoon, it is filled with toxins this is what gives it its blue colour, the waters ph is higher than neat bleach, but the local authorities could not keep people out, their were at least 30 swimmers hospitalised over several weeks, they have now resorted to dyeing the water black, people are still swimming.
How would you stand insurance wise if you ran a swimmer down? an head in the water when you are sailing looks like a duck, no matter how fast you are going a duck can get out of the way.

[Rupert]

We do get a few coming across from the caravan park next door, but generally there is no trouble - waders, rather than swimmers, on the whole, and I confess if I were them I'd like to come down to the banks of a nice lake on a hot day, private property or not. Maybe they will be attracted to sailing if no one shouts "get off our land" at them?

Actual swimmers I guess need to be asked to go to where boats aren't, certainly, for their own safety. Duck shaped heads, though?

[JB9]

We tell them, politely, to leave as swimming is banned. I think insurance/liability would be a difficult area which is a reason for asking people to leave.

[Nessa]

Despite the fact our lake is so close to the town centre, most people don't know it's there, so not too much trouble with non members coming to swim. Keeping members' kids out of the water is another matter.

I actually think it's a shame we stop so much outdoor 'wild swimming' as they call it now. I can see it has no place in areas where other sports are going in, but if you go abroad so many lakes have areas sectioned off for swimming, but not here. That's a real shame in my opinion. I love swimming in lakes and the sea, but so often helath and safety dictates we're not allowed to.

[clibb]

The best way to stop swimmers encroaching on the sailing area is to give them an area where they can swim, and then rescue craft etc can say the lake welcomes swimmers provided they stay in the marked area. Frensham Pond has two public access swimming areas, and on the whole people do respect that. Occasionally we do get someone who wants to practice long distance, but we redirect them with the Ranger's help. A greater problem is mindless vandalism around the shores, and heath fires.

Nick

[Bill-Conner]

You can always tell them about blue algae!

[Ed]

...or Lamprey eels....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildli ... Tamar.html

Wen't in the river last week 4 days out of 5 as tides were good for a nice evening swim.....even with the glut of Lampreys

I reckon I am with Nessa on this one.....I think it is a real pity that so many lakes and sailing clubs (with the wonderful exception of Frensham) are so anti swimmers. I think they should be encouraged I hate it that open swimming is seen as so 'dangerous' and so discouraged. I have sailed a lot....and swum a lot (when allowed) but to be honest, have rarely had any problems with collisions between the two. True, they should be kept away from startlines and course-marks, but giving them a 'swimming area' would easily manage this. To be honest, I have far FAR more problems with windsurfers, who have no idea how or inclination to avoid a collision. Normally sailing towards you on port and then dropping the rig right on the layline.

When I was on the Bristol Harbour Recreational Users committe they would sometimes ask would we would advise to increase recreational use of the water: I always answered, 'let people swim' and they always of course said 'no'. But every month the water-tests would come back with better than 'blue-flag' standards (and better than local beach resorts) and they would still say 'no'.

There is no swimming allowed at Roadford, but that does not mean that we are not allowed to undertake some important RYA sanctioned sailing exercises like: "how many people can you put on a Topper before it sinks"....

viva les nageurs!

eib

[neil]

.
There is no swimming allowed at Roadford, but that does not mean that we are not allowed to undertake some important RYA sanctioned sailing exercises like: "how many people can you put on a Topper before it sinks"....

But they do allow SUPs, so swimming while tethered to a huge float.

[Ed]

Exactly....the whole thing is silly.

It always feels like you can swim as long as you are not having fun and can call it something else.

cheers

eib

[trebor]

Their is already a successful open water swimming club, they have more members than we do, they swim every day except for when boats are on water, their are also the Lifeguards, and a Kayak club, the water is well used, we do not mind paddlers, the problem is caused by people swimming to buoys and back and beyond, not all sailors have 20/20 vision and may not see an head in the water.