Mediterranean heat but Baltic water!
On a hot summer's day, lakes, tarns and rivers are always popular cooling off places. Swimming and paddling are great ways of countering a heatwave, but our Windermere ranger Steve Tatlock warns against people throwing themselves into water.
“You may think it’s warm enough to take a plunge, just by dangling in your hands and feet,” says Steve. “What people don’t realise is that there is a ‘thermocline barrier’, which basically means temperatures 30 cm (a foot) below the surface are still extremely cold.
”Difficulties happen when people jump in and go into cold water shock. It’s like plunging into a bath of ice and the body momentarily closes down, you can’t move muscles, or breathe, and obviously panic sets in.”
Leaping off boats and bridges, or diving into any open water, is particularly dangerous. Steve says if people want to swim they should go into the water gradually and not go out of their depth.
“Swimming along the shoreline, instead of heading out into a lake, is a good way of having fun while staying out of harm’s way,” he adds.
Long distance swimming
The British Long Distance Swimming Association organises swims in many of the lakes and tarns in the Lake District. For more information, take a look at British Long Distance Swimming Association (opens in new window).
The Outdoor Swimming Society has an annual swim in Windermere and other events - please take a look at Breaststrokes - The Outdoor Swimming Society (opens in new window).
New for 2008: Great North Swim (opens in new window) in Windermere - one mile course for all ages and abilities on 13 September 2008.
Want even more visitor information?
Visit Golakes (opens in new window), the official website of the tourist board for The Lake District and Cumbria. Browse and book accommodation and attractions online and see what's on in the area.
