choosing the location carefully and avoid swimming in water with blue-green algal blooms or scums in freshwaters

Look around to see what lifesaving equipment is available to use, such as a ring buoy or reaching pole, Ramos recommends. For young children — especially kids who aren’t strong swimmers — their buddy should be an adult who is never more than an arm’s length away, Fisher says. 10. Know Your — and Your Kids’ — Limits, and Don’t Overdo ItAs an open water swimmer, you are responsible for your own safety. Gathering information on potential risks and hazards is a gradual process – you can do this both prior to and upon arrival at your location.

It is important for swimmers to know the dangers when swimming outdoors and preferably swim at a lifeguarded beach, organised session or supervised venue. The breathing side of open swimming, and particularly the rhythm of breathing, is vital for concentration. The water temperature changes all the time, which is excellent for your circulation and immune system," said Evans, who has launched a new animated Sky Original TV series Obki, inspired by her love of sea swimming.

What We Do

There are various types of algae that occur naturally in all natural waters, but evidence suggests the one that poses the greatest risk to health is blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in freshwaters. It is important to teach learners how to stay safe whilst swimming at a swimming pool and when swimming outdoors. The Learn to Swim Team have created posters that can help educate learners on how to stay safe in, on and around the water, as well as, the Awards learners in the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme to achieve. If you want to swim in the ocean, you’re probably asking yourself: What kit do I need for sea swimming? Open water swimming is intensely rewarding but comes with obvious risks," said qualified swimming coach Sarah Wiseman, who runs an open water swim school. Before the pandemic, about 4,000 people died by drowning in the United States each year, and another 8,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for drowning injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children — particularly kids younger than 5 — consistently have the highest drowning rate.

Walk from your exit point up to where you would like to start from. This enables you to take a good view and identify any hazards of the stretch of sea you would like to swim. Hof told Live Science: "The number one killer in the West is cardiovascular-related disease. It is because we are alienated from our vascular system - it is not being activated, not being stimulated. Open water swimming can increase the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses, or stomach bugs, which may cause diarrhoea and/or vomiting, as well as respiratory, skin, ear and eye infections. Most symptoms of these illnesses caused by micro-organisms such as norovirus, giardia and cryptosporidium, will generally be mild. However, there is also a risk of more severe infections caused by micro-organisms such as E.coli O157 which may cause severe gastrointestinal illness and leptospirosis (Weil’s disease), which can cause liver and kidney problems. Bathing water quality and how it’s monitored

On spring tides, high tides are higher and low tides are lower. In other words, spring tides are the biggest difference in water heights and have stronger currents. They occur every two weeks. Neap tide (first and third quarter moon) This isn’t foolproof, but it removes a lot of unknowns that contribute to drownings, like the waves and currents and sudden dropoffs into deeper water that you can experience at the beach,” Fisher says. 3. Be Prepared for an Emergency Before You Hit the Water Ask yourself, is it safe for me to swim? Do your own risk assessment of the area you are choosing to swim. Useful information to help you choose a good swimming spot Before you go