swimming in the wild

Having worked in a water company and knowing the lengths they go to to remove pathogens like giardia and cryptosporidium from fresh water, I would not consider it.

Near Norwich there's a newish country park (Whittlingam) made from old gravel workings. A small lake was given a sandy beach and an area buoyed off and kept weed clear for paddling and swimmimg. It was very popular. A couple of lads, strangers who apparently couldn't read English and seemingly were ignorant of what the buoys and ropes were for, swam in the wrong area where it was weedy - and one drowned. The little lake was immediately fenced off - and still is.
Last summer a beauty spot near Kings Lynn, again an old gravel working with a beach, saw a similar tradgedy when a local bloke drowned. At least this time access hasn't been banned.
I've swum in some beautiful places and love the silky feel of proper water but I think if wild swimming is going to be an accepted pastime much more education is needed about the dangers of cold water, underwater hazards, depth, currents, etc.

Swimming in the wild is utterly thrilling and a routine part of growing up in many countries.

I've swum in rivers, the Indian ocean, dams, anywhere where there's water on a hot day. On a holiday in Scotland a few summers ago the group we were with had the eye popping experience of husband standing under a waterfall in his shorts, before swimming in the mountain pool. They were so shocked, it was hilarious.

Swimming is rather an exaggeration in my case, but I do love going in the sea and was trying to swim in as many seas as possible, but we are not travelling as much now.
The Baltic was surprisingly warm and clear with little fishes swimming around us.
We always swam in the river when I was a child as we were so far from the sea.
We paddled in West Wales last month. It was very very cold.

Reservoirs is a definite no no I agree but as long as simple rules are followed its safe enough and very exhilarating.

DS does this. It scares the bejeezuz (sp?) out of me. I think it's dangerous. Some of them do it in reservoirs. Downright stupid.

Lucky you granjura sounds so lovely. Janerowena any reason why you don't take part? I'd find it hard to resist.

I used to, a lot. Now I just watch my son and his friends, I give them a lift to a small lake near us and take a book with me. We used to swim in the river that runs past Winchester college, as we lived just along the road. Before that, at a place where two rivers joined in Kent. It's a very different feeling, the water is so silky.

There is a lovely shallow river in the town not far from us where all the local children swim, but I have seen rats so would hesitate. We have a river almost at the bottom of the garden, but the stinging nettles are too bad in the summer. I think the farmer might complain if we took a strimmer to it so that we could go swimming!

I am very lucky to be surrounded by lakes which get quite warm in Summer- and I love swimming wild- but always follow the shore at a safe distance, just in case. Much much nicer than swimming up and down in a pool. I wear goggles and my short flippers.