The Sport of Wild Swimming
Wild Swimming is an activity that takes place all over the UK. It is different from regular pool swimming or ocean swimming because it is done in lakes and rivers. It is a way for people to get back in touch with nature. Wild swimming is an interesting sport because it is a totally different experience from swimming in chlorinated pools with crowds of other swimmers all vying for space. It is a way for people to connect with their environment. People relish the idyllic settings and the peaceful and serene atmosphere. As it gains in popularity we will probably see a wild swimming competition emerge in a few years.
Wild swimming means any sort of swimming that takes place in unique settings that people usually do not swim in. Places like lakes, rivers, streams and any other sort of inland body of water can all be considered as great spots for wild swimming. Wild swimming has a history that stretches to Victorian times in the UK. People started swimming in lakes and rivers during the conservative 1870s and the trend continued for many years. These times were very calm and serene and Europe was in relative peace. People started to lounge around listening to poetry, taking walks in the woods, reading books and swimming in lakes and rivers. Over the years, river and lake swimming became more dangerous because of high levels of pollution that was to be found in these bodies of water. Wild swimming took a hiatus in the 1950s and 1960s as industry started to dump toxins in rivers. It was only until legislation was introduced in the 70s and 80s to curb river dumping that a revival came about in the sport. Today the various rivers and lakes around the UK are in pristine condition for people to enjoy a spot of innovative swimming.
It seems swimming is a way for people to get back in touch with nature. People feel something special when they emerge themselves in water. Wild swimming is a way for people to bypass the slightly crazy legislation, rules and regulations that affect everything that they do today. Health and safety rules have gone a little overboard these days with everything having some sort of legislation attached to it. With all these rules and regulations, people have taken to wild swimming as a way to rebel. For those people who have an extreme streak, wild swimming is a great way for them to express themselves.
The question arises, that is wild swimming safe and legal? It seems that wild swimming’s legality is unclear and complex. There are no set rules that relate to the different bodies of water. People are not sure whether it is legal to swim in a river or not and they do not know if they can swim legally in lakes. There is no official governing body that looks after the sport at the moment. So whoever goes swimming in the wild has to check local laws and customs about going for a unique swim. Those who love going from a wild swim say, that to safely and legally go swimming people should use their common sense before going for a dip. Checking local laws and asking around can save swimmers a lot of hassle and headaches later on that they might have to deal with after their swim.
A few reports of people contracting diseases while going wild swimming surfaced recently. It might have been used as a tactic to scare people from going in the water because getting a water borne disease that is actually fatal is extremely rare. Weil’s disease is being used as a secret weapon by those people who are opposed to wild swimming. Weil’s disease is a form of Leptospirosis, an affliction that happens when a swimmer with an open wound comes in contact with animal urine in the water. This nasty condition is being used by people to scare off wild swimmers. This disease is so rare that it has caused only one fatality in the last ten years or so.
Even though some people are trying to stop others from going swimming in the wild, the fans of the activity are finding any way they can to get around legislation and laws. The allure of swimming in fresh water, free from chlorine and other swimmers is a great incentive for the fans of wild swimming out there. We will probably see this sport catch on and become a lot more popular as more people try a spot of swimming in the wild.
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