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Chapter 1: What benefits do swimmers find in lake swimming?
But now, as Christy Moore wisely said, everybody needs a break, climb a mountain or jump in a lake. Well, yesterday we were climbing Everest, so today let's take a dip in our nearest lake, which has, for many people, become a way of life year round. Swimmers say it brings calm, community and a sense of connection to nature. Our reporter Moira Fay has been finding out more about swimming in lakes.
She joins me now. Moira, this is becoming more popular, is it?
It is, David. So according to the latest Irish Sports Monitor published just last week, swimming continues to be the second most popular sporting activity in Ireland. That's behind personal exercise, but ahead of both cycling and running. And we've seen a real surge in open water swimming in particular. It took off during COVID when people had limited access to indoor pools.
And of course, we all remember the boom in dry robe sales. And momentum has continued. So since 2024, more than 1.2 million euro in public funding has been committed to outdoor swimming projects across the country for things like safer access points, changing facilities and improved disability access at lakes, rivers and beaches.
There's also a lot of opportunities now for people to learn how to swim safely in open water. I went along to Lily Putt at Loch Enel in Westmead last night. where open water level two instructor Paula Mulcahy was putting a group of swimmers of all abilities through their paces. I asked her how people should approach getting into cold water safely at this time of year.
Here the water is 14 degrees. You can give about up to two minutes on top of that. So half an hour is about right at this time of the year in this temperature. So knowing the temperature, knowing what your limits are, not going out beyond your depth.
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Chapter 2: Why has open water swimming surged in popularity?
at all until you are an absolute competent swimmer. So staying where you're comfortable, having access to the shore and then, you know, comfort in terms of what you're wearing, the wetsuits, the booties, the gloves. And depending on how you manage the cold, having the right equipment so that it's not a terrible affair altogether.
But yeah, I was in the other lake last night in Lough Lane and while I was coaching, one person I turned around and two of the others in the water, adults, were just laid in a starfish motion on top of the water looking up at the skies. That's why we do it. There comes a point after you have got into the lesson, maybe 15 or 20 minutes, when you suddenly realize where you are.
You're in open water. It totally immersed in nature. Nothing allows you to immerse quite like being in water. And you get a moment to take it all in. And that's a real step away from the normal run of the mill, kids, house, job, traffic, the franticness of life to actually suddenly find yourself laying in a lake, looking up at the sky going, this is something very special.
So it's quite heady in that way. Once you build confidence and you can access the lake and do all of that, then it's just fantastic.
Oh, Paula's certainly selling it there, isn't she? How did the people in her lesson get on?
They all seemed to really enjoy it. I spoke to two sisters who, though, even though they live locally, it was actually their first time getting out and swimming in the lake properly.
I'm Trina Jerkin and I'm just living here in Castletown Gig and just a few kilometres down the road.
I'm Niamh Jerkin. I'm originally from Balna Goar, but I'm living in Turles Path, which is only about 10 minutes down the road as well. And how did you find tonight?
Honestly, I found it very cold. That was my original thoughts. Really different to swimming in a swimming pool. Yeah, the cold on my face and my ears and my head definitely found that tough. Yeah. What about yourself?
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Chapter 3: How can beginners safely enter cold water for swimming?
Would you consider yourselves good swimmers? I actually thought I was a good enough swimmer. I'm not afraid of the water or anything like that, but... Paula was trying to give me some lessons on my arms and where to put them. I think I was trying to focus on, I don't know what I was trying to focus on.
I would say I'm a good enough swimmer, but when it comes to the lake, I don't think it's, I wasn't great today. I would be comfortable in it. I'd be able to get from A to B if I needed to, but I definitely would like to work on my stroke and everything like that to get kind of more smooth in the water and get a bit further. How does swimming in the lake compare to swimming in the pool?
Well it's colder and you can't see the bottom really so that's a bit weird because you just can't see where you're going so you do have to look up.
I like this I like the sea so I love to be out there so I like nature so I know once I get used to it I think I'll really really enjoy it and we're so close we can just come down when we want where's the pool it is you know you have to book in a slot and well it is indoor and then it's just different they're both nice because you're in the water and you're free in the water but being outdoors is I think where we want to be
Yeah, being out in nature is lovely. And is there any goal with this? Do you want to just do it for fitness or do you want to do a triathlon?
No, for me, to be honest, I come down here nearly every day walking my dog. And when it comes to the summertime and I'm looking out at the lake and it's so gorgeous and I'm looking at people going out and swimming, I'm like, I want to do that. I'm like, I've been walking down here so long and I never kind of just... I wouldn't do it until I had proper lessons.
So when Paula put out the lessons, I was like, you know what? It's in Lilliput. I said I was going to do it. So I'm going to book in and I'm just going to do it. So when it comes to the lovely, fine sunshine weather, I'll be able to go for a swim in the water.
What about yourself? I'm kind of similar, but I would like to... I would like to do a triathlon at some stage of my life, and it was always something that I was like, oh, I'd love to do, but the water part would put me off. Not because I can't swim, but because I know it's different. So who knows down the line, at least if I have the training from Paula's teaching, then I'd be more confident.
Yeah, get out of the comfort zone. This is step one of getting out of the comfort zone, and the triathlon could be many steps down the line after that.
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