2020 AGM Open Water Swimming
Scaling Dam Open Water Swimming 2020
Sh2out accreditation
- Royal Life Saving Society UK approved
- British triathlon approved venue
- Sh2out official cold water venue
Stats:
- Highest recorded temp - 22 degrees on 12th August.
- Total swimmers registered 62
- SDOWS Facebook page 1046 members which is up from 704 in 2019
This year's highlights: Although it was last year; it missed the report but we did a boxing day dip at the club. This was a great event and was brilliant to be cheered into the water by the club members before their walk around Scaling. We all met afterwards in the club house for mulled wine and mince pies. Lovely to see the club members coming together this way and we feel that this could be even bigger this year (if it's allowed with the Covid-19 issues).
2020 season started on Tuesday 12th August and finished on Tuesday 12th August!
Unfortunately algae was visible in the water and water testing kit needed to be ordered. This took longer than anticipated as a new lab was sourced due to high costs at the previous lab. This testing has now been carried out and results are due on 11th September. This therefore halted any further sessions being scheduled.
With Covid-19 closing most swimming pools a massive uptake in open water swimming has occurred and we took advantage of this as soon as we were able to meet in groups of 6. We organised Introduction to open water swimming sessions charged at £7.50 per person. £2.50 for members. This proved very popular and the first day of sessions saw 5 sessions of 5 people (Michelle delivering the session made up the 6 allowed people). Once the restrictions were eased more sessions were held with 10 people per session.
There is a waiting list for intro sessions and as soon as we are able to get back in the water, we will schedule these. This will now form part of our regularly scheduled sessions as the intro session can be held prior to a normal swimming session.
We hope that this will bring another revenue stream in to the club, albeit a small one.
We are hoping to continue swimming through the winter for specific cold water swimming events such as 'ice mile' competitors. This is where the water temperature needs to be below 5 degrees for them to train and there are very few venues across the UK which get as low as this temperature.
Suggested considerations for 2021:
Having reviewed the current age guidelines and risk assessments plus liaising with Sh2out we believe that swimmers aged 12 and above should be able to swim unaccompanied in the water as long as there is a suitable adult on the shore with them. 16 & 17 year olds should be able to swim alone but with a signed form from an adult.
Aquathon - we would like to have an event in 2021 for a swim/run. Already triathlon approved we feel that a run would be easier to monitor and organise for an initial dual event rather than a tri event.
- SDSC Scaling Dam Swimming Club multiple distance event. 250m, 500m, 1k, 1mile, 2 mile, 5k.
- SDSC Epic/Iron man 1k & 3.8k event.
- Either or both of these events could be fund raising for the club.
Our thanks go to:
Ian Thompson Norman Cockburn Gill Hale Deb Hodgson Nicky Bamford Phil Dickinson Apologies to anyone missed.
Report by Michelle Bullock, September 2020.