Yeah. I’ve just seen our local lake is opening on Sunday. 11 degrees apparently. I’ll book a slot for next week
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13.4 is utterly Baltic (2,250m)
14.8 was bearable. (1,600m)
Maybe the distance is the issue here 
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Sea temp has been 10 for the last few weeks. But I’m only swimming for 30 mins at a time I guess.
Interesting shaped lake
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11.7°C is too cold for me, I now know that.
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11.8 on Thursday. That was fucking horrible, felt like I’d been smacked in the face with an ice block. Possibly because it’s the only exposed skin with balaclava, gloves, and booties. On the positive, it wasn’t slow, just utterly miserable.
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First swim for over a year the other day in Oulton Broad, absolutely fcuking freezing, half an hour and a mere 750m or so and I was out with blue hands and feet!
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Anyone swim in gloves?? Used some last week and must say they made a huge difference to comfort.
They did however fill with water every stroke, which I could remove with a clenched fist. Didn’t exactly help my speed.
So is there any tactic to them not ballooning? Is that down to quality of glove or the fit?
Can you put them on before wetsuit arms so there’s a seal (let’s worry about the other logistic later).
Elastic bands around the wrist.
Wisdom please
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Would presume your gloves are just too porous. Sealing the cuff is just gonna fill your wettie up with fresh cold water each stroke 
That’s a good point well made 
Might just try an elastic band on wrist to try stop a bit of flow. Even filled with water they were mighty effective
never feel water coming in on mine, so not not sure whether you are just unlucky or it’s the quality/make
They were only cheap dhb ones… Tho I also have wrists the size of match sticks 🤷
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I’ve had my blue seventy (or whatever they’re called) gloves and booties for about 14 years and still seem to be ok. Oh the neoprene hat as well.
Sadly the 14 year old Orca wetsuit is now slowly passing away after years of petroleum jelly attacks, soon to be replaced 
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I enjoy OW swimming but just not enough to swim with gloves. I tried it but just dont think its productive in improving my swim & it’s better just to wait a week or so for it to warm up. 12 degrees is ok for me, 11 at a push.
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Was 12.4 today. Bit more prepared for the brain freeze.
Gloves were still crap but I’m pretty sure without them I’d find it far too uncomfortable. Yeah not sure my swim technique is helped with them, but I really need time in open water, get used to wetsuit swimming, get used to colder water and just get comfortable.
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First of our club’s OW sessions of the season and first at our new venue.
Fook it was rough, torrential rain, 40+ mph winds but 23 hardy souls turned out to swim.
Putting the buoys out was an event in itself and we had to get a kayak to tow the boat as we couldn’t row it against the wind.
Not sure if I was Seaman Stains or Roger the Cabin Boy!
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Haha. Brilliant.
I was just looking at the forecast to see when i get my swim in for the week … but it’s not looking particularly great! Big wind for most of the week, from the W or SW which is going to really rough up my beach, and i don’t have the time to go hunting for a more sheltered option. Will see how the forecast progresses, but Thurs is looking my best option at the mo.
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@mw22 - Did you link me up to that venue, or just post an image?
Might be keen for a swim there one Sunday
https://bookings.springlakes.co.uk/Bookings/BookSession.aspx?group=3
First year Ive been to it - normally end up at Six Hills in Leicester, Holme Pierrepont (when they let you), Colwick (which I hated). Or massive drive up to Activities away in Lincoln. Oh and Hilton.
Early impressions - its not bad at all. Water is pretty clear (esp in the bigger lake 2) - it was pretty hard to sight - what with some of the bouys being about half a mile apart in lake 2.
But deffo better than most of the other options nearby - hope it stays weed free!
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Holme Pierrepont is memory central!
Colwick is utterly garbage.
Hilton wasn’t open when I lived there (the one by the A556/A50 junction?)
I swam at Barton under Needwood.
Which wasn’t great.
Six Hills was for evening road racing on the push bike 
ETA: Bloody hell!!!
You can swim EVERY DAY??? For longer than one hour, for just £5 per swim 