The local lake has reopened for swimming, but currently 11c 
I had hoped it would be a bit warmer with the recent strong sun and lack of rain.
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Same, i think it opened a couple of weeks ago when the water was 8-9° - yeah no thanks!
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I’m going to give it a go at that willy shaped mere I swim in over the next week or so.
I’ll be gloved up, double-hatted & with one of those Zone3 Kneeskins - that @Adam put us on to - under my wetsuit.
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Yeah good shout I was thinking it would be good as a base layer. I’m just going to wait until the lake is actually a reasonable temp!
That suit has served me well swimming through the winter, bargain for the twenty odd pound it cost
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Local lakes were 11.5C last week.
Needs plus 5C on top of that 11.5C for me to seriously consider it.
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When I went in the other week, my body was fine. Hands and feet were cold, but I can cope with that. Head was like ice, no number of hats would have changed that unless I could cover my face as well. And it means you can’t swim, just splashing about with head out of the water.
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15 year old died at a local park lake last weekend. Now the lake isn’t the nicest, mites in summer and a bit dirty really, and was shut to swimmers at the time (it has OW all year at certain times run by a private company). A group of kids jumped fences apparently, but its opened a whole can of worms about water safety again with people demanding it’s closed for swimming. I’m not sure how that stops people jumping fences or going in other waterways unattended. About time we had a nationwide campaign, not scaremongering but promoting the benefits of OW swimming in a safe organised and controlled manor.
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At least another couple of months before open water starts for me. We’re still below zero every night and we usually get more snow at the end of April. The local lochs are approximately 4c with the sea a bit warmer at 6c but still a firm no from me
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Wtf.
One of our local lakes only has the 200m course open until May 1st, then the longer courses open.
Our local lake has started this week. 8 degrees! Which is a very easy pass from me.. I usually wait until it’s around 15…
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The mere I was swimming in has no opening hours or safety measures but is used all year round, particularly by the hard as nails bobble-hatters, the only thing that the owner - Lady Hanmer - asks is that there are no inflatables/boats/SUPs used & that kids are supervised.
It’s a bit of a drive for me, but a beautiful spot.
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Supersprint Tri tomorrow, final race of the season here.
Just 375m swim. Wetsuit legal - water 23C. Would you bother with a wetsuit?
Think I’d be about 20 seconds faster with it, but there’s the faff of running in it and getting it off.
Leaning towards no?
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- yep
- nope
0
voters
Probably awkward but didn’t some elites change their pedals for clipins so they just wore their trainers on the bike to save a couple of seconds!
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Thanks all, looks like the 'no’s have it. Prefer wearing the wettie but it’s a bugger to get off the legs sometimes. Think I’ll leave it at home tomorrow then.
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No for you but it would probably be a yes for myself. 
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Mind, I’m not sure I’d take swimming advice from myself and bongo 
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Wait, this was swimming advice? Oh.. I just voted for max critter protection 
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Sounds like a vote for a chain mail suit… I didn’t see that as an option.
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