Hi all,

It's less than 11 weeks till I tackle Ironman Wales.
Even though I have done plenty of Lido and lake swims (even rivers) I've not much sea swimming experience, other than a quick splash after a London-2-Brighton cycle.

I'd like to do at least 2 sea-swimming practices before so I can prepare myself for the waves and swell.

Can anyone recommend good places to do this?
Is there somewhere that is coached or supervised for sea swimming? 

Ideally somewhere that is simple to get to from London for someone who doesn't have a car.
(i.e. doesn't require multiple trains, buses and a donkey trek to get to).

Thanks in advance.

Cheers

Ben

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I found the Eastbourne Sea Swimmers on Facebook, they seem to swim most Saturday mornings. It's uncoached and at your own risk, they suggest bright swim hat and tow float. You can download their schedule from the facebook page, times change to take account of the tide. I am going to try and meet them this Saturday (see other thread I started), apparently their usual route is 1.4km, but they seem to be participating in various events so I'm sure people also go longer.

Fast trains to Eastbourne are about an hour and a half and its 20 mins walk from the station to the sea.

There also seems to be a Kent Sea Swimmers group on twitter doing monthly-ish meetups around the Kent coast.

I'd also be up for joining you Ben and if there some dates that we can fix. Also have a car and room for 3!

Hi, is anyone planning to do Salty Dog swim next Saturday? 

2.5 or 3.8k sea swim at  Boscombe beach.  - https://votwo.co.uk/collections/long-swim/products/salty-sea-dog-lo...

I'm planning on getting the train down , swim then cycle back (or cycle back as far as I can!). 

I was thinking about doing the 2.5k, probably won't cycle back. Only a week before my race so I'm a bit undecided still.

I'm up for doing the 2.5k distance and cycling back part of the way. Lucy maybe we can coordinate train times on Saturday morning?

Hi Ben,

I was wondering if you took the 7:35am train (when you did this race last time) and whether you arrived in ok time for the start? Planning Saturday's adventure!


Ben Dolman said:

Neil, will be good to see you again, twice in a week!

Anna and Matt, i've booked my train from Waterloo, getting the slightly later 7:35am train (need an extra hour in bed) gets into Bournemouth at 9:43 then a 10 min cycle to the start line. Race briefing at 10:15. Still planning to cycle back but may head to Woking instead.

Does any of the other Windies have a route back by any chance?

Same - I'd be really up for some sea swimming. I'm away until end of August, but anytime in September would be brilliant.

Lucy Hurn said:

Ben let me know when you're going, chances are I'll be busy/ injured, but if I'm around I'd love to join

Sorry for the delay getting back to you i've been away.

Yes we got the 7:35am train and it was about 5/10 min cycle the other end.
It's a very relaxed set up and we arrived in plenty of time.
Annoyingly though that train doesn't seem to exist and now it's 7:23am and about 4 times the cost of what we paid!!!

Big watch out is if cycling back it could be unpleasant carrying wetsuit...etc...
Luckily some kind former Windrushers took our stuff back in their van and we collected a few days later.
If people are getting the train back you can ask them nicely.
Also, some people mentioned taht previous years they posted them back to London!

I'm recovering from a nasty bout of food poisoning/too much holiday booze so unsure if i'm doing it.
Will decide this evening 

Aine Cassidy said:

Hi Ben,

I was wondering if you took the 7:35am train (when you did this race last time) and whether you arrived in ok time for the start? Planning Saturday's adventure!


Ben Dolman said:

Neil, will be good to see you again, twice in a week!

Anna and Matt, i've booked my train from Waterloo, getting the slightly later 7:35am train (need an extra hour in bed) gets into Bournemouth at 9:43 then a 10 min cycle to the start line. Race briefing at 10:15. Still planning to cycle back but may head to Woking instead.

Does any of the other Windies have a route back by any chance?

Carrying wetsuits=extra training benefit!
That said if anyone is driving and wanted to give my wetsuit a lift I would be incredibly grateful! So far for me, Aine and Emilyand maybe Ben (hope you feel better soon!) coming, anyone else up for it?

I was going to come but will now cycle to Shepperton for a Speedo swim there and then on to Windsor....

Have fun guys

Frank
 
Lucy Hurn said:

Carrying wetsuits=extra training benefit!
That said if anyone is driving and wanted to give my wetsuit a lift I would be incredibly grateful! So far for me, Aine and Emilyand maybe Ben (hope you feel better soon!) coming, anyone else up for it?

Hey Ben, Sorry to hear you're under the weather – hope you'll recover by Saturday and are up for joining. Thanks for coming back about the train times...I was concerned that train might leave us a bit tight but sounds like it'll be a good option. I'm really hoping the sea won't be too choppy!!



Ben Dolman said:

Sorry for the delay getting back to you i've been away.

Yes we got the 7:35am train and it was about 5/10 min cycle the other end.
It's a very relaxed set up and we arrived in plenty of time.
Annoyingly though that train doesn't seem to exist and now it's 7:23am and about 4 times the cost of what we paid!!!

Big watch out is if cycling back it could be unpleasant carrying wetsuit...etc...
Luckily some kind former Windrushers took our stuff back in their van and we collected a few days later.
If people are getting the train back you can ask them nicely.
Also, some people mentioned taht previous years they posted them back to London!

I'm recovering from a nasty bout of food poisoning/too much holiday booze so unsure if i'm doing it.
Will decide this evening 

Aine Cassidy said:

Hi Ben,

I was wondering if you took the 7:35am train (when you did this race last time) and whether you arrived in ok time for the start? Planning Saturday's adventure!


Ben Dolman said:

Neil, will be good to see you again, twice in a week!

Anna and Matt, i've booked my train from Waterloo, getting the slightly later 7:35am train (need an extra hour in bed) gets into Bournemouth at 9:43 then a 10 min cycle to the start line. Race briefing at 10:15. Still planning to cycle back but may head to Woking instead.

Does any of the other Windies have a route back by any chance?

I did a sea swim fort the first time a few weeks ago in Gorleston (Norfolk). Great Yarmouth Cycling club were kind enough to let me join them on a Saturday before parkrun. It was tough but they really looked after me. Good Luck with your ironman. 

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