Whitby Wild Swimmers

Whitby Wild Swimmers was born in the spring of 2019. Ceri and Ally met through volunteering at Whitby Lifeboat Station. Ceri had wanted to get into sea swimming, but had only been for the odd dip and Ally was an experienced open water swimmer having completed the solo channel. They decided to start up a swim club meeting on Tuesday evenings, At the first meet up there were about six people and it grew from there.

 

Gradually more and more people joined, I think what attracted people to the group was that it is very relaxed, we’ve always had a mix of people wanting a paddle and a chat to people wanting to get their head down and do some distance, you’ll always find someone to swim with that matches your ability. Plus every day is different, sometimes you just want to pop in and out, some days you find yourself bobbing around for an hour on a perfect summer's day. There’s no pressure to do more than you feel comfortable with.

 

Some people turn up in a bikini, some in full neoprene, it's whatever you feel comfortable swimming in. The group is mainly women but we do have men that regularly swim with us, and children too! All ages are welcome to join us.

 

During lockdown when gyms and pools were closed we saw a massive rise in numbers, I think people were looking for things to do outside but then discovered a love of the sea and some amazing friendships were formed. We have a group of ladies that met through the group and are now each other’s support network, close friends and they always have a birthday swim on each other's birthday.

We are an informal group of swimmers, absolutely anyone is welcome join us, but we aren't an offical club and there’s no safety cover. We have experienced swimmers who are more than happy to share advice but ultimately everyone is entering the water at their own risk. What one person deems ok might be too wild for someone else, its about knowing your own boundaries and only getting in when you feel comfortable.

 

We get visitors coming from other siwm groups around the country when they are on holiday in Whgitby which is always lovely. No one is expected to come every week, you can dip in and out as you please! I would encourage anyone who hasn’t tried sea swimming before to come along. We are a welcoming group and you might just fall in love with it.

 

We generally meet on a Tuesday evening in Whitby from Easter, but if you join our facebook/Whatsapp groups there are impromtu meets going on all the time now, you can also post if you fancy a dip and you can be sure someone will take you up on it! Its more of a community than a club.

 

Some of our most memorable swims have been the solstice sunrise swims, we’ve gathered under the most beautiful skies and marked these seasonal milestones, on the last solstice the dolphins were out and it was just really magical. We sometimes do night swims for the full moon as well. You can’t beat sitting around a campfire after a swim.

 

There are so many benefits to sea swimming, its free, its sociable, its highly addictive as you get a buzz from the cold which is documented to have loads of phsyical and mental health benefits. I know I always feel better after a swim. I also feel like we are making the most of what is on our doorstep, we are so lucky to have this beautiful coastline.

 

We swim at both Whitby and Sandsend, in the summer these beaches are lifeguarded too. We generally avoid the ravine area below the golf club as this is known for having strong rips.

 

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