East Portlemouth on the Salcombe Estuary

Blundered over to East Portlemouth from Broadwoodwidger on Friday night after work - horrendous drive, stop - start - stop -reverse - pull over for the muppets and the caravans.  If you've never experienced car sickness, between the A38 and Kingsbridge will give you a 'moderate' experience and Kingsbridge to Prawle the real McCoy! 

Will and Kirsten (Kenya friend and her husband) have been staying in a self catering cottage for a couple of weeks with Will's parents and invited us over for supper and to stay the night.

Lazy breakfast on Saturday and then all gimps (Peter and Pamela - Will's parents, Amanda (his sister), Kirsten (his tropical wife) and sproglets Georgina (7) and Jimmy (6) capered down to the beach via a  steep path (the kind that sets you in mind about worrying about getting back up before you get to the bottom). 

It was quite warm - 18 or 19 degrees but the wind was horrendously cold and enough to put a tropical bird like me off.  I always forget that when it's like that, the best thing to do is to get straight into your wet suit to lessen the chill factor.  So I did and then braved the estuary - lovely sandy beach - dogs permitted at Mill Bay so must be privately owned, meagre quantities of weed so could potentially have managed without the booties.   Splashed about in the waves with Georgina and Jimmy Garner, fell A over T giving skimboarding a go.  Not a ladylike sport to be sure.  Joined by "Slimniv" (David Niven Shorts) Corney in his Daniel Craig budgy smugglers.  Show off.

A quick circuit or two around the dingys and back home for a BBQ lunch.  Refreshing dip but not up there among the spectaculars so far experienced.  6/10 for me today.

Summer Sunday @ Bude

Sunday afternoon was spent at Bude Sea Pool.  As you can see the weather was perfect.  The pool itself is currently under financial threat due to Cornwall Council cuts but on a glorious summer's day like this you wouldn't have known. 
Tammy, Pignut and I went down mid-afternoon and the beach and pool were heaving.  It was great to see so many people enjoying the pool and surf, which was really pumping.  We had a good swim and then a small picnic of Lidl's finest salami and raw vegetables.  We have to swim separately so that one of us can look after the dog.  The 'fur-child' needs to be on the lead and supervised in the vicinity of the pool. 
The water was warm but the cold wind was only just balanced out by the warmth of the sun.  We both wore our wetsuits but I later thought that I perhaps shouldn't have worn mine.  It wasn't really cold enough and the extra buoyancy makes it slightly difficult to swim properly.
I did 6 lengths and Tams did 4 four but as the pool is 75 metres or so, that's not a bad effort.  Lots of other people swimming seriously and many others just paddling.
The RNLI lifeguards are still providing cover for this year but next the Pool and its local supporters are on their own both literally and financially.  Friends of Bude Sea Pool are on the case and it a cause well worth supporting.
We have had a number of fabulous days at this gem of a pool and this was no exception.  Give it a try if you are passing.

The very first one!

Hello, this the first in what I hope will be a series of postings covering my wild swimming adventures over the summer of 2011.
My aim is only to record some of my adventures and experiences of swimming in the great outdoors.  Hopefully, they will encourage others to get out there and enjoy.
From our base in Broadwoodwidger near Lifton on the Devon/Cornwall border (but just on the England side!), me, my wife Tammy and our dog Pignut try to get out on swims as often as possible to the sea, lakes and rivers.

This was taken off a beach in St Martin, Isles of Scilly last Septmeber; it could have been the Carribean, from the perfect sand and beautiful clear blue water.

Normally I work in Plymouth and try to get out at lunchtimes when I can down to the sea at Tinside for a brief dip.  Not so much of that this year as I have been changing jobs.
Please feel free to post your thoughts and suggestions in reply.
cheers

Adam