Best place for sea swimming?

I've got an Aquapak that I put my car key in.  It comes with a lanyard so you can put it around your neck and inside your wetsuit, or costume (for the ladies).  Men just tend to put the Aquapak down thier shorts.

Before I got the Aquapak I used to put my key in a sealable sandwich bag and under my swim hat on the top of my head (out of the way of goggles).  It was very rare that the bag got damp and I never got water inside it.

I used to swim with Portsmouth Tri at the Eastney end of Portsmouth on Tuesdays (6:30pm) and Saturdays (9am).  They meet at the beach huts next along the sea front, opposite the Coffee Cup.  They welcome anyone - wetsuit or non-wetsuit and triathletes or just swimmers.  The 10th hole is within walking distance.

I also used to swim Monday (6:30pm), Wednesday (6:30pm) and Friday (5:30pm) with a group of people at Hayling Island.  They meet near the skate park not far from the Inn on the Beach.

The group that do the river swimming are part of the OSS.  Put out a request on their FB page and you should get invited to join the local group on FB and get on the email distribution list.  Their swims tend to be a bit more spontaneous, but more exciting as they tend to do more unusual stuff.

Personally I don't see much point in lake swimming.  You might as well be swimming in the pool as the water is so calm and warm and you are going round and round in circles that aren't much bigger than lengths in the pool.  Sea and river swimming challenges you a lot more and sets you up to swim in any conditions, whatever the weather on the day of your event.

Is nobody in the world apart from me afraid of the oogies and monsters in the water?!
I do believe I've watched one too many horror films to ever be comfortable swimming in a lake and I know for a fact that there is a Great White cruising the Solent looking out for my little fat legs. 
Not wanting to put anyone off of course!!

FB - I'm a Sussex frog but still west of you. 

SuperCaz wrote (see)

Personally I don't see much point in lake swimming.  You might as well be swimming in the pool as the water is so calm and warm and you are going round and round in circles that aren't much bigger than lengths in the pool.  Sea and river swimming challenges you a lot more and sets you up to swim in any conditions, whatever the weather on the day of your event.

Specificity of trainng, and then there is the whole sighting thing. Pool swimming isn't a patch on OW if you're training for an OW swim.

Aquapak looks perfect. Odd that i didnt think of sandwich bags, as i have never used sandwich bags for sandwiches, only ever used them as handy waterproofing type thingies.

SuperCaz wrote (see)

Personally I don't see much point in lake swimming.  You might as well be swimming in the pool as the water is so calm and warm and you are going round and round in circles that aren't much bigger than lengths in the pool. 

The lake I use has 400m, 800m and 1km "loops", only the 400 is actually a loop but I'd disagree that you might as well be in a pool. Wind, waterskiers in another part of a lake causing wash all change the conditions not to mention the swan, duck and weed avoidance.  It's also better scenery than a pool with more space

I've never had monster worries Limper but I have several friends who do and one of them even has it in a pool!  It's why OW practice is such a good idea, helps you deal with your fears

limper wrote (see)

Is nobody in the world apart from me afraid of the oogies and monsters in the water?!

nope - none of us......although plastic bags can freak you out when you put you hand on one.....  or the famous (well in our household at least) incident when my missus put her hand onto a cormorant rising from a dive....

and someone was telling me at the weekend of a large carp in a lake that brushed their legs - that freaked him out...

nothing to worry about in the water at all!!

speak for yourself

I think Steady trapped a Carp at one lake, and Pingu punched a Swan at Outlaw.

I thought we had aliens on one sea swim, was doing the Full Moon Swim at Hayling Island with Caz and someone's glow stick detached itself from their goggles so all I saw as I swam back to shore with only moonlight  was a green glowing light in the water !  I realised what it was as I got closer but it was a spooky moment.

Punchikng a swan at outlaw sounds like a good idea, I approve

Lovely swim at Lyme Regis this morning. Agree Weymouth usually pretty sheltered and so pretty reliable to get a swim in. However, although I don't go in when it's rough (getting out when knackered against the strong undertow on steep beach seems a bit risky) for me you can't beat West Bay/ Burton Bradstock or Eype at the top of Chesil on a calm day.

I kicked a porpoise just off shore when I was quite little. It was about a week after my big bro snuck me, under age, into the cinema to see 'Jaws'. I've not been the same since!
There was a summer of basking sharks close to our beach as well.
I'll limit myself to sitting in the bath thank you very much. 

Can you see the sea from your bath Limper?  Just to 'enhance the experience?

Nah, not quite. But I can hear it. 2nd best sound in my world.