Wetsuit Swimming in London
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| Serpies showing various degrees of bravado on a spring day at Serpentine Lido. Not even their swimming genie can keep them warm! |
London offers plenty of opportunities to swim in a wetsuit and doing so is certainly recommended if you have never used one before. The following list is by no means comprehensive; you can find a complete list of London Lidos (open air swimming pools) at www.lidos.org.uk but check first that they are happy for you to swim in a wetsuit. This page has information on
What is it?
The biggest swimming pool in Europe. Open air and unheated.
Tooting Bec Road, SW161RU
Tel: 020 8871 7198
Open 29 May to 31 Aug – 6am to 8pm, Sept 6am to 5pm
Year round swimming is possible 7am – 2pm by joining South London Swimming Club. Membership costs £15 + £85 annual lido pass. Allows swimming October to May 7am to 2pm (dawn in Dec, Jan)
Serpentine Lido 110m
What is it?
A roped off area of the Serpentine lake with changing rooms and toilets.
Serpentine lake, Hyde Park
Map
Open June to Sept 10am to 6pm
Cost £3.50
Joining Serpentine Swimming Club allows you access to the lLdo between 6.30am to 9.30 am year round for just £15 per year. The roped area of the Lido is 110m but the swimming club can swim down the lake to a buoy about 200m away. This is a friendly club with cross channel swimmers and folks just taking a morning dip come hell or high water. As with the Hampstead Ponds, please respect this, chat to your fellow club mates and avoid doing anything to create ill-feeling towards black neoprene outsiders. Afraid of what lies beneath? Richard Melik is a regular swimmer and has had no stomach problems but keep an eye on the website for information on algae etc and be sensible if immuno-suppressed.
Brockwell Park Lido 50m x 27m
What is it?
Another huge outdoor swimming pool. Opening times are more restricted than other lidos on this page because there is no swimming club based there.
Brockwell Park, Dulwich Road, SE24 0PA
Tel: 020 7274 3088
Open July – Sept
Monday to Friday 6.45am – 8pm
Weekends 12.00 midday – 6pm
Cost: morning swim £2.50, adult swim £5 (£4 on bad weather days)
Parliament Hill Lido 60m x 28m
What is it?
An outdoor pool on the edge of Hampstead heath and a stones throw from the running track. Now re-opened with an impressive stainless steel lining to help retain heat.
Parliament Hill Fields, Gordon House Road, NW5 1LP
Tel: 020 7485 3873
Open May – Sept 7am to 9am, 10am – 6pm
Oct – Apr 7am to 10am
Cost: morning swim £2, adult swim £3.80, summer season ticket £55
Hampstead Heath Ponds
What are they?
There are 3 spring water fed ponds with changing facilities, roped off swimming areas and diving boards but otherwise are exactly as you would expect a “pond” to be! They appeal to a dedicated community of local swimmers who recently won a battle to be allowed to swim year round. They are also a thriving gay hangout on hot summer days. They offer real open water swimming, swans and all, but at busy times the life guards may object to wetsuited free-stylers. I have never had any problem explaining that I only want to do a few lengths at the outer edge of the pond. Five of you doing drafting drills may destroy this goodwill.
Located on the west side of Hampstead heath in various locations.
Mens/ladies ponds open year round, mixed pond summer months only. Open dawn to dusk. Cost £2 (Parliament Hill Lido season ticket can also cover the ponds).