Finding Swim Spots!

Hello Dipper!

Recently, the amount of swimming and location enquiries I am receiving via PM and email has increased massively and whilst I’d love to respond to each of you personally, I simply don’t have the time.

So…

I have written this page which I hope you find is both generous and helpful. If you’ve asked me via social media about a specific dip or post you’ve seen - it may or may not be included in the list.

Simply Google these places, listed below, and you're all set. They are all amazing and all worth checking out. My hope is that they inspire you to find the many swim spot gems that the Dales, and Lakes, have to offer.

If you do visit, please buy local (to support the local communities) leave no trace and park respectfully.

Responsible swimmers bring litter picking kit with them to swim spots too so they can collect litter if necessary.

Important note: if you are doing different dips in different bodies of water on the same day, it's really important to know about biosecurity. Please do your own research on this - but essentially, it's about making sure you and you're kit are clean and dry so you dont transfer stuff between different water sources and mess up the ecology of these places, some of which are very sensitive. Responsible outdoor swimmers take this v seriously and its essential to keep our waters healthy!

List of places (Yorkshire Dales) I’ve not attached any location links or details so you can do it for yourself. You’re welcome 😆.

• Stainforth Foss
• The Eel Pool, River Ribble
• Devils Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale
• The Ingleton Waterfall Trail, Ingleton
• Hardraw Force, Hardraw
• Kisdon Force, Swaledale
• Cauldron Falls, Nr Leyburn
• Redmire Falls, Redmire
• Aysgarth Falls, Aysgarth
• Cotter Force, Cotterdale
• Catrigg Force, Nr Stainforth

List of places (Lake District / Cumbria)

• Colwith Force, Little Langdale
• Loughrigg Tarn, Langdale
• Windermere.
• Coniston
• Rydal Water, Nr Ambleside
• Buttermere
• Crummock Water
• Derwentwater
• Stenkrith Bridge, Kirkby Stephen

Want to find more? I wrote this article, below, to help you out further.

How I find my swimming spots

I thought I'd tell you how I plan/ find my swimming spots and why I share some exact locations and not others. I get asked alot (!) about dipping spots and dipping in general so, I trust its helpful. I'm no expert but I have picked a few things up since taking up dipping. I've been wild swimming regularly for many years and in that time I've swam in lots of places. I try and fit in a swim every day and sometimes have more than one.

I spend a lot of time wondering and dreaming about swim and dip spots, in fact I fill many spare moments doing this.

Considering and planning swims seems to be a trait of many seasoned dippers. It's a real joy and this is a process that seems to be ongoing. Ultimately I know and have found many swim spots because I've put in the time and miles.

I'm mostly interested in moving water (rivers and waterfalls) Although sometimes I really enjoy a big lake or a pretty/small tarn. I'm quite happy to (occasionally) drive for hours for a 10 minute dip and have often, although I also recognise I'm super lucky that I live in a real 'hot' spot for swim spots, that being here, in the Dales. As a slight aside, I feel more earth conscious since C-19 and this has to include how far I will travel post lockdown for dips.

Im only an hour from being comfortably inside the Lake District - another place abundant in swim-dip opportunities. So here goes.

Internet Reading
Of course, the internet is a fab resource for finding places and I often start my searches with a simple search like "wild swimming in the Yorkshire Dales" or by including the approximate area I'm heading for. There are a number of key websites with swim spot location details too. You'll find them. I dont want to take all the fun away 😆

I dig deep on the internet (loads of searching) and do a lot of reading and looking. Theres lots of swimmy related books and guides to be read too and they include info on places as well. Seek and ye shall find. The Wild Guide series, by Daniel Start are available in book or app form, and are a fab resource with lots of swim-dip opportunities across the UK.

Take a chance and go exploring
I particularly like finding places I've not been to before, a real excitement. I'm also prepared to take a chance on something that "might" be a good spot. The chances I take include that I cant get access to the water, theres no water that day, I cant park (I've got a big van and that's not always practical on tiny Dales roads), other conditions arent right or the place is just not viable for a dip. I've walked away from many a place without a dip for one reason or another, my friends and I have all experienced not going in at seemingly viable places, just because "it didnt feel right". Odd but true. It's always there another day.

Social media
I, like you, see swimmy related posts on social media which can be a brilliant resource. Theres some key groups on a post under the announcements tab on the main menu in my group The Dales Dippers Wild Swimming. Personally, I choose these days not to ask directly "where is it?" figuring that if someone wants to share a location they would have included that info in the OP (and) honestly, its pis*ed me off enough times (early on when I started regular dipping) being told "sorry I'm not sharing" - that I've learned to look for myself. It's actually great to find a swim spot under my own steam and being rebuffed by others has been a blessing in disguise. It turns out that I love the hunt for a swim spot and a new walk in. Sometimes this is a quick process, sometimes it takes months for a specific dip to be realised.

I will use any info on a given post to get me started on a search. Eg. I often see general descriptions like "this is on river X" or "this waterfall is near X place". If I'm sufficiently interested I'll start digging for info. Many folk, including me, will share the exact info on lots of places and that too is lovely (and appreciated) and I can add it easily to my ever growing dipping related to do list. I now also keep a diary of every dip I've done this year and this too has proved valuable as it's easy to forget where somewhere is.

Friends and swimmy community
I have some close swimming friends and I share spots with them and they share spots with me, these people have been very generous sharers to me. These are people where trust and friendships have been built over time and with whom I dip with often, my friends. This is a great resource for each of us. Like minded folk, doing like minded stuff.
With more distant FB friends / contacts I do my best to be as helpful as I can and in turn Ive been sent details on new spots I might be interested in, that's lovely.

Trading
I trade swim spots with some fellow swimmy folk. This is a lovely type of exchange and feels very fair when it works, which it doesnt always given the various types of dips and locations I already know of.

Questions I ask
What type of dip do I want? A tarn? A river? A lake? A waterfall?
How far do I want to travel?
Is it good for the planet?
Am I happy with a long or short walk in?
When will I go? What day? What time?
Whats my plan B if the weather prevents play in a certain place?
How will the weather / conditions be?
What swimming / walking kit do I need?
Do I want a solo dip or do I want to invite others?

Resources I use
Google maps
Google earth
A local OS explorer map for the exact locations, parking, footpaths and landmarks (OS map app costs about £25 per year and covers the whole country) I use this alot.
What3Words app for precise locating and for saving a list of my parking spots and entry points. I use this alot too.

Go swim
I swim often because it makes me feel well. I feel happy and I personally believe that the water has a magical, healing quality [and] when dipping with others a sense of robust community is almost always present - another joy. Its these feelings and the reliable sense of wellbeing I get that keep me doing it and I encourage you to do the same as often as you can. To state the obvious, If you dont get out and look for places, you wont find any.

Dont rush. Go slow. Enjoy every part of your swimmy plans and dips. Enjoy the whole process. Get outside and look - dont be afraid to get off the beaten track and wander a little. Make the time.

A note on sharing locations
I dont share the location of every one of my spots - mostly I do, but some I dont. Sometimes I dont want to share.
Why?
There can be practical / access reasons and sometimes it's just the choice I've made in the moment.
None of the places I go to are secret or 'mine' so I know that with the right amount of interest/effort anyone can find them.

Thanks for reading and I'm sorry that I couldnt reply more personally.

Happy Dipping!

Les
@thedalesdipper
www.thedalesdipper.co.uk