Winter inductions

As we head into the winter swimming season we thought it might be useful to answer some common questions around induction sessions we get this time of year.

We have been offering cold water swimming sessions for more years than we care to remember, we were one of the first lakes to support several ice mile challenges and host cold water championships.

We like to think we know a thing or two about how venues should be managed, we regularly have 250 people a session in the summer and often over 100 on a winter session.

We have developed a safety system that works for us, it’s been tested a couple of times with real incidents and has proven itself to be ‘fit for purpose’.

This is because we select the right people, train the right way and ensure consistency that is continuously reviewed.

In essence, we comply with the HSE requirements to look after you and do more than is required to ensure we are ‘rescue ready’.

Part of this process involves completing OUR in-house induction written for OUR venue and suitable for OUR customers.

There has been a big increase in open water swimming venues over the last few years, it appears that anyone with access to a hole in the ground filled with water can now deliver swim sessions… we beg to differ…

Any lake that is prepared to allow people to book onto a cold water swim session on the back of the fact they have completed OUR induction that is fit for purpose for OUR lake or allows swimmers to swim on the back of an online induction completed in the comfort of their living room is frankly unprofessional and we would question their understanding on the basics of running a venue safely.

We do not certify or issue completion certificates for our course for this reason, we do not support the laziness or lack of ability of others and only recommend our induction for our lake and safety set up.

We would prefer it for other providers to take some responsibility and accountability for their winter swim offering, some do and do it very well, others… well let’s just say… if you pay bottom dollar you get what you pay for…

Hopefully that explains our stance and you can see the benefits of participation at an established venue…. Don’t forget that to achieve all this costs money, we invest in these systems and resources to make the magic happen and that is reflected in our pricing structure for our tickets that also ensures an onsite defib, trained first aiders and a good cafe offering with the best deluxe hot chocolate and cake around (but we are bias obvs).

Anyhow, hopefully that helps you decide if you wish to invest £35 in a safer swimming experience or if you prefer to save some pennies and go jump in a river somewhere… we won’t judge you promise x