Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the Swim locations?
I coach at Clevedon Marine Lake, which is a tidal lake on the North Somerset coast. I also offer river coaching at locations on the River Avon, near to Bath
Do I need to be a great swimmer to have a Swimoga session?
You need to be able to swim 200 metres of a swimming pool comfortably - that's around 8 lengths of a normal pool.
I can offer an acclimatisation session to swimmers who aren't confident being out of their depth, in Clevedon, where we can access the lake down some steps and the water is at chest height.
What do I need to bring?
We will have filled out a Swimoga pre swim form so I should know a little more about you and your goals. Please bring some warm layers, and a towelling robe or dryrobe type layer, for after the swim, as our locations are 'wild' and mostly do not have changing areas! A warm drink, and a hot water bottle if you are swimming before the summer months is also useful.
What should I expect from a Swimoga session?
After a 'get to know you' chat, we will start our session with some breath work and stretches, adjusted to the session you have booked, some people like more yoga and then a chance to dip, other people like to be in the water for longer. If this is your first time in the open water environment, we will spend time familiarising ourselves with the lake, sea or river we are at. Looking at access, and that all important exit! Working out currents, and flow. Getting to feel comfortable in ourselves before we enter the water. The land based breathing we have done will have prepared you nicely for our time in the water, and we will then work together on your individual goal for your swim. When we are out and dressed, we can have a chance to discuss milestones, and look at what to practice or to think about for the next time we meet.
I am new to Outdoor Swmming, how many sessions will I need to become confident?
It varies from swimmer to swimmer. In general I would suggest 4-6 sessions would help you to feel more confident, and we should be able to cover most techniques in this time. If you have a friend or partner who is interested, why not see if you can come along together (dependant on current restrictions) and we may be able to discuss payment options to make it work for you both.
What are your relevant qualifications?
I have an STA Open Water Swim qualification, trained by Keri-anne Payne at Straight Line Swimming (Olympian 10k Silver Medallist)
I have an Emergency First Aid qualification. (CPR, defibrillator use etc)
I am also training as an Advanced Hatha Yoga teacher, completing my 500 hour training, with Bristol School of Yoga.
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I have swum hundreds of hours in lake sea and rivers, training for events such as Coniston Lake 8.8km, Dart 10k, the Bantham Swoosh, and the Burgh Island swim, and swim regularly at Clevedon Marine Lake, Henleaze Lake, and The River Avon for river adventures in the spring and summer months