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Swimmable Cities

swimmablecities.org

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Re: Swimmable Cities

#191

Post by unixhero »

defrost wrote: post #32
unixhero wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

》Even our unique (but not very well known) ocean pools make many of our more dangerous surf beaches accessible. What do you mean?

"Ocean pools" in Australia are large pools, often square or rectangular regular swimming pool shaped, that are set next to the ocean at sea level and can be connected or pump filled (ie tidal or permanent level). It's sea water, but without the sharks, wave action, rip currents, jelly fish, Bondi cigar's. etc Here are some in Sydney: https://oceanswims.com/lifestyle/5-of-the-best-ocean-pools-i... Variations exist all…

Right right, Arlie Beach has one. The ocean there is so treacherous that no one bathes in the ocean :)

Re: Swimmable Cities

#192

Post by seszett »

elric wrote: post #184
seszett wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same experience as the sibling, here in Antwerp. The swimming pool I sometimes go to is 4 euros (2 euros for people less than 25) and for 5 euros there's an open air heated swimming pool on Linkeroever. Also this summer one could swim in the Bonaparte dock, in the old harbour in the city center. I suck at swimming though, although I grew up on the Atlantic coast right next to the sea and bathed daily each summer. So…

I'm not sure which pool you're using, but Wezenberg is 5eur for adults, or 7.50 if you don't live in Antwerp. The cheaper pools (e.g. Plantin or Groenenhoek) are 4 or 6eur, and their opening hours are ridiculous (pretty much only open during office hours and a couple of hours during the weekend). Many municipalities don't even have a pool anymore, which forces people to use the pool in the nearest city and pay the hi…

Plantin is even open on Sundays, I find the opening hours acceptable.

Wezenberg is 5 euros which isn't very expensive either for an Olympic swimming pool. But I don't go there.

I'm sure other municipalities lack swimming pools (Say Mont-de-l'Enclus/Kluisberg) but I wouldn't make any generalising over all of Belgium.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#193

Post by interludead »

coreyh14444 wrote: post #111
interludead wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you and your family participate in winter bathing often, or is it more of a seasonal tradition for you?

During covid, my wife went every single day for months through the winter. There are lots of Danes that go for "streaks" of going every day as well. Oh, and speaking of streaking, especially in the winter they'll go in fully nude. As you don't really want a wet bathing suit to deal with when it is freezing out.

It's fascinating how some people make it a daily practice, not just for the physical benefits but also for the mental challenge and resilience it builds.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#194

Post by ljf »

dgroshev wrote: post #187
ljf wrote: post #108

I used to regularly kayak in the River Thames (London, UK) - I didn't concentrate one day and forgot to keep the kayak always facing the current, and a small boat wake/wave knocked me over. I swallowed a little water while righting myself - as was burping a horrible metallic taste for days after - but I didn't get ill. Might have been helped that within an hour of falling in, I was at a friends 30th, and the alcohol…

I'm quite sure that's autosuggestion. I was kayaking on the Thames too (up in Richmond/Teddington), but on marathon/sprint kayaks which are very narrow and unstable, so most people in the kayaking club (hundreds of people!) flipped pretty regularly. We also went to swim from the pontoon in the summer every weekend for years. I can't recall anyone experiencing a persistent metallic taste, and I'm only aware of a singl…

Yeah, I was down Putney Bridge - most people had fallen in at some point, but no one fell ill - but I would not have swim in there out of choice, you could see oil slicks on the water regularly - this was about 2008 I guess.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#195

Post by jahnu »

phaer wrote: post #66
jahnu wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would be nice to get the canal swimmable too. And enough water in the Wien to even contemplate it :D

You can swim there if you want! there's a picture with ppl swimming in Viennas canal (Donaukanal) on the website and there's a whole association around it which claims 300+ members: https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/ . That being said, Donauinsel is still quite close to the center and I personally prefer the relative quietness and greenery around there to swimming in the canal.

Ok I didn’t mean that much water!

https://bsky.app/profile/jamestheswift.bsky.social/post/3l47...

Re: Swimmable Cities

#196

Post by lukezeitlin »

contrarian1234 wrote: post #190
lukezeitlin wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Advances in remote sensing are making continuous water quality monitoring much easier. At our company we use a combination of satellite imagery and in situ optical sensors to monitor rivers and reservoirs. As well as a general water quality index, we can estimate concentrations of harmful nutrients, chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, suspended matter, dissolved organic carbon to name a few. A further advantage of satellite…

multiple daily satellite images of the whole length of a river... I know you can purchase these kinds of satellite products, but as I understand it - it's incredibly expensive. Doing that all year round seems cost prohibitive

Considerably more affordable than the alternatives:

- multiparameter sondes (submersible sensors): More expensive, maintenance heavy, only measure at one point.

- Manual grab-samples: Again more expensive when you factor in labour, unreliable, single point.

Remote sensing has its disadvantages though; cloud cover can be problematic for example.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#197

Post by RajT88 »

boredtofears wrote: post #24
RajT88 wrote: post #15

Fucking mad, but I love it. Of course, you need to work into the culture swimming as a foundational cultural thing. (Not so in the US!) I can see us getting there in some decades. It tracks with other aspirational goals which are in progress.

Why would you think swimming isn’t a cultural thing in the US? Municipal pools are everywhere across the US - and practically a staple for southwest residences. The US produces some of the world’s greatest swimmers. It’s a part of school curriculum and while we don’t really have swimmable canal cities (like most of North America) there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy swimming.

Just going to comment once.

From my experience, where I live (relatively affluent state, with Lake Michigan shoreline), it's highly regional who knows how to swim and who doesn't. People who grew up far south - not so much. Poorer folks - not so much.

I always find it weird when people don't know how to swim (being where I am from, born when I was born, etc.), so I've definitely noticed there's certain segments of society who tend not to know. What I do know is lots of people don't know how to swim.

Now - unrelated to my original post. I know a lot about the local river systems in our major cities. I wouldn't swim in even the bodies of water that look and smell nice (most don't). Actually, the rivers which don't look and smell nice are sometimes safer than the ones that do.

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