Water Temperatures

[chriscw]

I don't know what the Thames was in degrees F at Reading yesterday but my two year old granddaughter was not at all put off, a chip off the old block methinks. She did not really appreciate the buoyancy aid I made her wear though as every time she jumped in it turned her over on her back and she like to swim with her head in the water most of the time.

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, 17-4-11: 16C
Hatchmere, Delamere Forest, Cheshire, 18-4-11: 16C in shallows, 15C further out in lake.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, 22-4-11: 17.5C
R. Mersey, New Brighton (estuary) 23-4-11: 13.5C (incoming tide over warmish sands).

Wildswimmer Pete

[buck197]

Don't know what the water Temp at CIWW was today but it was almost tepid and vastly warmer than the sea in Cornwall yesterday which was Baltic!!!

[Tom Drake]

HPP was at about 10-15 degrees yesterday, It'd be interesting to know just how fast rivers etc. warm up after a really warm spell. I find that the cold more than anything else (except no rain) impacts the most on my paddling.

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Hatchmere, Delamere Forest, Cheshire, 24-4-11: 18C

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, 27-5-11: 16C
Hatchmere, Delamere Forest, 28-5-11: 15.5C
R. Weaver, Frodsham, 31-5-11: 17.5C

Those temps aren't anything to write home about at the end of May.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

HPP was at about 10-15 degrees yesterday, It'd be interesting to know just how fast rivers etc. warm up after a really warm spell. I find that the cold more than anything else (except no rain) impacts the most on my paddling.

I haven't done my records for 2010 and '09 yet, but here are those covering '06, '07 and '09

http://wildswimmer.ukhosting.org.uk/2006watertemps.htm
http://wildswimmer.ukhosting.org.uk/2007watertemps.htm
http://wildswimmer.ukhosting.org.uk/2008watertemps.htm

I sort of lost interest from late in '08 but I do have the data I've collected since - somewhere.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, 3-6-11: 20C (measured @ 400mm, surface water circa 23C)

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, 4-6-11: 20.5C

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, 14-6-11: 19C

The Weaver at Frodsham is a large(ish) slow-flowing lowland river and generally holds its temperature through summer even during/after spells of rain. It'd be interesting to check the temp. of its main tributary, the Dane, after heavy rainfall as it rises in High Peak (not far from the Cat and Fiddle) so should in theory be cold after a spell of chilly weather.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Hatchmere, Delamere, Cheshire, 27-6-11: 18.5C
R. Weaver, Frodsham: 28-6-11: 20.5C

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Clyde, Bothwell, Glasgow, 5-7-11: 18C

I've plenty of figures for my usual haunts but this one's an unusual one - the Clyde where it flows through the Strathclyde Country Park.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Hatchmere, 6C. First bare-skin winter swim of 2012 - sorry it wasn't a river.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R.Weaver, Frodsham, 12-1-12: 8.8C.

Yes, I did read thermo correctly and double checked! Quite a high inland temp for early Jan. Didn't feel like it in Speedos in the fresh N'erly breeze.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, Cheshire, 23rd Jan '12: 6.5C

Sharp drop in water temp. to something more seasonal. River muddy brown but current norrmal, although the banks showed recent signs of breaching.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R.Weaver, Frodsham, Cheshire, 28th Jan '12: 6.5C

River muddy but running at its normal current. Water temp. hasn't changed since my last swim at the beginning of the week. River level normal - no recent sign of flooding. Increased my endurance but I still need to improve to reach my pre-stroke times.

Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Queen's Dock, Liverpool, 10th Feb '12: 2.5C

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R.Weaver, Frodsham, Cheshire, 11th Feb '12: water temp 3.0C

River very muddy but level normal. Current sluggish as usual. No ice visible.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

River Calder, Mirfield (S.Yorks), 17-2-12: 6.0C

Water temp. was surprisingly mild give that some snow is still evident on the hilltops. Water appeared very clear and current about 2-3 mph (guessed!)

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R.Weaver, Frodsham, Cheshire 18th Feb '12: 5.5C

Blustery and cold Northwesterly whipping up quite a chop. River muddy but flowing at its normal level and rate - about 1-2 mph.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

River Taff, Merthyr Tydfil, 20th Feb '12: 6C

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, 23rd Feb '12: 9.0C

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R.Weaver, Frodsham, 29th Feb '12: 10.2C

Current normal, approx 1-2mph. Water less turbid than in previous weeks and I can just see my (black gloved) hand at around 2ft down.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

River Weaver, Frodsham, Cheshire, 10th Mar '12: 10.0C

Current normal, as is the level. Water is greenish but othwise clear - possibly the first signs of suspended algae as the water temp. increases.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Treeton Dyke, Treeton, Rotherham (lake) 11th Mar '12: 10C

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Weaver, Frodsham, Cheshire, 17th Mar '12: 11.5C

Wildswimmer Pete

[Wildswimmer Pete]

R. Gipping, Great Blakenham, Nr. Ipswich, 22nd Mar '12: 10.0C

I was wading in to take the water temperature at the little slipway on the Gipping at Great Blakenham. The warmest day so far this year and wall-to-wall sunshine, surprisingly after a night cold enough for a moderate frost. Despite what's shaping up to be the dryest March on record, the river's level and current are as I've found them in the past. The amount of water weeds is surprising so early in the season and reflects the unusually high water temperature for the time of year.


Me_taking_temp_gipping_22-3-12 by Wildswimmer Pete, on Flickr

Wildswimmer Pete

[JonC]

Peter, maximum respect as usual!

I've been swimming a mile in the sea at Weymouth once a week since August, but in a wetsuit since mid october. Mid jan was the coldest when the sea temp got down to 6.2. Warming up nicely now though, 9 degrees today according to the osmington weather buoy.

I'm starting to think about loosing the neoprene hood, any hints and tips?

Good work on the posts, tracking the arrival of spring in a unique way.

JC

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Hi Jon,

I would have loved to write something sensible but unfortuately I lost a lot of my language skills after my recent stroke, in fact I'm worse now than when I was discharged from hospital. Apparently this is down to my brain re-wiring itself, so I do hope I will in time regain my written English skills as well my speech.

This was the piece I posted in UKRGB before I was taken ill:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=76875&p=555745

and this from several contributors might be helpful:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=74528

Wildswimmer Pete