Stroud Masters see out 2011

Stroud Masters swimmers Lorraine Savagar and Richard Searle saw out 2011 with a wetsuited swim in Cotswold Water Parks Lake 32 on New Years Eve. With an air temperature of 10oC and a water temperature of just 6.5oC (brrrrr), Lorraine and Richard dipped their toes into the chilly water - immediately glancing each other a concerned look as their wetsuits seemed to amplify the coldness of the winter darkened water on their extremities.

Lorraine Savagar

With the swim course buoys out for the winter, the pair contemplated their route, finally deciding on swimming out to the floating oil barrels (see middle photo) and back to the pontoon, a distance of approx 120m.

Lorraine surprised Richard and was into the water without a second thought. Richard had little choice but to dive in through the pattern of ripples created on the still surface.

Richard Searle

The cold immediately cut into their unprotected hands, feet and face. Back on the foreshore, these same extremities were red from cold. Undeterred, and feeling warmer, they repeated the circuit for a second time. Richard decided, just for fun that he would make it three laps.

The pair last swam in the lake during the final weeks of October, when the water was 10oC, swimming for 70 minutes.

Unlike October, when the cold penetrated the body with each passing minute in the water, this time, although painfully cold, the pair weren’t in long enough to reduce their core body temperatures and soon warmed up with a shower, hot drink and a chat on their final achievement of 2011.

Richard Searle and Lorraine Savagar