Open water swimming in Gunwade Lake

Open water swimming is one of the fastest growing sports in the country combining an opportunity to improve fitness with an enjoyment of the outdoors.  Whether you are training for a triathlon or just want to take part in an activity which is sociable as well as good for you, we welcome all swimmers to our regular weekly sessions held every Thursday evening between May and September from 5:30pm to 7:00pm.

Swimmers must be registered with NOWCA.  Enjoy your first swim free when you sign up to NOWCA with Nene Outdoors as your home venue! Once you've enjoyed your free swim, future sessions can be booked in advance on the link below or you can just turn up on the day.

Click here to book your place

The Course

The course is a 400m rectangular circuit on Gunwade Lake marked out by four yellow buoys. Swimmers are required to swim in an anticlockwise direction around the course and they can complete the course as many times as they like within the swim session. 

Safety

Open Water Swimming can be more difficult than swimming in a pool and so swimmers must be confident in the water and able to swim a minimum of 1000 meters (1 Km) unaided in a pool setting. Swimmers are advised to wear a wetsuit in the lake and this is compulsory for swimmers under 16 years old. Wetsuit hire is now available from Nene Outdoors. Swimmers must also use a tow float (provided), wear a brightly coloured swim hat and a NOWCA wristband. These wristbands allow us to see easily who is on and off the water and you can also track your swim sessions. The course will be patrolled by a safety boat and kayak-based spotter throughout the swim session.

Registration
You can book in advance on the link below, or just turn up! You do need to register prior to the session with NOWCA so you can receive your wristband when you arrive at Nene Outdoors. Register online at: www.nowca.org. It's £15 to register for the season and your first swim session at Nene Park will be free.

The minimum age is 9 years old and children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Click here to book your place

Session costs:
Each swim session will cost £7, with your first session free when you've registered with NOWCA.

For more information, take a look at our Pre-swim information and responsibility statement.

​Please click here to make an enquiry