Beaches & Swimming
Cold Water Shock Happens in the First Minute
The dangerous part of a cold swim is the involuntary gasp at entry, not the temperature you eventually get used to.
Beaches & Swimming
Water, tides, safety and beaches that reward turning up early.
21 articles · updated August 11, 2026 · page 1 of 2
Beaches & Swimming
Rip Currents: How They Form and What to Do in One
A rip is water finding its way back out to sea, and the response that works is the opposite of the instinctive one.
More in Beaches & Swimming
Beaches & Swimming
Beach Flags Mean Specific Things and Not the Same Things Everywhere
The colours are a formal signalling system, and a red flag is an instruction rather than a suggestion about the view.
Beaches & Swimming
The Sea Is Coldest Weeks After the Coldest Air
Water changes temperature slowly, so the sea lags the season by about two months in both directions.
Beaches & Swimming
Slack Water Is the Hour That Decides Whether a Swim Is Sensible
Tidal streams run hardest in the middle of a tide and almost stop near the turn, which changes a swim entirely.
Beaches & Swimming
How Long You Can Stay In Depends on More Than the Temperature
Body size, movement, wind and what you do afterwards all change the length of a safe swim as much as the water does.
Beaches & Swimming
A Steep Beach and a Shelving Beach Are Different Swims
The gradient at the waterline decides how the waves break, how deep it gets and how hard it is to walk back out.
Beaches & Swimming
Bathing Water After Heavy Rain: What Actually Changes
Rainfall moves things off the land and out of drainage systems into the sea, and the effect is measured in days rather than hours.
Beaches & Swimming
Jellyfish, Weever Fish and the Small Things That Ruin a Beach Day
The realistic hazards of a swim are mostly minor, seasonal and avoidable with footwear and a habit of looking at the sand.
Beaches & Swimming
The Flattest Water of the Day Is Usually Before Breakfast
The daily sea breeze cycle means most coasts are calmest at dawn, which is why swimmers and small boats are early risers.
Beaches & Swimming
Getting Out of the Sea Is Harder Than Getting Into It
Entry is downhill, warm and voluntary; the exit is uphill, cold-handed and often into the exact place the waves are breaking.
Beaches & Swimming
Sighting, Drift and Swimming in a Straight Line at Sea
Open water has no lane rope, and a small steering error compounds into a long detour over a few hundred metres.