So You Can Go Swimming!

[Smoggy]

5 minutes ago, batrabill said:

As I said, our judges seem to think we should be allowed to kill ourselves at will.

I'd agree with that, the main word being ourselves, I'm big enough and ugly enough to play with matches and pointy things without blaming someone else if I hurt myself doing it, as long as I don't hurt anyone else doing it what is the problem.

We spend far too much time telling folk "you can't do that you might get hurt", just tell them "if you do that you might get hurt" and let them decide.

[JennyMorgan]

2 hours ago, Smoggy said:

I'd agree with that, the main word being ourselves, I'm big enough and ugly enough to play with matches and pointy things without blaming someone else if I hurt myself doing it, as long as I don't hurt anyone else doing it what is the problem.

We spend far too much time telling folk "you can't do that you might get hurt", just tell them "if you do that you might get hurt" and let them decide.

Smoggy, in principle I agree with you but in this case it  does involve others. As an angler I might well enjoy landing a nice plump, hard fighting swimmer but deep down I'd feel pretty rotten if I injured one! 

[dnks34]

It appears Mel Holland feels the other place has been more welcoming to her!  (yes really!!!) 

I am going to reiterate that any comments on this thread to my mind have been solely down to the choice of location, nothing against Mel and nothing against wild swimmers, I wish her every sucess with the event I just wish it were somewhere more suitable, (the Bure maybe??)  

Obviously though its none of mine or any other NBN members business....especially if your not a local and or a boat owner......we are all just pesky medling kill joys who have nothing better to do than think we own the place and spoil everyone elses fun......

I am putting it out there again that had this been a Northern river event then her reception over there would have been quite different.  

Hornets nest springs to my mind but if they feel like they are improving their image by scoring a few points then I say leave them all to it! 

Appologies if I need to be modded but I or any other NBN member is not being done down by them, we may disagree but we dont hold grudges. 

[finny]

50 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Smoggy, in principle I agree with you but in this case it  does involve others. As an angler I might well enjoy landing a nice plump, hard fighting swimmer but deep down I'd feel pretty rotten if I injured one! 

Everything on the broads involves others 

Horning week 

powerboat racing Oulton broad 

dragon boat race 

three rivers race 

scout week / sea scouts 

fishing matches upper bure 

all the above cause or have the potential to disrupt but yet it's almost considered the normal with good manners  enjoyment with a will to accommodate ,yet when a group of adrenaline rubber suited wild swimming junkies want to have a few hours splashing around the river there is outrage 

personally I think It would  have been better done somewhere like Oulton broad where a better crowd could be drawn to enjoy but is it really so drastic all things considered 

I think not 

finny

[dnks34]

None of those activities require 200 people to be in the water...(at the same time!!!) On a relatively narrow river!

 

[batrabill]

7 minutes ago, finny said:

Everything on the broads involves others 

Horning week 

powerboat racing Oulton broad 

dragon boat race 

three rivers race 

scout week / sea scouts 

fishing matches upper bure 

all the above cause or have the potential to disrupt but yet it's almost considered the normal with good manners  enjoyment with a will to accommodate ,yet when a group of adrenaline rubber suited wild swimming junkies want to have a few hours splashing around the river there is outrage 

personally I think It would  have been better done somewhere like Oulton broad where a better crowd could be drawn to enjoy but is it really so drastic all things considered 

I think not 

finny

Don’t forget the Paddle Board Event. 

Im so with you finny. Just a bit of give and take. 

 

[finny]

Forgive me if I miss a few events and perhaps like most of the posts on this thread I was to busy blowing smoke out of my own backside to notice 

I've read the whole of the this thread through and through to try and get different perspective...............and I can't 

 

finny

 

 

 

[dnks34]

8 minutes ago, batrabill said:

Don’t forget the Paddle Board Event. 

Im so with you finny. Just a bit of give and take. 

 

In most cases I would completely agree

[batrabill]

That’s what is hard for me to understand. All sorts of things happen with all kinds of risks, but this one has got the full “not safe” treatment. 

To repeat myself, would the 3RR survive this kind of treatment?

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

It appears Mel Holland feels the other place has been more welcoming to her!  (yes really!!!) 

I am going to reiterate that any comments on this thread to my mind have been solely down to the choice of location, nothing against Mel and nothing against wild swimmers, I wish her every sucess with the event I just wish it were somewhere more suitable, (the Bure maybe??)  

Obviously though its none of mine or any other NBN members business....especially if your not a local and or a boat owner......we are all just pesky medling kill joys who have nothing better to do than think we own the place and spoil everyone elses fun......

I am putting it out there again that had this been a Northern river event then her reception over there would have been quite different.  

Hornets nest springs to my mind but if they feel like they are improving their image by scoring a few points then I say leave them all to it! 

Appologies if I need to be modded but I or any other NBN member is not being done down by them, we may disagree but we dont hold grudges. 

Fully agree especially that if this had been a northern rivers event then things would be seen a whole lot different , that's one thing thats obvious most member's don't care a stuff about the southern rivers as they don't use them .

Did note she had an interesting choice of words regarding receptions on forums , I firmly believe that no one has said that this swim is wrong its the location that's wrond as many people have pointed out including me , however BA have said for yrs that swimming is not wise and yet suddenly its OK ? As far as I'm concerned BA have lost the don't swim argument as they have just sanctioned it and given away facilities to boot , its true that no one has the exclusive right to the river but common sense should prevail , I'd love to know just how many of these supporters of the race taking place on that stretch of river with the possibility of novice helms getting close to them would actually have the guts to put there money where their mouth is an register , my guess is not many .

[Guest]

Most of the original opposition to this event was on safety grounds and not to the disruption to other river users.

If people want to make comparisons with other events to justify the safety element, then it has to be a true "apples to apples" comparison. Unless these events are for 200 river swimmers in a "narrow" twisting  river with mostly reed bed bank and little road access over an 11.5Km course, shared with 40+ foot  motor cruisers, there really is no comparison or point to be made.

If we discuss the "inconvenience" to other users issue and several events have been put forward as precedents. How many of these events involve a complete closure of the river to all traffic in both directions for at least 5 hours? , since unless they do, again there is no real comparison or point relevant to this discussion.

 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, batrabill said:

Don’t forget the Paddle Board Event. 

Im so with you finny. Just a bit of give and take. 

 

Or the yare navigation race that's actually on the southern rivers ! 

[batrabill]

4 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

Most of the original opposition to this event was on safety grounds and not to the disruption to other river users.

If people want to make comparisons with other events to justify the safety element, then it has to be a true "apples to apples" comparison. Unless these events are for 200 river swimmers in a "narrow" twisting  river with mostly reed bed bank and little road access over an 11.5Km course, shared with 40+ foot  motor cruisers, there really is no comparison or point to be made.

If we discuss the "inconvenience" to other users issue and several events have been put forward as precedents. How many of these events involve a complete closure of the river to all traffic in both directions for at least 5 hours? , since unless they do, again there is no real comparison or point relevant to this discussion.

 

Wasn’t thinking of disruption - was thinking of safety. I have seen inexperienced hirers being faced by a river full of tacking river cruisers. Doesn’t look safe to me. 

 

[dnks34]

Just now, batrabill said:

Wasn’t thinking of disruption - was thinking of safety. I have seen inexperienced hirers being faced by a river full of tacking river cruisers. Doesn’t look safe to me. 

 

Atleast theres a little protection offered by whatever they are all floating on. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, batrabill said:

Wasn’t thinking of disruption - was thinking of safety. I have seen inexperienced hirers being faced by a river full of tacking river cruisers. Doesn’t look safe to me. 

 

If that was risk assessed, I think it would conclude that the major risk is to property (boat damage) unlike a swimming event where the major safety risk is that of personal injury to the participants.   

[batrabill]

Yes but we are talking about the swimming equivalent of a marathon. Swimmers who know what they are doing and don’t have a problem. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, batrabill said:

Yes but we are talking about the swimming equivalent of a marathon. Swimmers who know what they are doing and don’t have a problem. 

If one was faced with an imminent collision with a 40 foot motor cruiser, I think he would agree that he has a problem

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, batrabill said:

Yes but we are talking about the swimming equivalent of a marathon. Swimmers who know what they are doing and don’t have a problem. 

Just a minute I'm sure this event is open to novice swimmers indeed all swimmers I don't see any stipulation that you have to be an expert to take part a complete novice can sign up as far as I can see on the website .

[rightsaidfred]

29 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

Fully agree especially that if this had been a northern rivers event then things would be seen a whole lot different , that's one thing thats obvious most member's don't care a stuff about the southern rivers as they don't use them .

 

Not true I am Northern based but care I would also be less concerned if it was on the lower Bure.

Fred

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, rightsaidfred said:

Not true I am Northern based but care I would also be less concerned if it was on the lower Bure.

Fred

That's why I said most not all 

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

Just a minute I'm sure this event is open to novice swimmers indeed all swimmers I don't see any stipulation that you have to be an expert to take part a complete novice can sign up as far as I can see on the website .

That is the impression given on the face of it, but if you look at other established events there much more detailed guidelines and advice as to who should and should not take part, also most other events state wetsuit mandatory unless you can demonstrate specific experience (most people cannot sustain a long swim in the low river temps without a wetsuit) yet this one says wetsuit or not welcome with no further details. I can only hope and assume that the suitability of swimmers will be properly investigated at the application stage

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, dnks34 said:

It appears Mel Holland feels the other place has been more welcoming to her!  (yes really!!!) 

 

Me thinks that we have an annoying troublemaker in our midst! No, dnks34, not you!!

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Me thinks that we have an annoying troublemaker in our midst! No, dnks34, not you!!

Me me me let it be me Im known for it after all  

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Ricardo said:

Me me me let it be me Im known for it after all  

No, no, no, you're now one of the good guys, aren't you?

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

No, no, no, you're now one of the good guys, aren't you?

Well I like to think so