CANCELLED: Wild Swimming Workshop for Beginners
This is a wild swimming workshop for folks new to open water. This workshop will cover all the basics to gain confidence in the ocean and lakes, and successfully transition from pool to open water. Suitable for anyone who can swim head down front crawl for 50m without stopping.
Main Details:
- Place: this workshop will take place at Alice Lake. We will meet at the swimmers beach near the paddle rental hut.
- Time: be there at 8:50am and plan to be ready to go by 9:00am sharp.
- Duration: about 90 minutes
- Cost: $50 per person
- Instructor: the workshop will be taught by Coach Stewart who is not only an accomplished swimmer himself, but an excellent open water coach and waterfront lifeguard.
Workshop Content:
- Sighting and navigation
- Swimming efficiently in the open water
- Basic hazard recognition
Registration Process:
- Log in to your Swim Wild Squamish Account and click “sign up” on the right hand side of this page.
- Watch your email for an invoice and payment instructions from Coach Stewart, and pay within a reasonable timeline
*Note that we need a minimum of 8 participants to run, so please sign up at your earliest convenience.
Gear:
As of May 28, the water temperature is approximately 18C, making this workshop wetsuit-strongly-recommended, but not mandatory. Unless you have experience spending about 90 minutes in the water at this temperature, or just know you won’t get cold, then we would really recommend a wetsuit. Wetsuits can also be great for building confidence since they give you a little extra buoyancy!
Other pieces of gear you should bring are:
- A swimsuit or swim apparel of choice (no judgement)
- A tow float (mandatory if not wearing a wetsuit)
- A brightly-coloured swim cap
- Goggles and ear plugs (optional)
Once you get out of the water, you might want:
- A large towel or two
- A mat or extra towel for standing on while getting changed
- A dry-robe, towel robe, or just a big towel for getting changed under
- Loose clothing that’s easy to pull on when you’re slightly damp. Buttons, dippers, or other fussy things that are difficult to use with numb fingers are not recommended
- Water shoes, crocs, or flip flops
- A warm drink
- A snack
Getting Here and Parking:
This location is best accessed by bike or car. Heading north on the Sea to Sky Highway from Squamish, take a right turn onto Alice Lake Road (signs for Alice Lake Provincial Park) which is opposite the Squamish Valley Road. Follow the paved road through the first gate on the right. Park anywhere there’s room. If this lot is full, there may be additional parking on the other side of the lake. The parking lot can get busy on sunny summer days, but the parking is free and generally abundant.
By mountain bike, you can also access the lake via Jacks Trail (or a host of other mountain bike trails in the area).
About the Location:
This is a relatively small lake, which also means it gets nice and warm in the summer. There are occasionally submerged logs or branches in the water near the perimeter of the lake, which is why we typically swim straight across. Water conditions tend to be quite murky, so don’t expect much visibility. If seeing things underwater freaks you out then this is the place for you!
The entry is sandy, so no need for water shoes. Conditions tend to be very mild, and we rarely get any wind or chop. Water temperatures vary from around freezing in the winter to the low-20s in the summer.
The main beach is a roped-off area to the right of the washroom building. This is NOT the swimmers beach. From the washroom building, head slightly LEFT towards the paddle rental hut, and you will see three small beaches broken up by some trees. This is where we meet.
Washrooms:
There is a fully equipped washroom building between the parking lot and the swimmers beach (may be closed for COVID) and a pit-toilet adjacent to it. In case the main washroom building is closed, consider bringing your own toilet kit with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. You may also want to arrive dressed and ready to swim.
