Full Moon Swim at Furry Creek (2023-08-31)

Let’s keep summer going! Celebrate the light of the full moon and come for an evening swim/dip and social gathering. Please bring a headlamp and an extra light for your swim buoy if you have one.

Time and Place

This swim takes place at Furry Creek Beach. We will meet in the parking lot at 7:00pm (sunset is around 8:00pm but usually sets behind the mountains a bit earlier). Please allow yourself a few minutes to park, get ready, and check in with the group for a safety briefing just before we hop in the water. Please bring water shoes/beach shoes as the beach is quite rocky. See below for additional location and parking info.

Swim Format

Please join for a dip, a short swim or a bit of a longer swim. We will talk as a group ahead of time to make sure everyone has a buddy. You can also just come for the socializing and not get in the water at all. Totally up to you! Feel free to bring a snack and beverage of your choice if you’d like so long as we are responsible with driving and leave-no-trace.

Safety

There are no lifeguards at this beach. There could be motorized boat traffic, but they tend not to get too close to shore. Swimming wild is an amazing experience, but it’s not without risk. This is how we manage it:

– We swim within our own abilities, and need to be honest with ourselves about our abilities if we decide to venture out of our depth. We want to be out of the water long before we get too cold or exhausted
– We swim with a buddy, and check in regularly to see how each other is doing
– We each carry a whistle. If anything happens, you can signal for help
– We each wear a brightly-coloured swim cap (such as your SWS member cap!). This makes us easy to spot. A brightly-coloured tow float is also highly recommended, and can be great to hold on to when having a break out in the deep water
– We will sign in before we swim and sign out before we leave. If we don’t sign out, the volunteers will call us, then our emergency contact, then the first responders. This is incredibly important to make sure we can account for everyone
– We will have a first aid kit and at least one person trained in first aid present at every swim. However, this first aid person may be in the water and will not necessarily be able to respond promptly. We may also be far away from the kit as you venture out on your swim. 

Swim Gear

Each swimmer is responsible for their own choice of gear, but here are some suggestions:

– A swimsuit or swim apparel of choice (no judgement)
– A wetsuit (optional)
– A brightly-coloured swim cap or hat (mandatory for daylight swims; optional for night swims)
– Some sort of light (mandatory for nights swims). This can be a waterproof headlamp, a glow-stick in your tow-float, or whatever create way you can think of to be at least a little bit visible
– A loud whistle (mandatory; available for $5 at our swims)
– Goggles and ear plugs (optional)
– A brightly-coloured tow-float (recommended)

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, zippers, 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 car. Heading south on the Sea to Sky Highway from Squamish, use the right turning lane (signs for Furry Creek) to exit. Park on Beach Drive here. From this parking lot we will walk down to the beach together.

About the Location

The beach entry is gradual, and you can stay within waist-deep water very easily if you wish. The beach is a bit rocky so water shoes or waterproof flip flops are recommended. The water is somewhat clear, meaning you can typically see the bottom in daylight.

Washrooms

There are no toilets so please plan accordingly 🙂