Thursday Group Swim at Brohm Lake (2023-07-06)

This is the official weekly Thursday morning swim at Brohm Lake.

Time and Place

This swim takes place at Brohm Lake. We will meet at 6:15am and plan to be in the water by 6:30am. Please allow yourself a few minutes to park, get ready, and sign in before the mandatory safety briefing at 6:55am sharp. We will follow a mandatory sign-in/sign-out policy. However, we will NOT have a swim lead on shore for these swims.  If you are new to open water swimming we suggest you join us at a Tuesday evening swim at Alice Lake or a Saturday morning swim at Porteau Cove first. See below for additional location and parking info.

Swim Format

The lake is deep, clear, and about 1km end-to-end (2km round trip).

You will have the option to:

• jump in for a dip
• swim out from shore and back as far as you’d like
• swim end-to-end (2km round trip, as many loops as you’d like)

We will discuss who is swimming what length before we hop in the water. You may swim as long as you like, but everyone must sign out by 7:45am.

Safety

There are no lifeguards at this lake. There is no motorized boat traffic allows, but paddlers are common. 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 the safety briefing 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.

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; included with your membership)
– A loud whistle (mandatory; available for $5 at our swims)
– Goggles and ear plugs (optional)
– A brightly-coloured tow-float (recommended)
– Snacks and water

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 north on the Sea to Sky Highway from Squamish, use the left turning lane (signs for Brohm Lake) to turn directly into the parking lot. Parking is free but extremely limited, so carpooling is encouraged.

About the Location

This is a deep, clear lake with gorgeous scenery. The entry is rocky and steep and gets deep quickly. Water conditions tend to be very clear, so expect to see swimmers around you, the occasional lake weed (far enough down that they won’t touch you), the occasional fish, and otherwise black nothing-ness. There is a trail that goes all the way around the lake, but it’s only possible/practical to exit the lake at a few points along its length so you must be prepared to swim or float the full distance back.

The main “rock” that we meet at is at the end of the short trail down (west) from the parking lot. Here is the location.

Washrooms

There is a single outhouse at the parking lot. Consider bringing your own toilet kit with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. You may also want to arrive dressed and ready to swim.