The 1st Palmer Dart

11th September 2010 marked the day of our first ever organised Totnes to Stoke Gabriel swim, named temporarily by our friends as 'The Palmer Dart'. We had 30 swimmers and over 30 support boats. The Stoke Gabriel Boating Association provided us with astonishing support and it was a day to top most other Saturdays this year (for me).

Surrounded by lovely local swimmers, my fondest friends from South London Swimming Club and swimming next to my gorgeous husband I had one of the best swims I've had in the River ever ever! The water was flat calm and silky smooth and it was easy to swim through, astonishingly so.

Two astonishings already - you see that is what the day was like from start to finish.

The day was slightly grey and drizzly but the weather front was passing and the water was in perfect condition.

We set off in 3 waves, the more relaxed swimmers first, I call them the watchers, they like to drift down the river watching the scenery taking it all in, they really make the most of every swim. The 2nd group to go was the slightly faster group, they entered the water with some descriptions of the water temperature, mostly polite and lots of smiles. We were then left with the speedy ones, the channel swimmers, the 2-way windermere swimmers and quite simply the down right nifty ones.

I followed them in my support boat deftly navigated by Roger and meandered my way through half of the swimmers before finding Stuart who was swimming at an impressive pace. Just before Sharpham I slid daintily from the boat (that's not quite how it happened but it's my blog so I'll describe it how I like!) and joined Stuart to swim the rest of the way back to Stoke Gabriel.

I smiled the whole way, I felt so good in the water, what a buzz to have organised this local event and to actually be able to take part in it.

We ended the swim at the River Shack in Stoke Gabriel where Tim and Lexi had put on some delicious bacon and sausage baps for us and served 65 of us in under an hour, whilst I know it's good for business they really pulled the stops out to help us out and we all sat eating and drinking in the glorious sunshine for a good few hours.

Once again I find myself dangerously close to going totally over the top in describing just how wonderfully lucky I feel to know and be associated with so many kind and caring people all up for being in and on the river early on a September morning.

I am really very lucky! Bring on the Palmer-Dart 2011. I'm looking forward to it already.

Hembury Woods: An inspiring swimming spot

We have come across a secret weapon, a local lady who is inspired by finding new places to swim and dip and finds even more pleasure in sharing these gems with fellow swimmers, like us.

Today our secret weapon directed us towards, what can only be described as a magical pool in the River Dart. So deep in places that it was pitch black and shallow enough in others to see the peaty rock that formed the river bed. Situated in the heart of the woodland it is covered by trees allowing shards of sunlight to sparkle through onto the water making it even more magical. I felt like I was part of some lovely secret and surrounded by nature in it's purest form. My words aren't doing it justice but I feel totally inspired.

There is nothing more wonderful than submersing oneself in cold river water and swimming upstream towards a waterfall challenging you to swim into it's bubbles. Oh magic magic magic magic magic.

Today I remembered why I love swimming so much, when you find a secluded dipping spot where you can be totally alone or surrounded by like minded friends whilst also being colder than you are used, life takes a sudden up-turn for no explainable reason.

I will return to this spot, without a doubt and I am now on a mission to explore every inch of our gorgeous River Dart. What an honour to live right by it and to have discovered others who want to know and swim in every bit of it!

It's been too long...

Well it has been a long time since I posted.

My daughter is now 7 months (almost) and swimming weekly.

The water outside is warm enough to be swimming good distances, not long now and the indoor pool will become redundant again until the Autumn.

But what excites me most is that we've found a nearby swimming spot that can be used daily and is truly beautiful (well seaweed aside). It's on the River Dart and it's only ever been us there pre-during and after swim....lovely lovely lovely. I'll take a picture and post it soon as I've resolved to write more regularly now! Hmmmm, we'll see. Fingers crossed....

Freda Frog practises her diving technique

The youngest Devonshire Dipper has now had her first two swimming lessons in Dartington. She 'Swims with Sally' who has already had her totally submerged....I was more scared than Freda but she was fine! Here she is looking hot to trot, practising her diving technique, in her neoprene swimsuit, lucky little frog.

Her second swim was with her best friend Eva.....Eva took to swimming exceptionally well, she's a bright spark. Picture to follow.

Stoke Gabriel swimming...brrrrr

Stoke Gabriel is now the village we proudly call home, we are new here but we love it and have been made to feel very welcome by some extremely lovely people. It has made us look forward to the next part of our lives together as a family even more.

We try to swim in the Dart as often as possible, there is an inlet off the Dart that is home to the infamous River Shack and also Stoke Gabriel Boating Association, both of which are a huge part of the local community.

We pay very close attention to the tides and also have not as yet swum in the main body of the Dart as it is a force of it's own and we want to get to know it and seek more advice before we take that step. Stuart is planning to organise a swim from Stoke Gabriel to Totnes this summer, which is about 4 miles and we are hoping our swimming friends from London will join us.

The video below shows an excellent dip we had earlier this year. On this particular day it was so foggy we couldn't see all the way to the river itself, the water was eerily calm, which made for a truly mystical and somewhat magical dip. These swims, even though short are always the best swims.

Burgh Island - When 3 lovely serpers came to stay...

29th December 2009 our very own Nick 'the fish' Adams and Sakura 'oompa loompa' Hingley ran from Bigbury to Burgh Island in their swimmers simply to avoid paying for the ferry and they even BEAT THE FERRY TO IT!!

They darted across the water only to reach the pub before we did and avoid paying the two pound charge incurred if you board the trusty ferry. Well open water swimmers know best and I wasn't complaining as they used their savings to buy Stu and I lunch - what a lovely, slightly bonkers lot BUT they are officially Devonshire Dippers now. xx

Bantham Estuary - First swim as a Mum...

This was one of the best swims of my life. After 8 weeks of no swimming and 6 months of swimming with a bump it was wonderfully liberating to be in the water with the winter sun warming my back late on a windy November afternoon.

Bantham estuary was the perfect place to have my first post baby swim as it is where my huband proposed and where we swim together regularly throughout the year.

I will never forget the feeling I had during this swim...truly amazing!

You will see in the video that I entered the water with some reluctance, it was November 2009 and very windy, we had never seen the water so far up the quay, normally the water doesn't come in over the edge of the wall that you see me sitting down on (twice!) to launch myself into the water (more like plop myself!)

Even though it was windy and the water was choppy, the sun shone and kept me warm whilst Stuart and Freda watched from the shelter of the boathouse. Just brilliant.

One of my most memorable Devonshire Dips.