LOOE SEA SWIMMERS
Sewage
The first thing to stress about open water swimming is that you enter the water at your own risk. The sea is a force of nature which is unpredictable.
Sewage alerts are issued when there are prolonged periods of heavy rain. This can be due to water from car park run off discharging into the river along with any seagull excrement etc. There is also a pipe around from the beach at Hannafore from which overflow of sewage is occasionally released. Again, this will be reflected in sewage alerts.
The advice is simple......if you are unsure, don't go in the water. Everyone is different with different physiologies and immune systems - some strong, some weak. If you do decide to enter the water at such times you are recommended to always try to wear a wetsuit, and when in the water maybe focus on breast stroke to avoid the chance of accidentally swallowing any sea water. Once you get out of the sea drink some fresh water or it has been known that Coca Cola can kill off some bacteria. It is always a good idea to wash off your wetsuit and any other kit afterwards with warm clean water and allow to drip dry. Leaving neoprene in direct sunlight can cause damage so please be very mindful of this.