Swim The Wight CIC today (Friday) launch a key survey to find out whether the Isle of Wight’s residents, businesses and visitors use our seas.
Do they go in it or on it? If so when, where and how? If not, what are the barriers that stop them & would they use a year-round accessible and safe Sea Pool if there was one at Yaverland?
The survey (find here) forms a key part of a Feasibility Study on the pool which will be analysed and fed into the study over the next few months
An open air, sea refreshed pool
Swim The Wight wants to develop an open air, sea refreshed pool for the Island that will sit naturally within the sea defences and be part of the regeneration of Yaverland and Sandown.
The sea pool will provide an accessible, safe and free to use resource year-round for all swimmers, bobbers, dippers, non-swimmers and water sport enthusiasts encouraging and supporting “blue health” for physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing.
Cold water swimming
Cold water swimming has grown hugely in popularity over the past few years and is now regularly undertaken by millions of swimmers weekly, year-round. The benefits of cold-water swimming to mental and physical health are the subject of numerous current studies and are becoming better understood.
Sandown Bay is already a very popular swimming area for a large number of regular resident swimmers and visitors and Swim The Wight CIC believes that a sea pool will offer enthusiasts a longer season and more protected swims when the weather is rough as well as the opportunity for the less confident and able to swim and try it out safely, broadening the appeal greatly.
Thorneton-Field: An accessible naturally-fed Sea Pool will resolve many issues
Victoria Thorneton-Field, founder of Swim The Wight says,
“We love swimming in the sea around the Island, year-round, but there are times when the weather just makes it unsafe even for the very best swimmers.
“I meet so many people who say that they just don’t have the confidence to swim in the sea or who have accessibility challenges and just can’t access the beach or sea safely.
“An accessible naturally fed Sea Pool will resolve those issues and provide many more opportunities for Sandown Bay and the whole Island.”
Takes 5-10 minutes to complete
The Isle of Wight Sea Pool Survey is a short (5-10 minute) Questionnaire asking people for their views on swimming and whether they would use a sea fed pool.
The results of the survey put together by Swim the Wight in conjunction with Unlimited Island and Southampton University will not only be fed into the feasibility study for the Sea Pool but the wider vision for Yaverland and the greater Bay Area Place Plan.
Have your say
Swim the Wight want as many people as possible, residents and visitors to the island, swimmers and non-swimmers to give us their views about swimming over the next two months through the survey.
Members of the Swim the Wight community will be present at Island summer events to promote the survey and it will be promoted via the local press, social media and local businesses. The more responses received the better the input will be into the feasibility study and any subsequent plan that comes from that reflecting public views.
To access and complete the survey please go to the Website and click on the link to the survey or scan the QR code.
News shared by Emma on behalf of Swim the Wight. Ed
Image: luismarina under CC BY 2.0
