Swimming in the Usk

[mandac]

Hi all

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This may be rather optimistic, but is it possible to swim in the river? Haven't been before but fancy a dip!

Thanks
Manda

[bobharford]

Hi
My kids swim in it in the summer for years but only in warm dry weather you have to be very careful! there are sudden dips and in this weather the deep water is very cold and can cause muscle spasms so you can't swim. Some of the rocks are sharp and very slippy with weed there are also unpedictable undercurrents when it is running fast.
A few years back a lad from Essex drowned in the pretty bit by the bridge end inn on a nice summer night after a surfeit of alcohol.
I would not swim inn it if it was running fast er than a soft flow.
Good luck!

[blod]

At the level that it is at the moment, not to be recommended.

[mandac]

Thanks for responses. I think I'll give it a miss due to previous drownings and recent deluges. There will be plenty of other ways to get wet I suspect.