Only a fool would swim in the Liffey?

Fuinseog

I live in Kildare at the moment and notice that the Liffey around Newbridge looks enticing but can you swim in it?
I lived abroad and on the continent it was usual to swim in rivers, but over here there seems to a fear of swimming in rivers and lakes.
perhaps there is a dangerous undercurrent. maybe a risk of getting the infamous weils disease, although I swam at Bullwall in dublin where you the rats at play in the rocks. or maybe farmer brown dumps his waste and dead animals in it?
what do you thing. ill advised for a bit of swimming?

Victor

There is of course the annual Liffey Swim through the city

Note that fresh water is less dense than salt water and you float less. Also, in ordinary (above 4 degrees) temperatures, warm(er) water rises to the top and colder water sinks. This means the water is less dense again. This will apply more to the still water in lakes than rivers.

Of course, always take precautions, know the water and don't swim alone. Do not swim in reservoirs.

Fuinseog

Victor wrote: »

There is of course the annual Liffey Swim through the city

Note that fresh water is less dense than salt water and you float less. Also, in ordinary (above 4 degrees) temperatures, warm(er) water rises to the top and colder water sinks. This means the water is less dense again. This will apply more to the still water in lakes than rivers.

Of course, always take precautions, know the water and don't swim alone. Do not swim in reservoirs.

i mean more the Liffey outside of Dublin. it doesn't look very clean from O'connell bridge.
i don't know the liffey, which is why I am asking here. a 100 or 200 metre stretch of it with clean safe water and few reeds and weeds would be enough for me.
sea water has a more pleasant taste, at least for a while.

why not swim in reservoirs?

JupiterKid

Fuinseog wrote: »

why not swim in reservoirs?

A couple of reasons - many larger reservoirs were created by flooding over hazards such as abandoned villages and other structures and these can create erratic and dangerous currents in the reservoir that can jeopardise swimmers.

In smaller reservoirs, it's possible to get sucked down into the water intake at or near the dam from which escape is nigh on impossible.

Victor

Reservoirs also tend to have much steeper side than natural lakes - a short distance from teh edge could have you suddenly in very deep water.