Karina Inkster and Andrea Bennett started the qathet Open Water Swim club (qOWS) earlier this year, but the loose group didn't take off until June, when the ocean water rises to a safe enough temperature for open-water swims.
“We don’t dip and we are not a learn-to-swim group,” emphasized Inkster. “There does need to be some confidence [in swimming ability], however, we do have events that are open to all levels, like our lap-swims."
Some examples of the group's accomplishments have been, swimming the length of the sea walk in Westview and a three-kilometre swim, beginning at Mowat Bay and ending at Haywire Bay.
The group doesn’t do this all on its own. Members have had friends and volunteers in kayaks and other watercraft help to spot the swimmers as a safety measure.
In the winter, swimmers usually keep up their training at the local pool and some are planning to train for a five-kilometre half-marathon swim coming up next year in the summer.
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