CLYDEBANK’S swim club braved the open waters of Loch Lomond as swimming pools remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

West Dunbartonshire Amateur Swim Club have been kept out of the area’s pools since March due to lockdown restrictions, however the club took an opportunity to take to more natural waters instead.

Ed Machin, committee member for the club, told the Post: “It was a fantastic opportunity for us as a club to re-start aquatic training for our swimmers in an environment that gives us an opportunity to expand our swimming disciplines to include the open water.

“The swimmers have all really enjoyed the experience of seeing their team mates again and getting back to doing what they love, swimming. Many of our swimmers have been swimming in the loch anyway to stay firm and as part of their daily exercise allowed by the government back in May.

“Open water swimming is a swimming discipline and given we are on the shores of Loch Lomond we took this opportunity to offer the option to our swimmers.

“The response was overwhelming and humbling. Almost half of our members signed up to take part and indeed Scottish Swimming guidelines prevent us from offering it to our full age range of swimmers, so we expect the sign up would have been bigger.

“It is cold; however, all of our swimmers use the correct equipment to ensure they can swim safely, and we have installed a swim routine that meets the Scottish Swimming and government guidelines.”

The amateur club was founded in 1914 and has been central to the local swim community for many years, producing Commonwealth champions and European medallists.