NEWS

Piling work to disrupt Dover Harbour training this year

Are you doing a solo or relay Channel swim this year and planning on training in Dover Harbour? If so, you should be aware that traditional training sessions will have to be rescheduled or relocated due to construction work in the harbour.

Dover Harbour is having some major work done over the next couple of years creating a completely new look for the harbour and building two new container berths and a new marina. The activities being done this year will have an impact on swimming in the harbour due to the extreme noise of the piling works needed for the marina wall. Swimming in the harbour will be prohibited while piling activities are underway as there is a risk of permanent damage to hearing.

Piling work will continue throughout the season. It takes place from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and 8am-2pm Saturday. No piling takes place on Sundays or Bank Holiday Mondays. However, it is possible that piling may overrun on some days.

Alternative locations where you can swim include Shakespeare Beach (watch out for people fishing from the pier), Samphire Hoe, Deal, Hythe and Kingsdown. Swimming in the harbour outside the times of piling is permitted.

Finally, did you know that the volunteers who look after Channel swimmers at Dover Harbour will this year welcome swimmers who want to come along and swim ‘just for fun’?

Emma France, who leads the team at the beach says: “The just for fun option has been created following feedback last season.” Just for fun swimmers should wear purple caps (so they can be identified) and turn up and register at the regular swim times as the volunteers still need to know who is in the water and how long they are planning to swim for.

This year Channel training starts on Saturday 29 April at 2:30pm at Dover Harbour and will continue on Saturdays at 2:30pm throughout May. Saturday training will move to a new location from June to September.

Training on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays will remain in Dover Harbour, starting at 9am.

Find out more.

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I created Outdoor Swimmer in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine) as an outlet for my passion for swimming outdoors. I've been a swimmer and outdoor swimmer for as long as I remember. Swimming has made a huge difference to my life and I want to share its joys and benefits with as many people as possible. I am also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 a Year and I provide one-to-one support to swimmers through Swim Mentoring.