- 1,5 hrs Duration 1,5 hrs
- All ages Ages All ages
Park & Play at Pinkston Watersports is a great chance to get on the water, improve your skills and enjoy Scotland’s only whitewater center!
Quick Details
Glasgow Open Water Swimming
Whether you want to try open water swimming for the first time, improve your technique, or train for an event, come along to Pinkston and join other like-minded people on the water.
One-hour non-coached open swim session, only safety cover provided. This session is designed for competent swimmers.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we are currently only open to experienced swimmers who have their own wetsuit.
Unfortunately, no changing facilities are available due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Please be respectful of social distancing, current travel restrictions, and other current guidance. We also request that you please limit the number of people who are accompanying those getting on or in the water.
Swimming FAQ
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We have released regular swim times up until the end of September. Most of these have sold out. However, we are doing what we can to release more when we find capacity. These may be at relatively short notice, so it is worth checking back into the website if you are looking for space. It is not possible for us to say when these extra sessions will be released. It will vary depending on the other demands of the center.
First and foremost, we are a paddlesports venue, so while we have been able to create sessions for more than 300 swimmers a week we need to ensure that we are retaining our ability to do what we were originally here for.
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Unfortunately, due to limited capacity, we aren’t able to maintain a cancellation list.
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Due to the nature of the way that we work and the limited numbers on each session we aren’t able to offer a refund if we get less than a week’s notice of cancellation (50% refund will be given to sessions canceled with 1-2 weeks notice). We do what we can to help and support our users who have to change plans within this time, but we can’t guarantee our ability to do so.
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We aren’t currently able to hire out wetsuits so you would need to source your own. We find Lomo to be of great value, but there are many other online and in-store retailers.
A wetsuit retailer would also be able to provide the best advice on what size you should order.
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In the summer months, the water temperature ranges from approximately 14-20 degrees Celsius. This feels cold, especially if you aren’t used to it. Wetsuits aren’t compulsory, but we very much recommend them, especially if you aren’t acclimatized to swimming in cold water.
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In order for us to maximize the number of swim sessions available we have divided the space available. This means that we can provide swimming at the same time as running our popular kayak and stand-up paddle-boarding sessions.
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We introduced a swim pass but unfortunately had to withdraw it soon after. The reason for this was that the level of demand for time slots meant that people were buying a pass but were then unable to book a time to get in the water. To prevent this we have gone back to a system of requiring swimmers to individually book each time they want to come.
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Due to current government guidelines, we aren’t able to open changing facilities. We recommend coming changed, using a changing robe, and/or changing at your vehicle. There is also space on the decking next to the water that you are welcome to use. Please ensure that you leave the spaces in front of shipping containers clear to allow access. We recommend leaving your belongings in your vehicle and carrying your keys with you in a secure watertight case or tow float. Items can be left on the decking at your own risk, but we regret that we can’t take any responsibility for any loss or damage.
Please do not use the toilets for changing as this increases the risk of COVID-19 infection (due to greater footfall) and prevents others from using them for their intended purpose.