Sea swimming buoys
The Pitch
Problem statement
There are no safe swimming areas provided in the Torbay area. Despite The English Riviera being a major tourist attraction, and the rapid increase in the number of 'wild swimmers', none of our local beaches have lifeguards. Torbay Council place 5 knot buoys around the coastline for the summer months, and local bye laws prohibit craft from exceeding that speed within them, although the law is very difficult to enforce. Swimmers are loathe to swim out as far as the existing buoys as jet skis and speed boats still roar past and don't see swimmers. We would like to finance large inflatable buoys that can be deployed all year around, much closer inshore.
Solution
Torbay Tri Club encourage a 'wild swim' at Goodrington in Paignton every Wednesday evening. We look after swimmer's kit and provide free cake for participants. 2 years ago we purchased 8 bright red buoys and laid out a 600m course. They have been incredibly popular and are available to everyone all year around. At low water, the sea is about 5 feet deep around them and swimmers are able to hold onto buoys for a rest if needs be. We now want to branch out so that our members, and swimmers further along the coast can benefit from something similar. The council will deploy them (at a cost) if we purchase them. They will encourage more swimmers and make sea swimming safer.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
2 years ago, we bid for a grant to part finance the Goodrington project. We liaised with the council and they deployed them for us with one of us on the boat to properly position them to meet our needs. The council have already agreed to assist us again if we purchase the buoys. Our thoughts are that we will put 5 buoys spaced 50m apart in a straight line just seaward of the low water mark, so that they are always in the sea. This will provide a safe 200m 'course' or 400m if you go up one side and down the other. We have a proven track record and once we had the funds, the implementation was quick and straight forward.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Buoys | £636 |
| Anchoring equipment, shackles and chains | £1,141 |
Beneficiaries
200 people
Expected impact
Our existing buoys at Goodrington have been used throughout the summer and winter, by club members and members of the public. The free weekly swim on Wednesdays has seen more and more people take part, and our club membership has grown because of it. Making the seas safer is something that should be at the top of the tourist committee agenda, given the rise in the numbers of participants, but with budget constraints, this isn't going to happen anytime soon. Our club members feel like we are doing our bit to promote a healthier lifestyle, and although I said this would impact 200 people, the number will exceed that over the summer season alone.
Track record
Once we received funding for the Goodrington buoys, they were in place within 2 weeks of us receiving them. They just need to be inflated, painted up, and the council to arrange a suitable date, weather conditions permitting.