SwimmingModerateAs long as you can stand the cold
The Springboards & The Captains (Red Island)
← All things to do
About
Two deep-water bathing spots out on Red Island, the Springboards (the Springers) and the Captains, in use for swimming since at least 1929 and named for a diving board long since gone. This is the heart of Skerries swimming culture: the Frosties, the year-round cold-water crew, go off here every day, and the town's open-water races, the Island Swim and the Round the Head, start from this stretch. Deep water and a real tide, so it suits confident swimmers; bring a dryrobe and check the conditions before you get in.
Highlights
- ✓Deep-water diving and swimming since the 1920s
- ✓The Frosties, who swim here all winter
- ✓Start of the Island Swim and Round the Head races
- ✓Views out to the islands and Rockabill
Tips
- →Deep water with a real tide; for confident swimmers
- →Check tide and wind before entering, especially in an easterly
- →Bring a dryrobe and warm layers, even in summer
- →Reached on foot from the harbour via the Red Island loop
Best Season
SpringSummerAutumnWinter