Established during the winter of 2000, the Polar Bears started with a small handful of enthusiastic sea swimmers who decided it must be good for their constitution to swim in the sea all year round. The numbers soon swelled to its present level of around 12 hardy souls who meet every weekend (whatever the weather) at Havre des Pas pool. The sea temperature ranges from about 8C in January to 19C in August.

The headquarters of the Polar Bears is now well established at the Havre des Pas outdoor swimming pool, situated to the south east of St. Helier, the Island’s capital. Constructed in 1895 it is one of the oldest outdoor pools still in existence in the British Isles. The Pool, which was completely renovated by the States of Jersey recently, is open to the public during the summer months and is complete with lifeguards, changing rooms, café and facilities for the disabled.

The Polar Bears use the pool on a daily basis during the summer, usually picking the high tides to carry out one of their 2000 metre swims. Jersey has some of the worlds highest tides with a high spring tide reaching 39ft, this makes for some exciting sea swims!

Sea conditions are no obstacle to our sea faring activities. The surrounding area is reasonably sheltered (apart from strong southerly winds), and allows the Polar Bears a wide choice of safe open sea swims. Adverse conditions (or low tides!!) allow us to use the shelter of the swimming pool itself.

To be formally inducted into the Polar Bears Long Distance Swimmers, there is only one standard to be achieved. To swim a distance of about 800 metres when the sea temperature is below 10C!! The attached photograph of our headquarters reveals the initiation. Swimming from the bottom of the steps in an easterly direction to the granite wall outflow on the right of the photograph and back. Of course this can only be carried out on a high tide!

For those not familiar with the Island, Jersey is situated at the western end of the English Channel. It is the largest of a group of islands with a population of c82,000 and measures a mere 9 miles wide by 5 miles deep. At its closest points it is 20 miles from France and 120 miles from England. Over the years the Island has developed an enviable reputation for producing very strong sea swimmers who readily accept challenges across the globe.

January 2004