After walking the trail around Lake Iso-Melkutin with my friend and having a quick dip in the lake, I had to come back for a longer swim. Iso-Melkutin is nice, green and clear ground water lake not so far away from my home. There are no summer cabins, no motorboats and it feels like there’s only wilderness around you. But there’s a sports aviation centre nearby the lake, but somehow the whole area is tranquil. Lake Iso-Melkutin is divers’ favourite spot, it’s … Read More
After very warm May, windy days in June have turned waters upside down and surface temperatures in lakes are now 14-17 °C in Southern Finland. So I jumped in my wetsuit and swam a short swim with hand paddles in Lake Lohja, my home lake. Visibility in greenish gray water wasn’t that good, just a length of a biceps, to quote Colin Hill’s (Chillswim) description of water in Lake Balafon in Hungary, where Marathon Swimming Wolrd Cup was held this weekend. I … Read More
The Folk Park of Saari is located in the Häme Lake Uplands and it was founded in 1932. There are high ridges and 13 lakes and ponds in the area. I went to Lake Suujärvi, a clearwatered lake with small diving tower, with my daughter. We’ve been here before, so we knew water would be chilly in this ground water lake. And so it was, around 14-16 °C. Only two-three meter wide neck of land separates Lake Suujärvi from Lake Kuivajärvi. These lakes are … Read More
I had a nice evening swim at my home lake, at Lake Lohja. Lake Lohja offers great locations and sceneries for open water swimmers. Four years ago I started to invite people to Lake Lohja to swim with me and things evolved in direction that last spring I started a business called Swimming Holidays in Finland. I hope more people find they way to swim in this wonderful lake and of course in many lakes and ponds around Lake Lohja … Read More
There are 10 public beaches in Loppi, a small rural municipality in Häme Lake Uplands. One of them at Lake Loppijärvi has a wide beach with small marina and children’s playground. I went for an evening swim and enjoyed scenery with two islands nearby. Location: Loppijärvi (11 km²), Loppi
Water temperature was 20,5 °C this evening in Lake Alasjärvi. I’m totally spoiled! Weather has been unusually warm most of the time since beginning of May. Lake Alasjärvi is dark, rich of humus and absorbs sunlight and warms up quickly. I had a nice 1 K evening swim. There were children on the beach swimming and angling, also enjoying the exceptional warmth. Location: Alasjärvi (1,2336 km²), Tervakoski, Janakkala
On the 22nd of May I didn’t have a chance to swim, sadly. So instead of a usual blog post, here’s a story from Thursday the 28th of April, when I went swimming to Lake Kuohijärvi in Lammi to plan this blog. It was a remote location. I thought nobody would appear, especially weather being cloudy and cold, nevertheless location belonging to Häme Recreation Area Association, So I had a nice cup of coffee and a cake and started to take … Read More
Tonight’s swim under a full moon was very special. I went for a swim after a party and felt the cool water of Lake Lohja extremely vitalizing and refreshing. It’s hardly dark at all during nights, so long white nights of summer are almost here. Location: Lohjanjärvi, Lohja
My home lake, Lake Lohja, was colder today than I presumed. Only around 13-14 °C in Kivessalmi Strait. So I put on my Aquaskin half suit and it helped me stay a bit longer in water. I wanted to explore the shoreline high rocks, which are partly so steep, that there’s no access by land, unless you have climbing kit with you. Many protected plants, especially various moss and lichens, grow on these calcareous rocks. Wagtails love to jump and fly … Read More
It was a very special swim with my daughter by the Olympic Pool in Hämeenlinna. We had brand new wetsuits and goggles and they proved to be just awesome. Water in Lake Ahvenistonjärvi was green and very clear, typical to kettle hole lakes. Water temperature was around 13 °C. Before swimming we walked along a nature trail around the lake (2K). Ahvenisto Park, which was build for modern pentathlon in Helsinki Olympic Games 1952, has olympic sized outdoor pool just on … Read More