Humber Bridge two-way solo swim

Job done

Today’s the day! Although the weather has taken a bit of a turn, Humber Rescue has given the go ahead, so I’ll be aiming to start from Hessle foreshore at about 2pm. £570 raised for Humber Rescue so far, you can still support me here -

Read Richard's story Richard is raising money to help Humber Rescue

A rare snap from the ‘other side’ of the bridge, where hopefully I’ll be able to momentarily stand clear of the water somewhere at the half way point before heading back ...

Here is the tide chart for Saturday (note the times on the left hand chart are UTC, add an hour for BST). High tide is at 14:41, when the water will be 5.5m deep, 3.5m deeper than low tide. I’m aiming to swim each width of the river in 30-35mins 🤞🏼...therefore I’ll look to begin the swim at approx 2pm from Humber Rescue Centre, under Humber Bridge at Hessle Foreshore.

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/river-humber-man-daring-swim-3049247

Daring man hopes to become first to swim across River Humber - and back Richard Royal is hoping to raise money for Humber Rescue

For those who are particularly interested in why I've chosen the dates and times i have for my swim ... below is the monthly tidal coefficient chart for Hull. The tidal coefficient or range is the amplitude of the tides, or the difference between high and low tides. The graph below shows that the 25th is the lowest coefficient of the month, meaning there is the least difference between high and low tides - therefore less water flowing in/out of the area and as such, less of a noticeable tide to affect a swimmer. This is also known as a neap tide. The 27th is the nearest Saturday to this, so the range will still be low.

I get a mention at the end of this article -

Countryfile star takes Humber challenge Helen Skelton and other swimmers complete a charity crossing of the Humber Estuary.

Delayed results from last week’s ‘Black Sheep Dip’ 3km Swim in Ripon - 46mins, 5th place (of 50) overall, 3rd male. Nice bling!

Just done a little interview on BBC Radio Humberside about my Humber Bridge Swim later this month. Please support by donating to Humber Rescue here - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richardroyalhumber

........... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-leeds-48788066?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5d1c870dfcd9fc06519d1b14%26Record-breaking%20Hull%20swimmer%20aims%20to%20swim%20Humber%20and%20back%262019-07-03T12%3A53%3A49.887Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:9c1bec9b-5daf-4a32-af99-194e9768158a&pinned_post_asset_id=5d1c870dfcd9fc06519d1b14&pinned_post_type=share

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Ever wondered what it looks like being in the water under the Humber Bridge? Here’s some pics from last year’s one-way group swim...

Next month I’m aiming to set a new record for a one & two way solo swim across the River Humber under the Humber Bridge, whilst raising money for Humber Rescue 🏊🏼‍♂️🌁 Support me here -

Read Richard's story Richard is raising money to help Humber Rescue

On 27th July 2019 Richard Royal aims to be the first person to swim the length of the Humber Bridge ... and back.

Donate here - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richardroyalhumber

About the swim

Starting at the Humber Rescue boathouse on the north bank of the River Humber, I will swim the approx 1.85km across the river to Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank and then back to the Humber Rescue centre, covering around 3.7km in total.

Whilst many people have swam across the Humber, either solo or in a group, at various points along the river, nobody has yet completed a two-way swim or established a recorded solo time in this location. I hope to be the first to complete this and to set a record for both a one-way and two-way swim at this section of the river.

The Hull Daily Mail describes the River Humber as being "as daunting a stretch of water as you could imagine. On a normal day it is vastly wide, murky and swirling with currents." According to Humber Rescue “it is the second most dangerous navigable estuary in the world after the Orinoco, in South America. With currents anything up to seven knots and sandbanks that can change almost daily, it is no place for the unwary.”

I'll be aiming to begin my swim as the river enters a short period of slack tide and the water flowing in from the North Sea slows, and aim to make the swim to the south bank and back in the short window of time before it starts rapidly flooding back into the sea, taking me with it!

About the cause

I will be supported by Humber Rescue, a fantastic independent charity of volunteers which has kept us safe by providing fast-response search and rescue operations in the Humber region for nearly 30 years. It is entirely dependent upon donations to continue supporting this vital service.

Last year I swam across the Humber under the bridge as part of a group raising money for Humber Rescue and I look forward to furthering this support this year.

About the swimmer

I am a competitive swimmer and a member of Hull Masters Swimming Club and Humberside Water Polo Club. I swim regularly at local pools and open water venues including 8 Acre, Welton Waters and Billabong.

Last year I became the first person to swim from the Principality of Sealand (https://www.sealandgov.org/about/) to the mainland UK, a distance of 12km in the North Sea, and was subsequently awarded a Sealand Knighthood. A documentary video about the swim can be viewed here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsfDcHGSXwk

I have previously swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco, across the English Channel as part of a relay team, and have competed at the World and European Masters Swimming Championships in Slovenia, Budapest and London. My swims have helped to raise over £18,000 for charities including Aspire, Mind and Young Minds.

Escape from Sealand Outdoor Swimmer Richard Royal becomes the first person ever to swim from the ‘World’s smallest country’ – the Principality of Sealand, located in the North S...