“Oh a packet of crisps, a piece of watermelon, it’s not possible, a boat has just dumped its waste? exclaims Joshua, one of the swimmers of the polar Ourcq group when diving into an arm of the Seine on Île Saint-Denis. But if there is only one, it is nothing. I’m not afraid of that kind of dirt, it’s nothing. It’s more difficult when you dive and touch seaweed without really knowing what it is,” he admits with a shudder.
At the beginning of August, there are five swimmers from the Ourcq Polières to put on their bathing suits, caps and goggles on a private barge where they are used to. Not to mention their orange buoy, “essential to be seen well”, and sometimes to take a break! Aware that the practice is illegal, they also know that the practice is becoming more democratic and that it benefits from a certain flexibility when the argument holds up and safety is at the centre. 20 minutes took the opportunity to ask them a few questions about this practice which is developing, in particular thanks to the Paris 2024 Games, several events of which will take place in the Seine.
“Two kilometers to enjoy the freedom of swimming in this natural element”
Created in 2016, this eclectic group regularly welcomes new members and introduces them to open water swimming in the Seine and in the canals of Paris. Gildas is one of them. “I belong to a swimming club, which has an open water section. But here, it’s more swimming for pleasure, for relaxation, ”he slips at the end of this evening session, ideally planned to appreciate the full moon. But the gray and overcast weather at the beginning of August in Paris did not allow us to take advantage of it. “We went there very quietly, it was a walk, two kilometers to enjoy the freedom of swimming in this natural element”, explains Josué.
Guillaume, a follower of the practice for several years, is also a swimmer in icy water. “A combo? Not worth it. It’s much more pleasant in a swimsuit, it’s also what makes the charm of open water, discovering the city in a different way”, he confides before diving. On the way back, the enthusiasm waned a little. “Do you want us to tell you everything? Yes ? he blurts out as a condom floats nearby. When you have that in your mouth or on your forehead, you’re a little disgusted! »