Humans enjoy swimming in any suitable, or even unsuitable, location. Open water swimming takes place in rivers, dams and oceans, as well as quarries, rockpools and caves. This type of swimming is usually recreational and non-competitive, although races are sometimes held in the same places where people enjoy splashing around.
The long coastline boasts numerous tidal pools, built along the shoreline to provide safe swimming spaces.
South Africa has a vibrant open water swimming culture. There are numerous recognised marathon swims in and around the Cape Peninsula, including crossings from Robben Island and False Bay, which are managed by the Cape Long Distance Swimming Association.
Open water races, such as the Redhouse River Mile, held annually since 1924, while the Midmar Mile is officially the world's largest race. Similar events are regularly held in many dams and rivers across the country.
Recently, extreme cold open water swimming has become popular, in part because of people like Lewis Pugh and Ram Barkai.