In our screen-filled age, a great many people longing for a genuine connection with fellow human beings have chosen to join organised open-water swimming groups, yours truly among them. Interestingly, it appears that the swimming venue you pick has a real influence on the fostering of authentic human fellowship, among many other benefits. The Canadian Aquatic Association nevertheless maintains that the choice of venue, whether an enclosed indoor lane pool or a frigid northern lake, does not matter at all.

But experienced swim coach David Rogers points out a problem. Shoulders that repeat the same lane stroke thousands of times take on far more overuse strain, and so more serious injuries, than shoulders that keep adapting to the changing demands of open water. Granted, habitual lane swimmers may, on their earliest lake swims, be humbled by the accurate sighting and steady nerve required to hold a straight line through gusting wind and rising waves.