Swimming

After a long winter and now the arrival of warmer temperatures — finally — there is one thing on the minds of many: swimming. Here is a collection of some favorite summer swimming locations.

Imagine a swim meet where they have to cut a pool out of the ice with a chainsaw so you can jump in — in little more than your Speedo. That’s not a nightmare for cold-water swimmers — it’s their goal.

Public pool rules in France say your swimsuit can’t be something you could be found wearing outside the pool. That means no trunks, Bermuda shorts, T-shirts or anything that is not strictly meant for swimming. But bust out all the Speedos you want.

The United States routinely produces some of the world’s best swimmers. Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Natalie Coughlin are all expected to medal at the Olympics. But a surprising number of Americans don’t know how to swim.

An Arizona-based company, Hydronalix, has created a robotic flotation device named Emily that could provide assistance to lifeguards and help save lives.