Good morning,
My contract has been extended for another 4 weeks, so I can focus on the last sport I have not found a good solution by now: swimming.
Has anybody a tip for open water swimming in the Zhubei area or a place I can reach by public transport?
So far I have even at the beach found nobody in the water, and I fear there is a reason and I don’t like to explore myself…
Over the weekend I have a rental bike and I can use also my tri Suite.
Thanks, Stephan
Most coastal areas in Taiwan have strong currents. One should know about the specific area before going into water.
Best is to swim in the lakes inland or public swimming pools.
People often swim at Wai Mu Shan in Keelung. And there are groups that swim to or back from Keelung Islet, and a support boat is used for one of the directions. I would be very careful about venturing off by yourself, though, for the reasons mentioned by Slawa.
Maybe you can try a seawater pool, like the Heping Island Seawater Wading Pool in Keelung.
But don’t expect anything too special. They are safe, though.
Not ocean, but not too far from Taipei. This is my favorite natural pool in the area. Big enough for laps. No swim caps, and none of that pesky salt either.
That’s a very local spot. Passed by a few times on hiking outings. I wonder how the water quality is.
The water quality is great, and because it’s from the nearby mountain, it is cold! I would normally not recommend it in October, but it’s been so hot lately, it probably would feel refreshing.
For anybody not familiar with this place, it’s on Xiwan Road that many cyclists ride up. My favorite swim a Ke Je Lin was after cycling up Xiwan, and then we took a dip on our way down.
It will get cool this weekend.
But if you plan to swim around open water make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. There’s a lot of dangerous currents that looks inviting.
It most definitely looks cold, even just walking past, you sense the coolness. 
Thanks so far for the tips
The spots looks really good but it seems to be a longer journey from Zhubei