I really enjoyed watching this film about Wild Swimming with Alice Roberts:
There’s been a spate of articles recently (or maybe I’ve just noticed them), here’s one from the New Yorker, ”The Subversive Joy of Cold-Water Swimming‘
The vogue for outdoor swimming has been fuelled, in part, by the Internet. It’s easy to collect “likes” by posting a photograph of yourself waist-deep in a craggy loch. The British press provides travel advice about the most romantic swimming locales. The Guardian recently gushed about a spot at the foot of Mt. Snowdon, in Wales, noting, “Take a dip here and you are swimming with the Torgoch, a rare type of Arctic char fish that has survived since the ice age.”
A couple of other articles (I’m sure I’ll find more):
- ‘Wild swimming’? We used to just call it swimming
- Why everyone should try winter swimming (at least once)
this made me smile:
and this made me laugh:
My Swims
I’m collecting videos on YouTube:
Equipment
Ah swimming, so simple … just you and a costume (this is no-wetsuit swimming!)
- Swimming costume
- Neoprene boots (how to remove)
- Neoprene gloves
- Towelling robe (and any extra towels)
- Crocs-type shoes (with warm layer)
- GoPro (fake version)
- Some form of DryRobe (this is the bit I don’t have yet – do I go DryRobe, SmocSmoc or Charlie McLeod)
- Bathmat – to change on
- Hot water bottle for after
- Thermos for hot drink after
- Warm socks
- Hat x 2 – one for in the water, and one for after
- Decent bag to carry it all in (and you may need some hiking boots to get to the swimming spot)
There’s a few tips on warming up post-swimming – see ‘Pass the Salt‘, and afterdrop and the subtle art of warming up
(Photo by Marcis Berzins on Unsplash)
