Warmcor are a British brand, they make the Changing Tube - a brand new product to help cold water swimmers get changed post swim.
Here we chat to Jenny, one of the Founders to find out all about Warmcor and her wild swimming journey so far.
Where did the idea for the changing tube come about?
It came from me being green with envy.
I had been struggling with getting changed effectively and quickly after swimming. So when a fellow swimmer said her trick to speedy changing was a boob tube, it got me thinking.
I'm rather large-chested so historically I had always found boob tubes a pain to find, and I knew that it could be much more of a tool for a cold water swimmer.
Fleece was quickly thought of as an excellent material to use. Stretchy, absorbant for those stray droplets that I may miss on the dab down, and most importantly: warm! The Changing Tube was born.
How did you get into wild swimming?
It came out of a challenge. A friend of mine suggested doing a sprint triathlon which I was strongly opposed to. But, many years ago a different friend helped to coin my mantra: What do you want to say on your death bed?
Forgive me if it sounds a bit morbid but it has prompted me to do things that I never thought I would. I WANT to have a long list of things to look back on to say "I did that". Life is just too short.
The upshot was that I said yes to the Sprint Triathlon and amazed many people by actually completing it. That challenge turned into a wild swimming hobby that I’ve been enjoying for over 8 years. It’s given me purpose, friendship, better health, increased self-esteem, and most recently an invention and a business! I feel very lucky to have said yes to that challenge.
Tell us about an early childhood memory of swimming
Adventures with my Nana. She would take us on day trips which involved my sister and I choosing which turn we would take next.
"Left!" "Straight on" "Left". Yes, we often found ourselves going in circles. But it was great fun. There was a river close to the Scottish borders where we would always end up going for a paddle. It was just lovely being outside as a family in the water and summer sunshine.
Tell us about a typical day in your life.
A typical day tends to start with one or both of my cats launching themselves on top of me to wake me up and if that doesn't work, a claw to the face will sort it!
After the cats are fed I like to take in the morning with a coffee and a quick read. I try to flit between fiction and factual books as I love to be constantly learning. But sometimes you need something like a Bridgerton romp to giggle at.
Then I'll spend an hour on Warmcor work before heading off to my day job. I currently work for a hospice charity as a marketing fundraiser. It's hard and intense but the effect that the charity has on the community is worthwhile and important.
Once home, I try to fit in some more Warmcor work before decompressing with an icy cold dip in the back garden tub to ease me into a relaxing evening.
Weekends are generally spent working on Warmcor (surprise, surprise!), swimming or paddle boarding in the Lake District, and seeing friends.
What is in your swim kit bag?
Changing Tube
Dab down towel
Tow float
2 Warmcor beanies. One for in the water and the other for on the shore
Warm socks and gloves
Swimsuit
Swim shoes
Changing Mat
Flask of hot stuff (generally coffee but I have been known to do hot chocolate)
The second most important piece of swim kit in my bag after the Changing Tube... Cake!
Most memorable wild swim so far?
That question is so hard to pin down. I find my best wild swims are the ones where it is super cold. I love the sting to the senses, shocking me into the present and making me feel so alive!
But it's the other little elements that really make their mark. I always remember a swim at Salford Quays with the Uswim company. I was pootling along on my own whilst most people around me were practising their front crawls for the upcoming triathlon.
All of a sudden a tiny little fish flew out of the water and then promptly plopped back in right in front of me. It was like it just popped up to say hello to me.
Looking around I saw that I was alone and I honestly felt really privileged. The sheer amount of people in the water that day and I got to say hello to that little fish.
For me, each swim where I can connect with nature is memorable and special.
Where is on your wild swim bucket list?
Great question! Anywhere where I can get into clean cold waters is somewhere I want to go. Getting to the Arctic Circle for a swim would be amazing and a real challenge.
I wouldn't mind trying to swim in the Hudson River, NY. Or, get to San Fransisco and imagine what it would have been like to swim from Alcatraz! I would also love to swim the Seine when they open that back up to Parisian swimmers. I think that would be cool.
Your top tip for beginners to wild swimming?
Stop (or never start) measuring your progress by other people. Embrace the individual that you are and enjoy each swim as they come because they are all different and your body approaches them differently each time.
Just enjoy yourself.