Cold water swimming can be a truly exhilarating experience, offering a unique blend of physical and mental benefits. While many of us associate swimming with the warm summer months, the joy of outdoor swimming extends far beyond the seasonal highs. By starting your journey in the summer and gradually adapting to the colder waters, you can enjoy the joys and benefits of swimming outdoors all year-round.
Why Start in Summer?
- Building a Foundation: Summer provides a comfortable environment to establish a consistent swimming routine. Sea temperatures reach their warmest in September time in the UK
- Adapting to Cold Water: Gradually exposing your body to cooler temperatures helps you acclimatise and develop a tolerance to the cold.
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Enjoying the Warmth: Summer offers the luxury of swimming in warmer waters, making it easier to enjoy the experience and build up your confidence.
Our top tips for Swimming Outdoors Year-round:
Gradual Progression:
Swimming regularly as the water temperatures decline will allow your body to acclimatise to the drop in temperatures
Have the right kit for the water temperatures:
Wild swimming can give you a great sense of freedom, all you need is some swimwear and a towel and your good to go right? But making sure you have the right kit is important, especially as the water temperatures drop, to ensure your wild swimming sessions are as pleasant and safe as possible.
We have compiled a list of the best swim gear which can make your swims safer - click the links to see what we offer:
Wetsuits & Neoprene Boots and Gloves
Do a recce of your swim spot and do a risk assessment
It is always advisable to do a recce and a risk assessment of where you are going to swim. Also, if swimming somewhere new to you, speak to locals, other swimmers or lifeguards; when on duty, who are familiar with the swim location to find out about any potential hazards.
Here are some things to consider:
Water conditions
- Tides - if swimming in the sea, what are the tides doing? Will you get cut off by an incoming tide, is there a pull of an outgoing tide or will you be out of your depth if there are sandbanks with shallow pools which will become deeper when the tide comes in?
- Currents - are there any currents; in particular rip currents, and do you know how to spot one and get out of one if you get caught? In a river, once you are in are you able to climb out easily again, how fast is the flow of the river and will you be carried downstream if you get caught in it?
- Waves - is there much swell that day and how big are the waves?
- Water temperature - what is the temperature of the water? Take into consideration the temperature of the water and adjust your time in the water accordingly.
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Water quality - unfortunately our waterways and sea are subject to pollution and sewage. We highly recommend downloading the free app Safer Seas by Surfers Against Sewage.
The app alerts water users when sewer overflows discharge untreated human sewage into the sea and when water quality is temporarily reduced due to heavy rainfall and pollution incidents.
Weather conditions
- Wind - can reduce your body temperature even further and can make the water's surface choppy.
- Rain - rainfall can cause run off from fields, increasing water pollution and making it harder to keep your clothes dry and more difficult to get changed.
- Outside temperature - colder outside temperatures will mean you are colder before you start your swim and make it harder to warm up post swim.
Other considerations
- Entry and exit points - is it safe and easy to get into the water, are there any sharp rocks, or could you slip? Can you quickly and easily exit the water? Will the flow of the river take you downstream and where will you be able to get out?
- Rescue equipment - are there any lifebuoy rings nearby should you or someone get into trouble?
- Phone signal - do you have mobile phone service should you need to call for help? Do you have your phone in a waterproof phone bag which you can use in the water?
- Location - do you know where you are and how to get back to the car? Would you be able to provide the emergency services with your exact location? We recommend downloading the app “what3words” for accurate locations
If you are new to wild swimming or swimming in the open water it would also be a good idea to stick to beaches which are patrolled by Lifeguards or to an outdoor swimming venue which has lifeguards.
Prioritise Safety:
Always swim with a buddy or even better go along with an experienced outdoor swimmer for your first swims, they can talk you through it and make you feel a lot more supported when taking the plunge.
Or also, have someone who is going to stay on dry land to keep an eye on you and do they know what to do should you need help.
Educate yourself about cold water shock and after-drop:
Cold Water Shock is when the cold water causes the blood vessels in the skin to shrink causing the blood flow to reduce and heart rate to increase. This in turn means the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body increasing the blood pressure. Breathing rates will increase as you enter the water and your natural reaction is to gasp for breath. It is therefore important to slowly enter the water and to control your breathing by taking slow, deep breaths.
After-drop is when your body temperature continues to drop even after you have exited the water. This means you will continue to get colder for even up to 40 minutes after you have come out of the water. This is why it is SO important to not wait until you feel cold before getting out of the water and to get out of your wet swim kit, dry yourself and layer up with dry warm clothes as soon as possible. We talk about how to warm up safely and the importance of keeping within your time limits in part two.
Watch your time:
Adjust how long you are in the water as the temperature drops
Warm-Up Post Swim:
Get out of your wet kit asap, wear plenty of warm layers, have something hot to drink and a snack (cake is great!)
By following these tips and embracing the challenge of year-round outdoor swimming, you'll discover a rewarding and fulfilling activity that benefits both your body and mind.