Wild Swimming
Nearly all of my swimming has been wild - I don't much care for swimming pools. It used to be just called swimming, just as Camping sauvage used to just be called camping.
I guess this has something to do with us being more crowded, possessive and fearful. A simple activity like swimming has gained a certain mystique. Wild swimmers are quite likely nowadays to tow inflatables and to have special covers to keep them warm after a swim and they may use wetsuits. A simple pleasure has become more complicated and - it seems, colder. My view used to be that swimming outdoors made sense from April to October - but only when the weather was Ok. Cold water swimming was for hard (or crazy) people. Well I have been drawn in by the dreaded social media and must confess to having swum in January, February and March this year. As it turns out swimming in very cold water and air temperatures is not so bad (for me). I would never advise anyone to just take it up. Plunging into cold water can cause serious health problems (rare but it can happen). I have never really plunged but my guess is that even going in gingerly can be dangerous for a minority - so if anyone ever reads this don't start your wild swimming alone or in the coldest weather and don't start by jumping in.
Here is a short video of me with the dogs
Lake District 2017
In May 2017 I stopped for a swim in the Lake District. The image below captures the moment of entering the water. This always seems a transformation from moving awkwardly over rough stones to being supported by the water.
Berneray
The beaches on the Outer Hebrides are stunningly beautiful with clear water. Even in Summer it may be windy and temperatures seem to linger around 13 degrees. The beach below was great but it was a long walk to water deep enough to swim in!
Wild swimming links
These links come from Google searching. I have tried to weed out the ones that are just jumping on the Wild Swimming bandwagon for example as a way of promoting something else. but if there are any readers out there I would be grateful for comments about which are useful and which are not.
Les Peebles on how to find swimming spots Recommended
Imogen's river swims(wise words)
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