Wild Water Swimming

WILD WATER SWIMMING

PAGE ONE AND TWO:

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WILD WATER

SWIMMING

PAGE THREE AND SIX:

BEST BRANDS TO GET YOU STARTED

PAGE SEVEN AND EIGHT:

THE OUTDOOR SWIMMING SOCIETY THE

PAGE NINE AND FOURTEEN:

LOCATION IS KEY

PAGE FIFTEEN AND SIXTEEN:

LOCAL SWIMMERS IN DEVON

All You Need To Know About

Wild Water Swimming

YOUR TOP 10 TIPS !!!

1. Always consider if your’e location is safe. (If your a new starter make sure there are people around you)

2. Before you get in the water, always make sure you can find a way out.

3. Never swim with contact lenses. (This can cause medical issues)

4. Check the water quality where you are swimming.

5. If your not a strong swimmer it is never to late to learn. (Try training in a pool first for safety reasons)

6. Always wear something bright so people can spot you. (Swim caps are great)

7. Never jump into water you have not thoroughly checked.

8. Don’t get too cold and make sure you have warm clothes before and after a swim.

9. Never swim in canals, urban rivers, stagnant lakes or reedy shallows.

10. Most importantly have fun!

If it’s your first time joining this fun filled swimming community I would like to say welcome! In this issue you will discover the best locations, tips, brands and knowledge. The first thing I would recommend when it comes to wild water swimming is wearing a wetsuit to keep yourself warm, swimming in the wilderness can be very cold. If you’re swimming without a wetsuit, arrive feeling really warm, if you arrive feeling cold and then get into the cold water this could send your body into shock. To solve this, you could plan a good long walk to get you there and make sure you put on lots of warm clothes before you arrive. Once you’re in the water it takes a few minutes before the cold feeling goes away, so persevere and you’ll warm up. In general, the more you swim in cold water the less you will feel the cold, this is called ‘cold adaptation’. Don’t stay in so long that you start to shiver and definitely get out and warm up after 20 minutes, know your limits and listen to what your body is telling you. If you have footwear this can be very useful for confidence and exploring. It is, of course, quite possible to swim without any equipment but it is not recommended, especially if you are new to the activity.

The best brands to get you started

Who are Scorpia ?

Scorpia creates the most amazing colourful and funky swim caps. This is an independent business and is run by the lovely Rachel. Swimming has always been a passion in Rachel’s life and now she gets to manage a company that means something to her.

Why choose Scorpia swim caps?

Being seen in the water is so important especially if you are a new swimmer, so to have a bright and colourful swim cap is always useful. That is what is amazing about the caps Scorpia designs. Furthering this, these caps are long lasting, robust and will not only keep you hair nice and dry but keep you safe and seen when swimming and exploring your new found activity.

What sizes are these caps?

These caps come in two different sizes which are a standard adult size and long hair swim caps. These are specially designed for swimmers with longer and thicker hair to keep it dry and comfortable.

What

else do Scorpia sell?

Scorpia also sells a range of kickboards which has a range of different designs on. This is just a guide to help you develop kicking techniques.

Why you should pick Dryrobe?

What I admire about the company Dry Robe is that it is their mission as a company to ‘inspire,enable and improve the experience of an active outdoor lifestyle, for everyone.’ There are plenty of brands much like Dryrobe but none of which has their quality or sustainable dedication. When wild water swimming it’s so important that you wrap up nice and warm before and after your swim and trust me a Dryrobe is worth the investment for warmth.

What sizes do they come in?

These items come in two different sizes which are adults and kids. There is also a size for the animal friends in your life, the dog!

What are they made of?

The Dryrobe advance changing robe is now made with 100% recycled fabrics. For example, from 100% recycled polyester, 100% recycled nylon and PFC-free Bionic Finish Eco Durable Water-Repellent.

What else does dryrobe sell?

Not only does this company sell Dryrobes, in addition to this they sell seat covers, bags, beanies, boots, gloves and a towel version of a dryrobe. These are all good quality items that may be worth looking into to make your experience better.

What is The Outdoor Swimming Society (OSS)

The OSS were established in 2006 to explore outdoor swimming in rivers, lakes, lido and seas. When starting out founder Kate Rew stated “We really had to work to convince people swimming outdoors wasn’t dirty, dangerous and illegal. Lots of people’s grandmothers still did it but it wasn’t an active movement” The OSS have created platforms where members can connect with one-another which includes a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter pages and wildswim.com (this also includes a free crowdsourced worldwide swim map.) This society is a community that sets your own agenda and does what they find inspiring and fun. They stand for the chance to swim within the beauty of everyday life and get lost within the landscapes and communicate with people we meet within it.

Who runs the OSS and what do they do?

The OSS is run by a small team of staff and the rest is supported by volunteers, their main roles are helping the swimmers to register, looking after their bags and ensuring they are in the right place at the right time, serving them snacks on the water and hot chocolate at the finish, keeping cars moving and buses running, helping cold swimmers warm up and keeping the hot tub fires burning.

The days can be long and hard, but also fun as you get to take part and spend the day with your fellow swimming enthusiasts. The OSS Team members also receive a t-shirt, light meals, a discount on a future swim, and early bird access to the following year’s events. If you would like to join the OSS Team to volunteer at any or all of this year’s events, you can sign up for a volunteering place by selecting the (free) volunteer ticket available on each of our event pages. On the OSS website you can see any upcoming events and can see how to enter via this website.

Who founded the OSS?

The image to the (photographed by crane_tim) is a photograph of founder Kate Rew. Kate discovered she had an early love of wild swimming during summer days on her family’s farm in Devonshire, England. The childhood expeditions developed into a lifelong passion, prompting Kate to produce and author the book ‘Wild Swim’, celebrating some of the best swims across Britain as well as, ‘The Outdoor Swimmers’ Handbook in 2022. Kate turned her passion into a community and a place of comfort for people who share her passion.

The Outdoor Swimming Society

Location is key

Tinside

This location is a popular space where local swimmers meet, this is generally in the morning but can be during the day as well. Tinside is located on Plymouth Hoe overlooking the sea.

Swimmers mainly swim from the steps at East Tinside Beach (which is located below the Terrace Cafe on Madeira Road) where there is a swim zone and there’s usually lots of swimmers around on Saturday mornings at 10.30 and on Thursday evenings at 6PM. From time to time Pauline Barker MBE (also group admin of ocean city swimmers) organises social swims at Tinside to get the local community together, so if you’ve been waiting for some company before you venture out then this is your chance. Tinside does have an outdoor shower so when you’re fnished your swim you can have a quick rinse; no longer than a minute though. The reason for this is the warmth will trick your skin into thinking the rest of you is warm and dilate blood vessels closest to the surface which means you’ll actually start to lose heat and once you’re out from under the shower it will take you longer to warm yourself up again. Tinside is a perfect location for all swimmers as it is such a beautiful open location and I would highly recommend visiting.

Devils Point

Devils point (also known as Firestone Bay) is located just off the southern tip of Stonehouse, if you carry on walking west you can take the Cremyll Ferry from Admiral’s Hard over to Mount Edgcumbe, whilst to the east you pass Millbay towards the Hoe. This location is open 24 hrs and is free to use, there is a small cafe and next to this are toilet facilities to use. The paths have a good surface allowing pushchair and wheelchair users to access most areas, the exception to this is the set of steps at the western end of the park, there is also seating located throughout the park, if you wanted to bring any family members or friends along with you. You can swim at Firestone Bay but Tinside East is a much safer spot to swim if you are a newbie. If you are an experienced swimmer this location is a good location for you. The underwater topography and tidal fow can make some very ferce and unpredictable currents, if this is the case make sure you stay close to shore and don’t go out swimming to the buoys. Firestone Bay is an offcial swim zone marked by yellow buoys which limits the speed at which boat traffc can enter the zone, this makes it a safer area to local swimmers. If you are new, before visiting this location for a swim (I urge more experienced swimmers to do the same too) check the weather and tide conditions so you know it is safe for your swim so you can have a safe swim as well as a fun swim and enjoy the experience.

Seaton Beach

Seaton Beach is located at the foot of Hessenford valley on the Cornish coast and is set in a landscape of outstanding natural beauty and part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Seaton Beach is a large beach stretching over a mile long that gently slopes. This beach is an ideal spot for swimming or water sports, the water here is generally safe to swim in depending on the tide and the beach is quite sheltered from both waves and the wind by the high cliffs to the west. There is parking around the beachfront and you will need transport to get to this location, but parking is limited and flls up quickly in the summer.

There are lifeguards around in the summer months which is helpful when wild water swimming but they aren’t guaranteed. There is a ‘Seaton Bay Swimmer’s’ group on facebook you can attend, this has local swimmers and the community in it so if you need a confdence boost or a partner to swim with this is the group for you . The water here is completely safe to swim in and has even been given an excellent bathing water quality grade, based on samples taken from 2018 through to 2022. You can also keep updated on this beach via Surfers Against Sewage website or app.

Big Bury Beach

Bigbury beach is located in South Devon, this is also a 40 min drive from Dartmouth to this area of outstanding natural beauty. To give you some peace of mind, there are lifeguards present at Bigbury beach during May to September time and the beach also has a frst-aid room. Furthermore, there are shower facilities, toilets and on site parking which is easy access to the beach from the car park. This beach is also accessible if you are using public transport by using the South West Coastal Footpath. Bigbury beach has good facilities including a café that specialises in selling organic and local food, if you get hungry after your wild water swim. Please be aware there are other activities taking part on this beach so if you are wearing a dark wetsuit, you will be almost invisible to boat users down at water level, especially if the water is choppy. Please consider your personal safety when swimming in the open water and wear something bright so you are seen (such as a swim cap.) Burgh Island is an iconic South Devon landmark, located opposite Bigbury beach. At this island will be ‘The Chestnut Appeal Burgh Island Swim‘ on September 17th 2023. So while you are at this beach check out the island and see if this charity event is for you. The money that you raise will go towards helping to support Prostate, Testicular and Penile Cancer patients and their families right across the region. Enjoy your swim at the beach, the natural beauties of this location, be safe but most importantly have fun.

Local Swimmers in Devon

These three women are local swimmers in the Devon area, these women were chosen specifcally to be in this issue as they were so passionate when expressing their swimming lives and involving me in their stories. I have discovered that wild water swimming has changed their lives completely in different ways. For example, the lady on the bottom left has swam the English Channel and now uses her time wild water swimming to keep her occupied within the mornings. The best thing about this activity is that no matter what age you are, you are able to progress and advance at your own pace and make it an enjoyable experience, particularly that supports your mental and physical wellbeing. The lady in the bottom right hand side image (Susan) was incredible getting in and out of the water and seeing her reaction when getting out you could recognize that being in the water lifted her mood completely.