Outdoor swimming Archives

Natalie Ray July 13, 2019 Outdoor swimming

Wild swimming exploration

The thing about wild swimming is that if you love it, it gets addictive. That first swim is exhilarating, you leave the water wanting more. Days later, you’re back. Staying in for longer. Safely pushing the boundaries and getting to know your body. How you cope with the cold, whether you’ll suffer from after drop. Soon, you realise that being in the water is all-consuming. You can’t think of anything else while you’re in there. No phones or technology to distract you. Just you and the water. The feeling after a swim is like nothing else. You feel refreshed, awake…

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Natalie Ray March 12, 2019 Outdoor swimming

What I learned from a Winter of wild swimming

Last January, I sat in a cafe with a friend looking out at the snow on the ground. We talked about starting wild swimming in a few months time and laughed at the irony of discussing it while the weather was so cold. We agreed to start wild swimming in May and carry on until the school summer holidays. Perhaps we’d even be brave and manage to one or two swims in September. Over a year later, Spring officially starts in under a fortnight and we’ve completed our first Winter of wild swimming. Here are a few things I learned.…

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Natalie Ray January 2, 2019 Outdoor swimming

Outdoor swimming tips for all seasons

Deceptively bright sunlight presents the illusion of a summer’s morning, but a glance at the frosty ground reveals the real temperature. A thin mist hangs over the river. We walk towards it, removing layers of jumpers and coats, leaving only our swimming costumes. It may be a controversial opinion, but there’s no better feeling than outdoor swimming in winter. Outdoor swimming in Winter – getting in the water Stepping into the river, the cold takes my breath away. It’s shallow at first, up to my waist. I immediately lunge forward to submerse myself in the numbing water. The first two…

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