wild swimming Archives - Plutonium Sox

Natalie Ray January 24, 2020 Outdoor swimming

Why we swim

A foot plunges into the icy blackness. Cold penetrates the skin like a knife. Bit by bit, the rest of the body becomes submerged. Slow, intentional movements. One leg, then the other. A cautious step forward. Edging in, feeling for the river bed. Numb from the waist down. It’s time to take the plunge. A leap of faith The intentional part is done. Now there’s nothing for it but to submit completely to the water. Falling slowly forwards. Every breath is an effort. Slow down, don’t gasp. Lie still, weightless. Wait for the panic to pass. Self-awareness is all-consuming. Focus…

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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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Natalie Ray January 31, 2018 Health and Fitness

Open water swimming in the UK

This is a collaborative post. Swimming in open water is a risky business. In the sea, there are tides to think about. In rivers, you need to be careful of the current. Take a dip in a lake and you never know the depth – watch out for the temperature too, lakes can be bitterly cold. But given the right safety precautions and equipment, open water swimming has some fabulous benefits. Why open water swimming? As a child, I used to swim – a lot. For many hours each week, I’d plough up and down the pool and we’d race…

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