Plutonium Sox
Outdoor swimming

What I learned from a Winter of wild 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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Outdoor swimming

Outdoor swimming tips for all seasons

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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Health and Fitness

Open water swimming in the UK

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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