There is a perception that you need lots of kit when getting started with wild swimming - in particular, the much maligned Dryrobe. This is not necessarily true.

Outdoor Swimming 5 Tips for Getting Started with Outdoor Swimming

There is this statistic of only 3% of inland water being legally accessible, which is a bit questionable. A lot of those places, people have been swimming for years and if you were to swim there and bump into landowners or other swimmers, they wouldn’t even be aware that technically they’re not allowed to swim. That’s the case in Sheffield, we have three spots where we assumed we were allowed to swim – even the council thought so. Then I looked into it and you’re not. It goes to show that even where we have the right to roam through walking, that access stops at water. A lot of people don’t realise that – I didn’t realise it for a long time. There’s a big issue, but it doesn’t mean to say you’ll have finger wagging and tutting and shouting as that’s quite rare, but it’s still not good enough when we need equal access and people need to feel they have a right to be there. Is it safe to swim in reservoirs? Kate: “Word of mouth is good, there’s a lot on the media now about swimming spots, guidebooks, lots of wild swim groups as well. So it’s really easy these days just using Google. I would add there is no such thing as a safe swim spot, only a safe swimmer. So it’s really important that you consider what your own swimming ability is. The guides you find online are guides, but you really have to think about it when you get there and assess if for yourself, and take responsibility for yourself. Think about cold – it’s much easier to start swimming in summer. We’ve got this situation that I don’t think anyone in the OSS would have predicted of people starting swimming in the midwinter. Normally people build up to it with a few years of summer swimming.” Wild swimming is a good practice ground for controlling your thoughts and anxieties - we all have them.” Kate: There are many varieties of swimming out there, from pottering about to long distance to adventure. The media narrative is that lots of people are swimming because of mental health, anxiety and depression, but a lot of swimmers do it just because they love it. If it’s good for you, I suspect it’s because you’re intrinsically drawn to doing it in the first place. If we do it just because it’s good for us I’m worried it’s giving it a utility or turning it into something for our material benefit. If we do that we’re missing the whole magic of it, which is to sink down into the planet, feel part of nature, completely connected and out of our normal mindsets. That’s not the story I’m hearing, but I’m so glad so many people have joined us, whatever the reason.” Do you have any advice for swimming alone, especially in the sea?

Through her profound creativity and enthusiasm, Rew’s efforts and publications have literally encouraged, guided, and inspired millions of people – first starting in the UK and then expanding globally – to take to the open water. Just as there was a time before triathlons, skateboarding, surfing, mountaineering or mountain biking, there was a time when mass-participation open-water swims were not commonplace. That time was 2006. In the fresh grip of a love for adventurous swimming and eager (messianic in fact) to get more people out of pools and into British rivers and lakes with me, I set up ‘Breastrokes’, a one-mile charity swim, and I chose the two best-known lakes I could think of (perhaps the only two lakes I could think of) in which to host it: the Serpentine in the middle of London, and Windermere in the Lake District.

The Outdoor Swimmers’ Handbook - Guernsey Literary Festival The Outdoor Swimmers’ Handbook - Guernsey Literary Festival

I wouldn't look over your shoulder at what everyone else is doing. They might have swum all winter, they might have a completely different body mass or physiology to you - just do what feels good to you,” Kate explains.

Kate Rew started The Outdoor Swimming Society in 2006 at a time entering open water for fun was considered dangerously left-field: dirty, dangerous, and possibly illegal. Freshly passionate about swimming, she started taking other people swimming, who in turn took other people swimming.. and along the way learnt a lot about water, and set up some of the most iconic swim events in the country (the Dart10k, the Bantham Swoosh and the Hurly Burly). Watch the premiere of Under the Surface, a documentary that follows swimmer Jim Read exploring acceptance after injury, men’s mental health, and what it means to be vulnerable as a man in the endurance swimming world You'll find your breathing becomes regular again, and you'll start to embrace the slightly fresh feeling, rather than be afraid of it,” she explains We're ruining so many things by over-analysing them in life, maybe we should just let swimming be something lovely. The most powerful thing is probably to go for a swim and see how you feel,” she says. Ready to try it out? Kate’s new book, The Outdoor Swimmers’ Handbook, contains decades of accumulated knowledge about planning a swim, understanding different water bodies, and acclimatising to the cold. She’s also given us her five top tips for getting started with outdoor swimming. 1. Coping with the cold Getting into the water slowly will help you acclimatise. Photo: Finisterre Microadventure.

swimmers – Outdoor Swimming Society Expert tips for beginner swimmers – Outdoor Swimming Society

While the fear of being grabbed by a monster and pulled underwater while swimming might sound laughable on dry land, when you’re swimming across a cloudy lake, it’s far more pervasive. According to Kate, this fear doesn’t go away, but the anxiety can be managed. Swimming with your head up helps prevent fear of deep water. Photo: Getty. Through the lenses of community, the environment and mental health, Toes in the Water is a collection of inspiring stories exploring why the underwater world can have such a profound impact on people.

Kate has several strategies for dealing with it. One of them is making sure you have someone swimming with you. Another is counting strokes, and focussing on the feeling of the water against her hands. I'm absolutely crap at cold. People expect, because I run the Outdoor Swimming Society, that I'm going to be tough as nails, so I find it really difficult to admit I need to get out when other people can stay in.” 2. You don't need lots of expensive kit For some dips, all you really need is a swimming costume! Photo: Liz Seabrook What are the signs that you should get out of cold water, especially if the adrenaline is masking signs?