Into the Wild: Why I Love Wild Swimming
“Most of us live in a world where more and more things are signposted, labelled, and officially ‘interpreted’. There is something about all this that is turning the reality of things into virtual reality. It is the reason why walking, cycling and swimming will always be subversive activities. They allow us to regain a sense of what is old and wild in these islands, by getting off the beaten track and breaking free of the official version of things.”
Roger Deakin - Waterlog
There is something uniquely liberating about swimming as a general exercise that even those with only a basic level of skill in the water will be familiar with. Gliding through the lanes of a swimming pool, arms and legs moving in co-ordination whilst breathing rhythmically and in sync can become pleasurably hypnotic even after only a few lengths.
Up and down the country groups of people are rejecting the traditional swimming pool in favour of natural expanses of open water: rivers, streams, docks, lakes, beaches and canals. Instead of lukewarm, artificial, chlorine laden water - the smell of which stubbornly clings to the body some hours after immersion even after the customary post swim shower - wild swimmers chose chilly and unpredictable fresh waterways dotted throughout the country.
It offers a more exciting and unpredictable alternative to a local swimming pool that is free of charge and provides the swimmer with an experience that is impossible to replicate in the clinical surroundings of a hotel or leisure center pool; for the time that they are in the water swimmers are immersed in nature and completely at the mercy of the elements.
This realisation and the accompanying adrenalin rush is one of the many reasons why wild swimming is so appealing. There are concerns that most of Britan’s waterways are largely unsuitable for bathing because of the frequency of adverse weather conditions and problems concerning pollution and litter, but this hasn’t stopped a core group of enthusiasts from braving the chilly waters for the thrill and excitement the experience brings.
Wild swimmers use social media to network, plan meets and suggest new swim locations; they are an online community that flourishes with a shared enthusiasm for a unique pastime that continues to increase in popularity with people from all ages and backgrounds. For them the rivers, streams and open seas are not places to be shunned because of irrational fears concerning the temperature or what the water might contain, but opportunities for exploring the unknown and to experience the buzz that wild swimmers frequently refer to as feeling addictive.
Many people that live and work all their lives in claustrophobic inner cities will often walk past rivers and canals on a daily basis without ever thinking about swimming in them, which is a perfectly reasonable sentiment. Yet these are exactly the people that would benefit the most from wild swimming and immersing themselves in the accessible waterways around them because of the benefits to mental health alone.
Repeated studies have shown that those living in highly populated urban areas that lack natural space are more susceptible to developing mental health problems. This is not surprising given that such people - whilst feeling on the surface as if they are connected to the wider world because of the opportunities, economic benefits and infrastructure that comes with living in a busy city - are likely to experience a greater sense of alienation and disconnection from the natural world around them.
The opportunity to properly indulge their primordial instincts and experience the sense of rejuvenation and clarity this brings are limited. We are conditioned to believe that confining ourselves solely to safe and controlled environments is necessary for our physical wellbeing and survival whilst neglecting to properly acknowledge how restrictive this can be and the negative consequences this can have on our mental wellbeing.
The book that is considered the bible of wild swimming is Waterlog by journalist and documentary filmmaker, Roger Deakin. Of the many wonderful quotes the book contains, the following describes perfectly why outdoor swimming appeals a great deal to those that occasionally feel imprisoned and unable to escape from the restrictions of their surroundings and suffer with low mood and lethargy as a result:
“I can dive in with a long face, and what feels like a terminal case of depression, and come out a whistling idiot. There is a feeling of absolute freedom and wildness that comes with the sheer liberation of nakedness as well as weightlessness in natural water, and it leads to a deep bond with the bathing-place.”
A more scientific explanation exists for why wild swimming improves mental health. The sudden and dramatic introduction of cold water to the human body kick starts the fight or flight response. For a few seconds the swimmer is completely shocked by the sudden change in temperature, which causes a massive adrenalin rush that leads the heart rate to increase dramatically and breathing to become more labored and intense.
These first few minutes in the water are uncomfortable, even for those that chose to wear a wetsuit although many wild swimmers prefer to do without and enter the water wearing a simple costume or bathers. But once the shock subsides and the body begins to gradually acclimatise to cold water the swimmer barely notices the temperature at all and is left feeling utterly blissful and serene. The hard part is over: there is nothing left to do but float and enjoy the surrounding scenery with nothing but the birds, fish and perhaps some likeminded people for company.
Once the swim is over and the body temperature returns to normal, the positive feelings caused by the sudden release of endorphins stays with the swimmer for the rest of the day. For a period the mind has been cleared from all stresses and troubles, leaving the swimmer feeling energised, invigorated and “re-set” as a result of their experience. They have thrown caution to the wind and in many cases taken themselves out of their comfort zone. At the forefront of the swimmers mind is the realisation that if they can survive a dip in bitterly cold river or seawater on a chilly autumn day wearing nothing but a swimming costume, and not only that but actively enjoy the experience to such an extent that they can’t wait to get back in, then there are seemingly no limits as to what else can potentially be achieved.
The physical benefits are also substantial. Swimming is often recommended as one of the best cardiovascular exercises because it is low impact, therefore very unlikely to lead to strain or injury, and the most effective method of working out a large number of different body parts and muscles in one session. Bathing in cold water has been shown to improve circulation, helps to build a strong immune system and is also good for the skin and hair. Even a quick dip in a river, lake or sea is enough to experience the benefits
It’s a sad fact that much of Britan’s waterways are blighted by pollution and largely neglected by the authorities. Organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage help to bring attention to the issue and raise awareness of the problem whilst campaigning for cleaner waters along our coastlines. There are also campaigns to reduce plastic consumption and encourage recycling which also helps to reduce the amount of litter that finds its way into our rivers and lakes.
In addition to this the government has promised to make vast improvements to at least three quarters of the country's waterways by 2027 which will hopefully increase the number of wild swim locations that can be made use of. Though the rivers and seas around the country and vastly cleaner than what they were some years ago – there still remains much work to be done.
These are big obstacles which sadly put a lot of people off the idea of wild swimming which is understandable, yet providing sensible precautions are taken to ensure safety (never swim with an open wound or after prolonged periods of heavy rain, remember to warm up properly after leaving the water, wear ear plugs and comfortable shoes) there are few reasons why people should be prevented from enjoying a swim in safe and relatively clean open waterways. If local authorities were to take this further and look into developing unused expanses of water and adapting them to improve water quality and safety especially for use by wild swimmers this could help to encourage more people to take up this unique and beneficial pastime.
-Quotes are from Waterlog: A Swimmer’s Journey (2014) by Roger Deakin