lifestyle
Wild Swimming: Somewhere beyond the sea ...
Is there anything better than an ice-cold dip at dawn with a group of strangers? Yes, literally anything else, Antonia LeVay would have told you not too long ago. Now? Not so much. Here’s how she warmed up to the fast-growing exercise movement.
Wild swimming or just, erm, swimming has been around for yonks, and unless you’re in the Arctic being chased by an orca or find yourself lost in the middle of the ocean, it’s not really wild. Going to your local beach isn’t what I would call ‘wild,’ anyway.
In recent times, the term ‘swimming’ has become acquired by modern man and renamed ‘wild swimming,’ which, according to social media and wellbeing publications, everyone and their dog is embracing in an attempt to gain that feeling of inner peace, calm and tranquillity that we all crave. Our nation’s beaches, ponds, lakes and streams are being overrun by giddy, snack-bearing gangs of middle-aged women in a variety of dry robes – de- stressing, solving problems, and getting fit in the process.
The sheer number of willing dippers keen to plunge into the (let’s be honest: usually cold and a little bit murky) water is eye-popping. The meteoric increase since lockdown has only gone up a hundredfold, resulting in ordinary folk not being able to have a peaceful walk along a stretch of water without tripping over a paddleboard or a half-naked swimmer. This phenomenon is described by the converted as “euphoric,” “life- affirming” and “joyous,” to name some of the most quoted.
Keen to experience this natural high, I tentatively joined a local swimming group, persuaded by ‘Spanna,’ a friend, who was a recent dipper. I joined in March. It was early morning; it was dark and cold. I cannot express the joy (not) of undressing in the open air and fumbling with gloves and booties – which are
essential between September and June. I’m not gonna lie, it was a battle, not only getting ready for the dip but the actual journey from my clothes pile to the shore and across pebbles and boulders. It was unappealing, to say the least. This unforeseen precursor to the proceedings was made equally unsettling by the amount of genuine glee and animated chatter from fellow bathers as I waddled into the depths.
I was totally convinced that I would not be transformed by the expectant euphoric aftermath, as explained by Spanna. “You’ll love it, it’s brilliant, you’ll be at one with nature,” etc etc. Hmm, we’ll see.
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