Getting started in open water

My love of the outdoors stems from many hours spent walking in the hills, enjoying the sheer simplicity of self-propelled progress over interesting terrain. Skills obtained in this area are transferable - interpreting a map or weather forecast, for example. Going for a walk is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. Making the transition from fully clothed on a lakeshore to full submersion is quite different. Dipping your toes into wild water is a step into the unknown. It forces you to leave the reliable gravitational pull of dry land and put your faith into something intangible.

It's at this stage that for the first-time wild swimmer I recommend hiring the services of a reputable guide. Someone who has swum in those waters many times, who maybe has their own guiding business. They might have even written a guidebook telling you all about swimming in the Lake District! But scan any wild swimming website or forum and you'll see that variations of the question 'how do I start wild swimming' are popular. A frequent reply is 'go with a friend' and 'just get in'. So, like most people, I didn't hire a guide. I just got in.

My first foray into open water was in Bassenthwaite Lake. I don't think I had ever heard the term wild swimming before, I was simply going for a swim outside. I dipped a tentative toe in the water and then spent several minutes psyching myself up to get fully submerged. I swam in frantic circles for what felt like an age, but was probably no more than a few minutes, before I hurried out again.

For the next few years that was the sum total of my wild swimming experiences. Quick hesitant dips in the heat of summer, always tinged with a slight sense of 'there must be more to this'. Then, in the same way that my friends Liam and Kath had handed me a guidebook to expand my horizons beyond the familiar paths of Whinlatter Forest, my friend Jude took me for a proper swim in Derwent Water and changed the way I looked at water forever.

Like a writer sitting down to tackle the beginning, middle and end of their story, planning a swim should feature a before, during and after.xiv

Before

» Preparation starts at home, by checking the weather and ground conditions and packing your bag.

» Consider the extra energy swimming in cold water will require; don't forget to fuel your body appropriately for the activity.

» Don't underestimate how cold you might feel after leaving the water. Pack warm clothes to wear after your swim, and arrive warm. Some of my most uncomfortable swims were the ones where I was cold before I entered the water and subsequently took hours to warm up.

» Always let someone know where you are going and try not to swim alone. There are lots of social swim groups across the country, far more than when I first started. Find people on social media or contact the Outdoor Swimming Society to find a local group. If you really can't find anyone to get in the water with you, take someone to watch. I bought my dad a throw line - a twenty-metre length of floating rope that can be used as a rescue aid by a supporter on the shore. He found this reassuring knowing that he could confidently throw the line should I need it, and not risk getting into the water himself.

» Don't drink and drown. As well as lowering your perception of risk, having alcohol in your system impairs your body's ability to regulate its temperature. Ditto drugs.

» Identify your entry and exit points. Can you get out as easily as you can get in? If the lake bed shelves suddenly you could find yourself in deep water before you are ready for it.

» Get in slowly, don't jump. Leaping in might make a great Instagram photo, but if you are unacclimatised or unaccustomed to cold water, this is the quickest way to suffer cold water shock, which can be fatal. Get in slowly and splash yourself with water. Control your breathing and avoid gulping air as you fully submerge. Never jump in without first checking the depth, even in a location you are familiar with or have jumped in before. Lake levels fluctuate significantly after rain.

» Protect your belongings from the elements while you swim. Worried some naughty rascals might run off with your clothes? Or a nosy labrador will steal your sandwiches? In busier places I use a camouflage dry bag to hide things in the undergrowth or I pop my clothes in an inflatable swim bag and take them with me. I've never had my clothes stolen, or my mobile phone and car keys for that matter, but someone did walk off with my fire pit while I was in the River Derwent. Try fitting that in a swim bag!

» Biosecurity is a vital issue in the Lake District. Make sure you read the advice under Biosecurity before you get started.

I often spend longer researching a swim than actually doing it. This is especially true in winter when there are more risks to weigh up. Research is part of the fun for me, scouring the map for tiny hidden bays and using apps to track the trajectory of the sun for that perfect sunrise or sunset location through the seasons.xv

During

» Are there other users on the lake? I try to avoid swimming where I might come across boat traffic, but if it's unavoidable make yourself as noticeable as possible. Wear a brightly coloured cap, use a tow float and attach a whistle. Consider taking a friend in a kayak or on a paddleboard.

» Know your limits. Tempting as it is, especially on a warm day, don't stay in too long or overestimate your ability. It's better to leave a lake feeling like you could have stayed in longer, than not leaving the lake at all. Similarly, don't be tempted to swim out into the middle of a lake on your first swim. It's always further than you think. Build your confidence by swimming parallel to the shore.

» How far are you planning to swim? It's easier to stay in longer than you intended if you are with a mixed ability group. Be cautious of overt and subliminal peer pressure and don't feel you should swim outside your comfort zone to keep up appearances. If you are used to swimming a certain distance in a pool you may find this significantly reduced in open water due to water temperature and weather conditions. I find wearing a simple stopwatch helpful and track my swim time rather than distance.

» Weeds are a common fear amongst swimmers but getting tangled beyond release is unlikely. If you swim into weeds, let your legs drift and float over them, either sculling gently with your hands or using breaststroke arms.

» Currents are not usually an issue in lakes. In large bodies of water the flow is slow. You are more likely to be pushed off course by wind than a lake current. Be careful where rivers flow into a lake; be aware of the potential for them to push you away from the shore. Islands and narrow channels can speed up the flow of water and you should avoid swimming near weirs. In a lake setting currents should be a general awareness rather than a grave danger.

Swimmers at Peel Wyke, Bassenthwaite Lake © Anita Nicholsonxvi

After

» Don't hang around once you get out, especially if it is windy. Your body cools down more quickly when wet and exposed to cold air, and hypothermia is a very real risk even in summer.

» Wrap up well even on a mild day - you continue to cool down for around thirty minutes after leaving the water. Put on all your warm clothes even if you feel fine initially.

» Remember to Check, Clean and Dry (see Biosecurity).

» Have a hot drink and something to eat. The feel-good factor in consuming something warm and tasty also serves a scientific purpose. Our bodies generate heat by metabolising food. If that's not an excuse to eat a pie then I don't know what is.

This before, during and after advice is a potted version of what I teach on beginner open-water sessions in my day job as a swimming guide. It's mostly common sense but should not be considered the final word in how to swim safely outdoors. That part is up to you, the swimmer. Further resources are available from the Royal Life Saving Society, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and the Outdoor Swimming Society. In particular, the OSS has a wealth of informative articles on its website written for and by wild swimmers.

» www.rlss.org.uk

» www.rnli.org

» www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com

Wild swimming is one of the most liberating things you can do. Plan carefully then...