Author: maree

What is Wild Swimming? Really we are just talking about swimming in the Outdoors. It could be termed outdoor swimming; wild swimming or open water swimming. There is generally not much difference and it is all a matter of your own perspective! They are all about swimming in natural waters, whether this is a loch, a reservoir, a rivers or the sea. It might even be simply sitting in a pool below a small waterfall you have found on a hill walk!

The term “Open water swimming” is usually used for competitive swims or swims where people have a set goal in mind. Whereas the term “Wild Swimming” is used to describe a more leisurely approach whether this be dipping, floating, or swimming for enjoyment or health related fitness.

Why should you consider Wild Swimming? There are so many reasons to begin this magical adventure but here are just a few;

PHYSICAL – It increases our white blood cell count and simultaneously stimulates the lymphatic system and boosts blood circulation. The cold water activates and trains your immune system.  Aquatic exercise programmes are effective at reducing bone loss and promoting bone formation. These are crucial for the prevention and management of osteoporosis. It improves your bodies ability to deal with and manage cold. It soothes muscular aches and pains.

MENTAL – It has meditative properties and has the ability to provide uninterrupted time to clear your head and be mindful. It causes a decrease in cortisol and other stress hormones, it decreases inflammation which has positive benefits for those suffering from depression.

SOCIAL – You can laugh, chat and share with people you swim with. It’s a bonding social activity, with a wonderful and ever increasing community. It’s exciting! You’re in an environment you’re not used to, you are challenging your own boundaries and adding a fun element to your regular physical activities.

NATURAL – It allows you to spend quality time in nature. It puts you at water level and allows you to see the natural world from a new perspective. It provides an opportunity for an adventure. It enhances your awareness of the natural world and increases your knowledge of biodiversity and environmental challenges.

WHERE should you begin to Wild Swim? There is really no better place than here at Portobello Beach, over the next few months. The tides are a major consideration for sea swimming, although at Portobello your safety is not really affected by the tides, your enjoyment may well be. Low tide at Joppa results in a long slow walk out towards Fife – over a disgusting band of rocks and sludge. However, in other locations around the East Coast you should make yourself aware of any strong tidal changes and potential Rip Currents.

WHEN should you begin Wild Swimming? Soon – is my advice. With no expectations, an open mind and a sense of adventure. the water temperatures are not yet in double figures but as the Spring moves towards Summer, the temperatures in the water will increase. You can begin by dipping a toe, dooking for a short while and extend out as you build your acclimatisation and knowledge and as the water and air temperatures get warmer.

WHO should you Wild Swim with? I am lucky to have both family and friends who love the outdoors and swimming is just one of our activities. There are lots of local groups that you can join, “at your own risk” However, I am proud to have built up a small community of swimmers around Portobello and would love to introduce you to both the activity and the Membership group. I am fully qualified (PE Teacher and STA Open Water Coach) and insured and would love to help you to get started. I have added a number of 1:1 and small group sessions to my Booking Page so do have a look and see if anything suits you. If not just et in touch and we can timetable suitable sessions. Maree at wildswimscot@gmail.com

Winter Swimming is upon us and although I have not managed a swim in the icy lochs of Scotland yet this year, I have had a few swims at Portobello where the thermometer was measuring below 5 degrees!!!

The Wild Swim Scotland Members have been striving to continue their “Cold Water” swimming throughout the Winter months. We have been inspired by some amazing sunrises, frost on the beach and by mixing up our cold water dips with some heat therapy.

Winter Sunrises and Festive Fun

We managed Christmas Day Swims and New Year’s Day Dooks!

We are delighted to be regular customers of the newly opened Soul Water Sauna, which is a mobile unit based around Bedford Terrace. Kirsty Carver is the most welcoming of hosts and the sauna is beautifully made and wonderfully warm.

I have spent some time reading “Winter Swimming – The Nordic Way Towards a Healthier and Happier Lifestyle” by Dr Susanna Soeberg. I was lucky enough to be part of Immerse Hebrides guest speaker Zoom, where Dr Soeberg spoke – most inspiring. Follow her on Instagram HERE

So what have we taken from the information contained in this book and promoted by Dr Susanna? Well she considers the history of Winter swimming throughout the years, across a variety of cultures, with the first Chapter being introduced by George RR Martin – with;

“Nothing burns the skin like cold!”

The benefits I have already introduced to you in previous blogs are revisited by this book;

• Inner peace, calmness and reset;
• Immersion in nature;
• Developing a robust response to cold water immersion;
• Health benefits galore;
• Stepping outside your comfort zone;
• Spending time with other crazy people!
• All in a wonderful and ever changing environment.

Dr Susanna has researched many aspects of Winter Swimming and after setting the scene in the first four chapters, she delves into what actually happens to our bodies during the process of immersion. I love Chapter Five where the cold shock response is considered, described and shown in a variety of wonderful images.

Cold Water Shock is a reflexive response triggered by the sympathetic nervous system – what does this look / feel like?

• Gasp!!!
• Hyperventilation!!!
• Increased Heart Rate!!!!
• Swear!!!!

• Receptors in the skin trigger a message to the brain!!
• It’s cold in here!!!!
• In what seems to be a conflict, the parasympathetic nervous system is also triggered

To read more about this and Dr Susanna’s other research findings maybe consider buying / borrowing the book. It has introduced us to “Brown Fat” and we have spent the Winter months so far discussing how much of this we have managed to activate and gain!!

Chapter 7 introduces “Brown Fat” in more detail to us, what is it? Tissue or organ, good or bad, warmth or energy? Dr Susanna explains it as our primary central heating system, an unknown organ which will work hard for us, given the right conditions. What are these conditions and why would we want more “Brown Fat”?

Brown Fat – It is neither muscle nor fat, it is a brownish adipose tissue with cells containing a multitude of mitrochondria and small fat droplets rather than one large one (like white fat) – It is our primary central heating system, it creates energy / heat when stimulated, it draws sugar from our blood stream to create this energy.

How to activate it? – The cold receptors in the skin need stimulated to signal a need for heat / energy production, they trigger the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the production of noradrenalin. This triggers the brown fat into creating heat and energy.

Is it only cold water? Interestingly the Chapter refers to an experiment on people sleeping in a room which was lowered to 19’C and that this increased their brown fat, further, brown fat also decreased when the same group were returned to sleep in their warmer rooms at 27’c. Now I don’t know about you but my Scottish upbringing has meant that the chances of me sleeping in a room above 15’c ever are pretty slim!!!! So maybe I had some brown fat before I started this crazy swimming nonsense.

How might it help? It will help us regulate our body temperature more easily and increase our metabolic rate. It is a calorie consumer and it helps to remove sugar from our blood system – it might help to reduce the chances of diabetes, which is ever prevalent in our modern society.

Autumn days are definitely here, we have experienced some spectacular sunrises and sunsets, there is a chill in the air and the water temperatures are being brought down by those intermittent rain falls.

If you have still to see one of these amazing sunrises, then why not join us over the next few weeks as the sunrise swims are around 0730 / 0830 from now until the Winter Solstice. We have a sunrise swim to welcome the new month on the 1st day of the month.

There are also;

• “Dips in Dawn” on Monday mornings 0800 at Groyn 5, Portobello
• “Mindful Mornings” on Thursday mornings 0800 at Groyn 5, Portobello
• “Dips in the Dark” on Monday evenings at 1900 at Wardie Bay

Over the Summer months, we have loved continuing to help our swimmers improve their confidence and techniques in the varied open water environments and ever changing conditions. Our membership groups have allowed swimmers to share their knowledge and tips on safe and enjoyable swimming. We are looking forward to assisting 2022 new start swimmers who want to swim through the Autumn and on into the Winter.

Enjoy the lower swimming temperatures -how to stay safe and rewarm quickly.

Be Prepared 

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security because you have been swimming in the same venue all Summer. Continue to carefully research each and every swim. Every swim is different and affected by how you feel.

Research each of these;

• the weather
• the wind direction and speed
• the tide times
• the height of the tide
• rainfall and water levels

Use the weather apps, like BBC Weather and the Met Office, the tide apps, like My Tide Times and Magic Seaweed.

Do your research the day before into the known variables. Make an early call if conditions are not right, it might be you choose to go later in the day because the tide is more favourable. Or earlier because there is a good weather window. Or even to a different venue to shelter from the wind. It may be that you choose not to swim the next day due to significant rainfall and the likelihood of poor water quality. If you do decide to swim after rainfall, you should note that the temperature of the water will be lower. Other precautions might be to cover any cuts or grazes and choose not to submerge your head.

On the day of the swim make considered and informed choices. You should arrive at your swim venue having considered all the known variables, you then need to assess what is presenting itself to you – there and then. A dynamic risk assessment.

The wind is probably the most important aspect of a Winter swim, it can make for a cold and unpleasant experience. It also contributes to your body temperature dropping quickly and significantly after a swim. It is important to search out shelter, bring multiple layers, including a windproof top layer, as well as hat, gloves and scarf.

However, some of the best swims are the short unexpectedly beautiful Winter ones with zingy skin and frozen feet. So what can you do to mitigate the cold and stay safe?

Swim Regularly

Over the Autumn months you really need to keep swimming outdoors once a week in order to remain acclimatised. So planning more than one swim a week is essential, as cancellations will occur. If you swim regularly – whether in skins or wetsuit, you should use the gradual drop in the water temperatures during the Autumn, to become aware of how your body is coping. This mindful practice will allow you to develop an ability to note key signs that are personal to you and your red flag signal to “get out”. 

It might be that your body feels heavy in the water as the blood is pulled from the extremities to the core. As this occurs the legs work less effectively and drop lower in the water causing drag. This is the start of cold water incapacitation, test yourself regularly – “Can I touch my thumb to my middle finger on the same hand, easily and quickly?” your inability to do this is a key sign that you need to get out and quickly. Your hands begin to feel stiff and claw like. If you are a Reynaulds sufferer, you will be aware of how this feels already but the progression is more rapid and debilitating in the Winter months. We all must ensure we are able to exit at an early juncture with energy reserves in place to allow us to be able to get dressed afterwards.

Post Swim Precautions 

We cannot recommend highly enough the value of lots and lots and lots of layers!!! The Autumn is the time to build these back into your routine, or add them if you have not started yet. We regularly put seven layers on our top halves after a swim. How? I hear you ask!! Try this list out next time you swim.

• Bra – but only if Swim Adventuring
• Vest – easy to put on as you remove your swim suit.
• Thermal long sleeved top
• T-Shirt – sometimes only to advertise Wild Swim Scotland!
• Fleece
• Down Jacket
• Gillet
• DryRobe or Windproof Jacket

We regularly add waterproof / windproof over trousers on top of our regular loose trousers to help stave of the shivers.

With extremities getting double layers as well, wool socks and thermal or sheepskin lined boots for the feet and wool or thermal gloves and handmade wool wrist warmers to protect the hands. All topped off with a cosy handmade neck warmer and wool and fleece lined hat.

Scottish Outdoor Knowledge 

The more ofter you swim the more tips you will pick up to help you deal with the Winter cold. Many of you are already Outdoor enthusiasts and know to seek shelter and find places to drop out of the wind. If you have the ability to organise and structure people and things, this ability will stand you in good stead. Making organised piles of kit on the shore, ready for your exit will reduce the faff time and allow you to dry and dress more quickly. Scottish weather is always changing and it is better to go to a Winter swim prepared for the worst conditions. This can mean you carry a lot of kit to a swim but you can often end up wearing everything you brought with you, just to enjoy that post swim drink and chat.

So what extra equipment might you add to your already expanding swim kit as Autumn moves into Winter?

• A large waterproof bag to leave your kit in whilst you swim.
• A bottle of warm water to pour over frozen feet.
• A tub to put the warm water in and make a little foot bath.
• A set of reusable hand warmers left in shoes whilst you swim – cosy shoes!
• A hot water bottle – contents can eventually be used to rinse off kit.
• A mat to stand on and get your feet of the cold earth / sand.
• Hot Drink and Cake – Obviously!!!!!!

This is an OUTDOOR PURSUIT with risks factors which can and should be mitigated – you should not put yourself and others at risk .

With due care and attention you will have safe and enjoyable swims, dips and dooks all Winter but maybe not every day.

Wild Swim Scotland’s YouTube Channel Video Link HERE – Winter Kit Advice

As drowning prevention week come to an end, I would like to share with you the information which I pulled together to structure the free sessions we offered this week. Have a wonderful Summer, swim lots, stay safe and respect the water.

As the warmer weather approaches, many of you will be drawn back to the water. Maybe you have been like our resident squirrels and been hibernating, waiting for the day that the sun breaks through and the buds of spring splash their colour.

It was a joy for me to come across these gems as I took a walk in March after a morning spent in school.

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So what can being in and around water and nature bring to your life, to your health and wellbeing and to your social support system?

There have been many articles, reports and documentaries made in recent years highlighting the physical benefits of cold water immersion. What are the physical but perhaps more importantly, the mental benefits of cold water immersion?

“We’re seeing anecdotal evidence of people experiencing changes to their mental and physical health, with improvements in conditions like your heart rate, your ventilation. That’s the thing that makes people say: ‘I feel alive, I feel alert, it wakes me up for the rest of the day.”

Dr Heather Massey

What wonderful causes have we managed to contribute towards in the first year of Wild Swim Scotland? Well although each of the fundraisers have been on a small scale, they have covered a variety of charities. We have enjoyed taking the opportunity to highlight the work that each of these charities do, selecting a relevant date / timeline and introducing them to our swimmers on the day through themed swims.

The first of these was our contribution to Sufers Against Sewage  – Million Mile Beach Clean – A small band of enthusiastic swimmers gathered at Seafield Bay to fill large bags, and remove debris from the beach, we even found a tyre!!! One of the most difficult clear up exercises for us was gathering burnt nails from a pallet fire.

The initiative by SAS was hugely successful, however, it only scratched the surface of what is an ever growing problem. We will most definitely be hosting other beach cleans in 2022 but we are also encouraging our swimmers to consider the environment in their choices and actions. Encouraging small changes in lifestyle, all of our swimmers bring reusable flasks with hot drinks and water, for example. Our communication style is paperless, using Google Forms, What’s App messaging and email communications. We have also explored reusing and upcycling materials like using old neoprene for changing mats, to keep our feet off the cold ground. Our preferred choice of tow floats are the Eco-friendly Puffin Swim brand, based in the UK and made from recycled plastics. It is a tide which will take a longtime to turn but every effort, no matter how small will make a difference.

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As we approached the longest day in June as we trialed our first Groyn Challenge Swim. The aim of the day was for each of the swimmers to choose a Groyn along Portobello beach and walk along to the starting place. We had volunteers gathering flip flops and t-shirts and manning safety canoes along the way. It was important at this swim that each of the swimmers knew their own ability, the folk swimming the longer distances all equipped with tow floats and bright hats. Many of our swimmers elected to join in and only swim the final Groyn, lending support and encouragement to those who had chosen to swim for longer. Our selected charity for this swim was the RNLI, luckily we did not need their services on this occasion, or on any occasion this year thankfully. However, the services of the RNLI were required on many occasions this year around the UK coastline. Here is a short clip showing their efforts.

Later in the Summer, Maree decided to take on Breast Cancer Now’s “Swim 10 Miles in July” Challenge. However, it felt a bit of a cheat to only complete 10 miles when swimming two or three times a day. So a twist was added and the Challenge was set at 10 miles for every year past her own breast cancer diagnosis, 13 years ago. So 130 miles before the 31st of October. Although this challenge was aimed at raising funds for breast cancer now it also allowed Maree to raise awareness of breast cancer, support and challenges, through regular posts and images. More on the progress of this challenge to come!!

As the water temperatures reduced and Autumn approached we decided to introduce a support programme for our regular swimmers, who had not yet swum through a Winter. We have had a brilliant group of regulars coming along, learning some Winter tips, making decisions on safety and supporting each other socially. In order to encourage and motivate this group we also decided to host a Chilly Charity Challenge – running from 1/12/21 to 31/3/22. Our wonderful friend Isabella has just taken up a role with the charity CHAS, (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland) and we decided that this would be a perfect theme for this fundraiser. CHAS supports families at a crucial time, providing medical care, family support, emotional support, respite and bereavement counselling. This charity has just celebrated it’s 30 year anniversary and you can read more about their work and history here.

There are going to be celebratory swims for all those who have completed the challenge. Come and join us for these free charity swims and congratulate those hardy souls who have survived the Winter Swims. Bring your own donation for CHAS to add to our total. Details below, sign up now.

Thursday 31st March – 1900 – Groyn 5 – End of CHAS Challenge Celebration Sunset Swim

Friday 1st April – 0630 – Groyn 5 – End of CHAS Challenge Celebration Sunrise Swim

As we entered the New Year we celebrated by joining Speedo UK and @Speedoutsidersclub in their #newyearswimmers campaign to raise money for the Mental Health Swims Charity. In December Maree had joined some of the other Mental Health Swim Hosts based around the Lothians for a photoshoot at Wardie Bay with Anna Deacon, Instagram – @wildswimmingstories. They were photographed jumping and dancing in the waves wearing their sponsored Speedo swimsuits and goggles. Anna’s wonderful photograph of their dancing was selected to be Speedo’s advert for the campaign and featured in many of the New Years Day papers as a full page advert!!!! For this campaign, Speedo pledged £10 for every photo posted on the #newyearswimmers and the result was an amazing £37k for the Mental Health Swims Charity. The charity, whose straplines are “Dips not Distance” and “Community not Competition” were bowled over by the support from the Swim Community. Founder, Rachel Ashe is passionate about social prescribing, empowering patients to find solace in the outdoors and campaigning to end mental illness stigma.

We were looking forward to 2022 and Maree has her birthday in January, so has always loved the opportunity to reset, prepare for a New Year and celebrate. However, we know that many people struggle with the dark days of January and so we decided to raise awareness through supporting The Samaritans “Brew Day”. This is the third Monday in January and aims to encourage people to meet up for coffee and a chat on the day that has been dubbed Blue Monday – the most depressing day of the year!! The multi talented Saz Mauritzen made some wonderful cakes for us, Saz volunteers regularly for the Samaritans, and is a charity close to her heart.

January, February and March are difficult months to keep swimming outdoors. You have to take advantage of all of the breaks in the weather, embrace the cold and rejoice in the icy swims. January presented an opportunity for Maree to complete the final 30 miles of her Breast Cancer Now Challenge which had now been extended to 140 miles!!! 10 for every year past diagnosis, with another year having slipped past in the guise of 2021. A mile a day should do it? With the aim to be finished and celebrate on World Cancer Day on Friday 4th February. It helped spur some fitness, structure the week and tone some of those flabby tummy muscles. Over £700 was raised for Breast Cancer Now and Maree is most grateful to everyone who has supported her in this very personal fundraising swim.

We are looking forward to longer days as Spring approaches, hopefully with some sunny days and warmer water temperatures. The next of our charity days will be on International Women’s Day, when funds raised from our Sunrise Swim at Groyn 5 and our Sunset Swim at Seacliff, will be donated to the Four Square homeless charity based in Edinburgh. This charity works to prevent homelessness and promote inclusion and is headed up by Jane Devine, a recent newbie to Wild Swim Scotland morning swims. Our morning Sunrise Swim will help to fill Portobello Beach and is a slightly quieter option than joining the gang at Groyn 3 lead by the ever enthusiastic Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan, authors of Take The Plunge and The Art of Wild Swimming.

Well it has been over year now since I embarked on this new project. And what a year it has been!! Lots of new skills learnt; new knowledge gained; old knowledge revisited and refreshed and wonderful new people engaged in this fabulous outdoor activity.

Thanks to everyone of you who have supported this venture, whether it has been with words of encouragement or advice, attending sessions or encouraging other to come along, signing up to the Newsletter or Social Media Channels or simply being there as a sounding board. It has certainly been a steep learning curve for me.

Here is a summary of the last year or so and the adventures we have had, we are looking forward to more of the same in 2022.

Where to begin?

Although I had spent many a Summer’s Day swimming in Scottish waters during my childhood and teaching career, it was not until 2018 that I began to swim regularly at Portobello. Despite living so close to the beach, my swims tended to be whilst on holiday in Aviemore or on the West Coast. With a running injury preventing me from my daily trot along the prom, I started to swim more regularly. By 2019, I had been joined by a few friends and by the start of 2020 we had a regular swimming group of six of us, swimming daily.

These wonderful friends encouraged me to find an Open Water Coaches course and up-skill my PE knowledge. It has been full speed ahead since then. The STA Open Water Coaching Course was held online and at Loch Insh Watersport Centre by Sarah Wiseman from Beyond the Water. It was super to meet like minded folks from around the UK, online during the Winter of 2020/21 as I increased my knowledge base through some additional Winter CPD courses, with Sarah and also with Norma McLeod from Immerse Hebrides and Steve Bowman from H2O Training. You can read more about the kinds of things we touched on in my January 2021 Blog.

I was very excited at the end of 2020 to get involved with Project 42 and Mental Health Swims, two super community initiatives, supporting people to use exercise and community to benefit their wellbeing.

The first of our wonderful clients joined us in the last few months of the year and we are delighted that Vendy, Judi and Anna have continued to join us in swim sessions and Swim Experiences throughout the year.

As we approached the end of 2020 we were excited to explore collaborative themed swims with Isabella McNamara and Lovefoodandmore. The Winter Solstice Swim Experience was a wonderful place to start. We had the most fabulous three days of swimming in the dawn and the dusk. We introduced our wonderful participants to the traditions of the Winter Solstice, across a variety of cultures and countries. You can read more about this and our other themed swims in our Highlights Section.

And then we were locked down again!!! We kept planning, increasing our knowledge and swimming / dipping in the icy waters. We walked and ran to new venues as we explored our local communities.

As the Spring began and we were allowed to come out of hibernation, we tentatively offered some introductory sessions where we brought new swimmers to the water. If you have yet to get started, you can have a look at my March blog which gives a feel for what swimming sessions might look like. We held more themed Swim Experiences, including Mothering Sunday and the Vernal Equinox.

After the beautiful warm days of the Easter holidays, May was a disappointing follow up, but we still pushed on with our plans. My sister Elaine and I had been exploring venues around the Central belt to use as circular walks with a dip / swim. It was wonderful to be outside in nature, doing the things we love. It reminded us of all the health and well-being benefits associated with swimming outdoors and being in green space. Elaine is a very experienced and qualified Outdoor leader in a number of activities including having a Summer MLTB Award, thus allowing us to provide safe and insured expeditions into the hills. She decided to add the STA Open Water Swim Coach award to her CV and contacted Sarah Wiseman to find the next available date.

As the water temperatures increased and we had more people interested in swimming we explored ways to support our community.

• Introduction to Open Water
• Introduction to Front Crawl in Open Water
• Developing Front Crawl in Open Water
• Group Social Swims
• Swim Adventures and Explorations
• Themed Swim Experiences

We were delighted when we were able partner with The Wee Restaurant at North Queensferry and provide some superb swims with Moules Frites delivered to the beach. Read the May report here. Thanks to Isabella and Vicky for co-ordinating these for us. We will be considering more of these type of Experiences as the business develops.

In June we decided to take on a couple of different challenges. We signed up to support Surfers Against Sewage, Million Mile Beach Clean and the Outdoor Swimming Society‘s Longest Swim on the Longest Day. Our youngsters took up the Beach clean challenge and we met up at Seafield to gather rubbish and swim, our report can be read here. This was an amazing initiative by Surfers Against Sewage and you can read this great article about Vitamin Sea featured on SAS website; Thriving Oceans, Thriving People. However, we must all try to do our bit to reduce plastic and rubbish reaching our Seas, make a 2022 promise to your Earth?

As a final warm up to our Longest Swim on the Longest Day, the Urban Merfolk joined me in a Groyn Challenge along Portobello Promenade. I accompanied Gareth and Ross on the longest swim starting at Groyn 1 and finishing at Groyn 6, safely supported by Robbie in his new sea kayak. The other merfolk joined us at Groyns 4 and 5 to complete their chosen distances within the challenge.

Elaine and I were joined on the 21st of June by Stuart, to complete our “Longest Swim on the Longest Day”. We were to set our own distance and chose to swim from Seafield to Joppa Rocks, approx 4 km. It was a choppy sea as we set out and it certainly seemed like a challenge as we battled our way along the industrial seafront. However, as we approached Kings Road the chop died back and the familiar scenes of the Promenade drew us along. Our report was one of six featured in the Outdoor Swimming Society’s highlights from this International initiative. As the Summer holidays stretched ahead, this was a wonderful way to celebrate the Summer Solstice. It was the end of a challenge Elaine had set herself to swim 79 times between the Winter and Summer Solstices to support Karen Darke’s Quest 79 which raises money for Spinal Injuries Association.

Inspired by the Longest Swim; Stuart, Elaine and I set a July challenge on our family holiday on the Isle of Bute. We swam together, supported by Graham McQueen in his sea kayak, from Glen Callum Bay back to the houses in Kilchattan Bay. A similar distance but in a much more remote location, this was a good progression for us. This wonderful island has been a holiday destination for our family for many years, you can read more about this in my February Blog – Family Frolics.

We were lucky enough to be able to travel to our favourite Scottish holiday destinations over the Summer, as well as heading down to Bute we also spent a couple of weeks in Aviemore. I spent time revisiting old haunts with new eyes and completing risk assessments, so we are now in a position to be able to offer trips to both of these locations. You can see my suggestions for a bespoke package for both day and overnight trips, and these can be arranged privately, as the Sherriff Family did this Summer.

Over the warmer months we explored many new venues on the East Coast, with Swim Experiences and Swim Ventures. It will be hard to better this fabulous double rain, which we experienced on our Lovefoodandmore collaborative Swim Experience at Cove. Although we did try, visiting Yellowcraigs with a lovely group, including an International couple who were Summering in Scotland from the United States and Seacliff beach to take in the beautiful view of Tantallon Castle from the water.

As the Autumn settled in we developed a support programme and invited our previous swimmers to sign up for membership for each of the three months running from September to November for a small monthly fee. Classes were then available to book at a discounted rate and support given via email, to help and encourage swimmers to continue as the water temperatures dropped. We have had a hardy group of swimmers who have stuck with us and are still swimming / dipping as we approach the end of the year. We were looking for feedback on this approach, with a view to having a supportive package available by April 2022. With that in mind we have launched a slightly different Winter Support Programme, with four levels of membership for the four months running from December until March. Again our hardy swimmers have stuck with it and are facing their first Winter with confidence, acclimatisation and enjoyment.

Well done to these hardy souls;

• Dawn Butler
• Hayley Moore
• Vendula Pavlikova
• Amy O’Leary
• Nicola Stenhouse
• Colleen Donaldson
• Nicola Heatlie
• Julie Robertson

We have enjoyed winding down into some social dipping, including a Halloween Night Light swim, which we then continued to do at Wardie Bay on a Monday night.

Isabella and Maree hosted a 5 week Menopause and the benefits of Cold Water Swimming, where we explored a different them each week. Maree focusing on the benefits brought to mental and physical wellbeing through the cold water. Isabella using her life coaching skills to explore feelings and experiences highlighted by menopause and menopause symptoms and developing strategies for coping with these.

We have set a Chilly Charity Challenge for CHAS to swim / dip 1o times over the Winter months, finishing on the 31st of March with a celebratory swim. With over 30 people already signed up, we are aiming to raise over £500 for this great charity.

At the end of a difficult year for everyone, I can honestly say that swimming has been a lifeline for me. I have loved meeting you all and relish seeing the progression each of you have made. Whether that is in your confidence at braving the cold water. Your careful analysis of the weather and conditions. Your abilities to be resilient and adaptable to the ever changing conditions which present themselves. Your new friendships. Your expressions, squeals, smiles and chat and maybe somewhere along the line your ability to swim a little further and a little better when the time is right.

Have a lovely Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in 2022 at the water.

The Summer is over and Autumn days are upon us, spectacular sunrises and sunsets, a chill in the air and in the water. If you have still to catch one then come and join us over the next few weeks as the sunrise swims are around 0730 0830 from now until the Winter Solstice. Read about our 202o Winter Solstice celebrations in collaboration with Lovefoodandmore here and view our Gallery here. It would be wonderful to have you along to celebrate this special time of year and our 1st anniversary. Booking link here.

We have loved swimming multiple times in one day. Sharing our knowledge and tips on safe and enjoyable swimming in the open waters of Scotland. We have continued to her many of our swimmer improve their confidence and techniques in the varied open water environments and ever changing conditions.

We have had many swimmers join us as “newbies” who are now swimming regularly with their own little pods. Many of our Swim Experience participants have exchanged contact details and now swim regularly together. This was a target for Maree when she envisioned the business, it is slow but steady progress. It allows individuals and small groups to learn the “tricks of the trade” in a structured environment. Meet ups can then remain within these confines or made with people who are known to have similar goals and acclimitisation.

We are looking forward to continuing to work with our swimmers who want to experience their first Winter swim season. We have had many swimmer manage to extend their swimming into the Autumn months already, using out trial Autumn Support Programme. With safety and enjoyment always a priority the next few months should be fun.

So here are some of our top tips on how to acclimatise yourself for the Scottish Winter.

Be Prepared 

Carefully research each and every swim. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security because you have been swimming in that venue all Summer. Every swim is different, affected by how you feel, the weather – especially the wind, the air and water temperatures and the tide.

Do your research the day before into the known variables. Make an early call if conditions are not right, it might be you choose to go later in the day because the tide is more favourable. Or earlier because there is a good weather window. Or even to a different venue to shelter from the wind. 

On the day of the swim make considered choices, for example, if there has been a strong wind and rain during the previous days, the water quality will be poorer. Will you decide not to swim or go anyway? If you do decide to go, you should note that the temperature of the water will be lower. Other precautions might be to cover any cuts or grazes and choose not to submerge your head.

Arriving at your swim venue, having considered all the known variables, you then need to assess what is presenting itself to you – there and then.

If it is not right, don’t go. You can always have a windy walk, pick up some shells, make a bit of beach art, drink your coffee and go home. The cob webs will still be blown away, but safe and sensible decisions will have been made.

Swimming in the Scottish Winter is “Baltic”!!! The wind being the key element in a cold and unpleasant experience. However, some of the best swims are the short unexpectedly beautiful Winter ones with zingy skin and frozen feet. So what can you do to mitigate the cold and stay safe?

Swim Regularly

Over the Autumn months you really need to keep swimming outdoors once a week in order to remain acclimatised. So planning more than one swim a week is essential, as cancellations will occur. If you swim regularly – whether in skins or wetsuit, you should use the gradual drop in the water temperatures during the Autumn, to become aware of how your body is coping. This mindful practice will allow you to develop an ability to note key signs that are personal to you and your red flag signal to “get out”. 

It might be that your body feels heavy in the water as the blood is pulled from the extremities to the core. As this occurs the legs work less effectively and drop lower in the water causing drag. This is the start of cold water incapacitation. Perhaps you can use this little exercise to test the function of your extremities as you swim – well breast stroke at any rate!

“Can I touch my thumb to my middle finger on the same hand, easily and quickly?”

If you can’t then you are experiencing another classic tell tale sign to get out. Your hands begin to feel stiff and claw like. If you are a Reynaulds sufferer, you will be aware of this progression already. However, we all must ensure we are able to exit and still have the ability to dress afterwards. So be aware and take care, neoprene is not easy to remove at the best of times and zips and buttons are fiddly things.

Post Swim Precautions 

We cannot recommend highly enough the value of lots and lots and lots of layers!!! The Autumn is the time to build these back into your routine, or add them if you have not started yet. We regularly put seven layers on our top halves after a swim. How? I hear you ask!! Try this list out next time you swim.

• Bra – but only if Swim- Walking
• Vest – easy to put on as you remove your swim suit.
• Thermal long sleeved top
• T-Shirt – sometimes only to advertise Wild Swim Scotland!
• Fleece
• Down Jacket
• Gillet
• DryRobe or Windproof Jacket if Swim-Walking

Our bottom halves get a double layer of an easy to slip on pair of trousers and then over trousers. (Pants might be added if we are lucky)

With extremities getting double layers as well, wool socks and thermal or sheepskin lined boots for the feet and wool or thermal gloves and handmade wool wrist warmers to protect the hands.

All topped off with a cosy handmade neck warmer and wool and fleece lined hat – Mitchelin Man springs to mind, or maybe the Weebles or even the Teletubbies!!!!😂😂😂

However, you can always take them off as you rewarm. Seriously, you are trying to prevent the effects of “after drop”. This is a normal experience after a cold water swim. The severity of the effects depends on the precautions you have or have not elected to take, as well as the length of time you have spent exposed to the Winter weather and cold water. Your body will continue to cool down after you leave the water and it takes two to three times the length of your swim time for you to return to a “normal” feel. So to prevent the discomfort and occasionally scary feelings brought on by a severe case of after drop, you must; exit with reserves and the ability to dress quickly. Don’t be beguiled by the wonderful feeling the cold water imparts.

• Stay aware
• Swim with the zing
• Depart with strength
• Rewarm with joy
• Return renewed.

Luxury Equipment 

As you swim with different people, you will pick up some super little tips to help you deal with the Winter cold. Many of us are already Outdoor enthusiasts and know to seek shelter and find places to drop out of the bite of the wind. Many of us have the inherent ability to organise and structure people and things, this ability stands us in good stead. Making organised piles of kit on the shore, ready for your exit will reduce the faff time and allow you to dry and dress more quickly. As residents of Scotland we are familiar with the ever changing weather and conditions, so ensuring that the essentials are covered and remain dry will make for a much more pleasant hot chocolate at the end of the swim experience.

So what luxury equipment might you add to your already expanding swim kit, its not just a “bathing suit and towel” anymore is it?

• A large waterproof bag to leave your kit in whilst you swim
• A bottle of warm water to pour over frozen feet and maybe even a tub to stand in
• A set of reusable hand warmers left in shoes whilst you swim – cosy shoes!
• A hot water bottle – contents can eventauly be used to rinse off kit
• A mat to stand on and get your feet of the cold earth / sand
• Hot Drink and Cake – Obviously!!!!!!

You will note I have not yet mentioned the H word. Do your research, make good decisions, swim within yourself, exit with reserves, dress quickly, put on many layers, stay vigilant, have fun, support each other, look out for each other, take care, be aware – get where I am coming from?

This is an OUTDOOR PURSUIT with risks factors which can and should be mitigated – you should not put yourself and others at risk – with due care and attention you will have safe and enjoyable swims, dips and dooks year round but maybe not every day.

Many thanks to Kirsty Anderson at Visit Scotland for providing this guest blog for our Wild Swim Scotland website. This is to tie in and highlight one of Visit Scotland‘s most recent pieces of content which explores why water is so good for wellness and wellbeing.

Wild Swimming has grown substantially in it’s popularity over recent years and Wild Swim Scotland welcomes the ever growing community of Wild Swimmers. Swimming has long been known for its physical benefits. More recently the restorative benefits of swimming in the outdoor environment are coming to light.

Our mental wellbeing is just as important as our physical wellbeing and Maree has highlighted many of these here. From “Wild Swimming” to improve your mindfulness, through reducing inflammation and depression to stimulating you “fight or flight” reflex, here are some of the ways you can improve your wellness through the healing powers of water.

Visit Scotland, Wild Swimming – A Year of Coasts and Waters

These benefits contribute to our physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing through a variety of approaches.

Mindfulness

You may improve your mindfulness through “Sunrise Swimming” in a calm serene dawn light – where you can “drink in” the atmosphere. Through “Wave Jumping” in a choppy sea, where your focus is on staying upright and not on the daily concerns. Or even through having to remain mindful and focused on your breath and composure in order to control breathing and heart rate.

Many people have turned to Wild Swimming in the pursuit of Mindfulness. By submerging in Scotland’s cold water, we are forcing ourselves to focus on our breathing – a meditation technique used in Mindfulness practices. The Outdoor Swimming Society featured a super article guiding us on how to complete a Mindful Swim.

Reducing inflammation

This one might not be new information, as many of you will know how great baths and spas can feel if you have aches and pains. After a hard day in the garden or a heavy workout, there is nothing better than immersing yourself in a warm fragrant bath. However, why not explore the additional attributes that swimming in Scotland’s beautiful and varied waters allow. Cold water is well known for reducing inflammation, offering relief from aching muscles and sore joints – hence athletes traditionally take ice baths. However, did you know that reducing inflammation has a positive effect on reducing instances of depresssion.

Fight or Flight Response

“Wild Swimming” in Scotland’s cold / crisp waters, forces our bodies to enact our “fight or flight” response – a sure fire way to get those endorphins flowing. The ability to control the fight or flight response helps to ensure that when you encounter stressful situations in daily life, you are in a better position to deal with them. Regular immersion in cold water stimulates the vagus nerve and allows the bod to recover more quickly when stressed. The Outdoor Swimmer magazine highlights some of these adaptations in an article published in October 2020.

You can read some of Wild Swim Scotland’s stories and experiences here.

We would love to introduce you to “Wild Swimming” and allow you to set your own agenda. Be it mindful swimming, social swimming, developing your knowledge of the adaptations required to swim in the Open Water or indeed training for a specific event. Get in touch if we can help you to get started or progress your Open Water journey.

Maree at wildswimscot@gmail.com

Almost all the water around the Scotland will be below 15 degrees for most of the Summer, so these tips are worth teaching to your family and maybe even practicing. You should try to avoid jumping into Cold Water without first acclimatising to the temperatures of the day – even the young and bravest of you!

The main dangers can be mitigated by some quick and careful research, and information should be gathered on;

1. Weather Conditions
2. Wind Conditions
3. Air Temperatures
4. Tidal Conditions

With careful considerations of these factors combined with correct kit and good entrance and exit procedures you can ensure you have the best chance of a safe and enjoyable swim. Where to get this information and what to do with it? 

I use the BBC Weather app for a general overview of what the weather is likely to be on a day to day basis. I pay attention to the overhead conditions, wind speed and wind direction. The wind speed affects what the air temperature feels like, especially if you are wet and walking back to your kit.

Wind direction is also worth noting, at Portobello beach an Easterly or a North Easterly is a cold biting wind and can make for an unpleasant experience. On the other hand, an off-shore wind, here blowing South / South-West, interestingly tends to create flatter conditions. This means that as a swimmer, an off-shore wind maybe more pleasant to swim in.

The tides are a major consideration for sea swimming, although at Portobello your safety is not really affected by the tides, your enjoyment may well be. Low tide at Joppa results in a long slow walk out towards Fife – over a disgusting band of rocks and sludge. However, in other locations around the East Coast you should make yourself aware of any strong tidal changes and potential Rip Currents.

If, like me, you prefer a sea swim in reasonably flat water then another excellent app, which is for surfers, and has not long ago added Portobello beach is the Surfline App.  It gives the predicted surf for the beach, so you can choose a day or time of day that is “Flat” to 1ft waves.

You should always;

Check your swimsuit or wetsuit, footwear and gloves for living organisms.

Clean and wash all equipment that you have used thoroughly. Try to have a bottle of water to wash them at the location so that any organisms can be left in situ. However you should still wash them again when you get home.

Dry all of your equipment and clothing as some organisms can live for days in damp conditions.