I am on a self-imposed quest right now to try new outdoor activities and sports and since taking up paddleboarding I have found myself drawn to the water more and more.
The lake where I paddle regularly has outdoor swimmers in a different part of the lake and I have gradually moved from thinking they must be a little crazy to thinking about joining them in the water. This change was a long process but I decided to book a lesson during a heat wave a few weeks ago.
I can swim although I’m not a strong swimmer as such and usually breast stroke at a slow pace with minimal technique and speed. The lesson I booked was more about getting in and out and acclimatizing to the cold water safely than improving swimming technique etc.
By the time of the lesson the weather had cooled a little but the lake was still ‘warm’, coming in at around 20 degrees. I don’t own a wetsuit so that was never an option but because of the water temperature I was assured that wouldn’t be a problem, outdoor swimming without a wetsuit is known as swimming in ‘skins’. My lovely neighbour actually joined me for that lesson which was much appreciated and provided us both with much needed moral support.
We stayed in 25m marked lanes near to the edge of the lake although too deep to stand up in. Getting into the water quite literally took my breath away, there was a few seconds when my body was probably in a bit of a state of shock at what I was doing to it! After those initial seconds (and it really was only a few seconds) I got used to the temperature and started swimming.
Within two or three minutes I was acclimatised and it was glorious! I could feel the coldness of the water on my skin but I didn’t actually feel cold, it was invigorating. I managed about 25 minutes in the water that day and I was hooked. Over the next few weeks I hired the swim lanes a few times after paddleboarding although not venturing further than the lanes.
I even swam in the sea, albeit in the shallows, whilst in Devon on our holiday, something I haven’t done in many, many years.
I decided to book a ‘Next Steps’ group lesson to gain the confidence to venture into the main lake. Arriving at this lesson I was excited and apprehensive but the teacher was and is lovely. She was so enthusiastic and encouraging. However, if I had known her plans for that lesson before arriving I would probably have chickened out and made up some excuse to not turn up. We were to swim the 500m route in the main section of the lake.
But, oh my goodness we did it. Everyone did it and I am ridiculously proud of myself and the others in the group. I am so pleased our teacher had the faith in us that we could do it and gave us all the encouragement. A little faith from someone else is often all that’s needed to realise just how much we are capable of. My next plan to her breast stroke to front crawl class as, currently, I can only swim a very slow breast stroke with no notable speed or technique!
Our teacher said something whilst we were swimming that has stuck with me, its that we use the word selfish in totally the wrong context. Being selfish and making the time to do things for yourself should be a positive thing and not a negative thing. Taking time out to go swimming or whatever your choice of hobby isn’t something to feel guilty about.
The feeling in the water hasn’t changed, its still takes your breath away for those few seconds when you first get in but its invigorating and peaceful and calming and just lovely. At the moment the water is warm (relatively speaking) so I am intrigued to see how this differs in the colder months and if I decide to give in and succumb to a wetsuit. I will be investing in some wetsuit gloves, socks and a warm, woolly hat over the next few weeks.
Again, I have been researching and there are numerous benefits to swimming in cold water from improved circulation to boosting the immune system to the general benefits I have mentioned so many times before of being outside and active.
There are very definite safety considerations to consider when swimming, especially in cold water. Like many, the lake I go to requires people to wear brightly coloured swim hats and have a bright tow float. Also, make sure you acclimatise to the water, if you have been in the water a while and start to get cold then it’s time to get out. Also, don’t get straight into a hot bath or shower afterwards however much you might fancy it, the body needs to warm up slowly.
Please don’t just jump into the nearest lake. I would highly recommend booking lessons and going to lakes where there is organised swimming, especially when starting out. You may be paying to use them but you are also paying for their knowledge and safety measures they will have put in place.
