t’s January on Brighton beach.
ere’s snow on the pebbles
and a sti breeze blowing along
the promenade. I unzip my
down jacket, step out of my
tracksuit bottoms and pull o
my baselayer. My chest prickles
with goose bumps as I tug on my
swimmingcap,slip on a pair of neoprene shoes and gloves,
snapmygogglesacross my face and stride towards the sea.
e airtemperature is hovering around zero. e water is
a positivelybalmy6ºC.
I feelsomething akin to an electric shock travelling up
mylegsasI wadeout. I slow my breathing down before
slidingmyshoulders beneath the waves. My lungs empty
immediately,butI push on into a steady breast stroke (it’s
toocoldforfrontcrawl). I watch a seagull dip and skitter
alongthesurface,brie y forgetting the chill of the water.
After 50 strokestowards the horizon, I turn and swim back
toshore– andthewarmth of my towel. It’s not much of a
workout,butasthe endorphins re through my system and
I getdressed,I feel calmer, less stressed and ready to face
theday.
is is mydaily ritual, and has been ever since I
discoveredthewriting of naturalist Roger Deakin, whose
bookWaterlogexplores the UK’s wild water with a sense of
utterjoy.It’sa journey I retraced in my own book, Floating.
Wildswimming – swimming in open bodies of water
suchas rivers,lakes and the sea – has enjoyed a renaissance
intheUKinthepast decade. e Outdoor Swimming
Societyhasseenitsmembership top 70,000 in the past two
years,withorganised events such as the annual Dart 10km
oversubscribed. e water’s allure, though, is as much about
reconnectingwithnature and easing mental health struggles
as it is aboutkeeping physically t.FINDINGTHEFLOW
Afterstartingtoswim regularly in cold water, I noticed a
positivee ectonmy anxiety, which I had been struggling
withformuchofmy adult life. My mood would improveAUTHORJOEMINIHANE
TAKESA DEEPDIVEINTO
THEWORLDOFWILD
SWIMMING,THEBRACING
PURSUITTHATPROVIDES
A WHOLEHOSTOFMIND
ANDBODYBENEFITSAWAY
FROMTHECHLORINATED
CONFINESOFTHEPOOL
I
Free as a bird: open-water
swimming provides head space
and a unique sense of calm
PhotoBen Cox