The reluctant wild swimmer

Aiming for the Loony Dook

Jul 08, 2024

A couple of years ago I did something that I hadn’t done for years, which was to take a dip in the sea.

It wasn’t just on any day, but on January 1st as part of the annual ‘Loony Dook’ New Year celebrations that occur on many Scottish beaches.

All went fine until I dipped briefly below the surface at which point my body tensed up leading to a hasty retreat. It was a good social occasion, though, and I didn’t rule out trying again.

However two more opportunities have since passed so this year - starting in May - I’ve been following some expert advice to work up to it over a few months in warmer conditions.

A wild swimmer in November at a Scottish beach

So when does swimming become wild swimming?

The Cambridge English Dictionary simply says that it is ‘swimming for enjoyment in rivers, lakes, the sea, etc., rather than in swimming pools.’

But temperature is a factor too, particularly at the coast where a dip in mid summer is clearly different to when there is snow on the ground.

Around the UK, some of the lowest sea surface temperatures are in Scotland, varying from about 5-6 degrees (Centigrade) in mid winter to 12-14 degrees in summer*. In contrast, temperatures in southwest England are about 3-4 degrees warmer at a given time of year. Local variations occur from day-to-day and beach-to-beach due to factors such as the incoming tide crossing sun-warmed sand and wind-driven mixing from deeper, cooler waters.

The highest temperatures are reached about a month after the height of summer, making September potentially a great time for sea swimming; indeed two years ago records were broken in the southern North Sea when temperatures remained above 20 degrees for several weeks.

However, that's still cooler than most indoor swimming pools, which are typically heated to a balmy 26 to 30 degrees.

Having the right kit helps too, and neoprene gloves, boots and hats are popular ways to keep extremities and core temperatures warm. Views on wetsuits differ with some preferring not to wear them, and some choosing the rash vests favoured by surfers - the rash here being what the vest protects you against when caught up in a sand-filled wave rather than an unpleasant disease …

Being ready to enjoy the social aspects afterwards helps too rather than rushing to leave. In addition to warm, dry clothing, a hot drink, cake and hot water bottle often figure too.

Swimmers celebrating a New Year’s Day dip

Another view therefore is that one person’s daring wild swim is another’s routine dip and that definitions probably don't matter too much.

As for me, despite some initial misgivings, ‘dooks’ seem something worth persevering with - the simple fact that it's fun, slightly crazy and often exhilarating being enough, although there also seems to be plenty of evidence of health and psychological benefits too.

There's nothing like publicly declaring your plans as motivation so my aim now is to take a dip at least once a month for the rest of the year and then say in this newsletter if I went in on New Year's Day. However if there's silence you'll know that conditions weren't quite right …

If tempted to try wild swimming yourself, it's worth reading up on some of the risks beyond those related to the tides and swimming. These include ‘cold shock', whose symptoms I partly experienced on that first attempt, and ‘after drop', which is a drop in core temperature once you leave the water. The RNLI and the Outdoor Swimming Society websites have some good advice on kit and techniques to help reduce these risks.

The reluctant wild swimmer

Aiming for the Loony Dook

So when does swimming become wild swimming?

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