Wild Swimming Kit: What do you wear for open water or wild swimming?

This is a really common question, what do you wear for wild swimming, what gear do you need to open water swim?

So, here we go. Here’s a run down on swim kit and what I call my essentials.

First let’s start with the big questions.

Do you need a wetsuit for cold water swimming?

The quick answer is no. You wear whatever you want to be comfortable, bearing in mind:

• You need to be able to get what you’re wearing on and off, and if it is cold, that can be tricky if your fingers aren’t working too well. If you struggling to get your wetsuit off with warm hands, you’re going to get very cold fighting to get it off with your cold hands. Often just a simple swimsuit is easier to get on and off, but it depends on how much time you want to spend in the water.
• Whatever you wear you will ‘feel the cold water’ unless you’re wearing a dry suit, which isn’t something wild swimmers do! A wetsuit is designed to let is a certain amount of water, that water then warms up between your skin and the wetsuit making a nice warm pocket of warm water.
• If you’re swimming, a surf wetsuit is often uncomfortable. The buoyancy isn’t right for swimming so you might feel like you’re floating too far up in the water, or it might be that you can’t move your shoulders and arms very well. They can feel restrictive and cumbersome. Look for swim wetsuits. A different creature all together.
• Lots of people like to wear neoprene gloves and/or booties. Keeping the extremities warm can make a big difference to your comfort. You might want to try those, with just your swimming costumer and a hat.
• Contrary to what you might think – and you see in the media – you don’t have to have a bobble hat! I tend to wear a normal silicon swim cap, with a neoprene hat on the top (double hat) to keep my head a bit warmer when I submerge.

What can I wear instead of a wetsuit?

This is completely up to you, but this is what I’ve seen out and about wild swimming in Devon in the cold water season.

• This is a popular one. Bobble hat, swim costume, neoprene gloves and neoprene boots plus tow float. Some folks want to go hard core so they go for a bikini instead of a costume.
• Shorty wetsuit and booties… sometimes gloves too, double swim hat, tow float.
• Me – swim costume (I make sure my costume isn’t just the single layer one – makes a big difference to me to have the bra insert for warmth), doubled up swim hat, goggles, ear plugs, tow float and swim shoes.

Or mix it up to suit your own needs. You can find neoprene swimsuits, or rash vests and leggings, which you can wear as an extra layer.

Swimming Costume

I have a trusty black (now grey) Zoggs, an excellent-fitting Next one, a sports style Speedo and a boy-leg Slazenger, and two new zingy colourful Sweaty Betty costumes which aren’t as comfortable as I’d like. I am yet to find my perfect brand and when I think I’ve hit on one, they change what they do.

I have specific requirements. My swimming costume needs to cope with salt water, have a bra shelf (for warmth and comfort), high-cut neck and low-cut legs. I can’t do fiddly straps as I get changed on the beach and metal fastenings are a big no as they rust. I want it to be brightly coloured, it needs to be in my size and be under £50. I’d also like a sustainable fabric. I don’t think it exists, but I’ll keep on looking.

Something for my Feet

Weaver fish stings are very painful – they tend to be around in the summer/autumn – so I often wear shoes in the summer. I also can’t manage to walk on pebbles with any sort of dignity. I wear some really old (I mean over 15 years) fabric velcro beach shoes with a rubber sole. I’ve also got some cheap supermarket ones too and some great ones gifted from a friend. If you look up barefoot swim shoes, you’ll find something suitable. I have some winter neoprene booties (4mm) which are remarkably warm.

Goggles

In the winter I wear Aqua Spheres Vista clear mask because they covers that bit between your eyebrows, which reduces head freeze. I haven’t yet found my perfect summer goggles, but these are an essential bit of kit which I replace every year (or the lenses at least). This year I’m trying out dbh turbo tinted goggles. So far so good!

Tow Float

I have a Pink LOMO 28 litre tow float which I’ve had for years. My son has an orange HUT 20 litre one which I use too. Both are dry bags so you can take your phone and keys or money with you, or even flip flops, t-shirt and shorts if you’re having an adventure! I don’t swim without my tow float. As well as showing other water users where I am, it provides me with a bit of security.

Ear Plugs

I wear Swim Ears and I’ve also had Surf Ears. There’s a condition called exostosis (surfer’s ear) which is caused by repeated exposure to cold water, which I really don’t want. Though pricey, both swim ears and surf ears come with a neat little purse to keep them in and different size ear fittings. I’ve replaced the core mesh on both the left and right plug this year (you can buy spare parts). I’ve had them for years now and wear them every time I swim, so the wear has now outweighed the initial outlay. You can get lots of different earplugs to keep the water out, some people wear head bands too, just see what works for you. I should also add that ear plugs stops nausea or motion sickness for me (and many others!).

Swim Hat

I have a variety of brightly coloured hats from events I’ve swum – you get a hat for swimming – and I’ve got a couple of Wild Swimming Teignbridge hats designed by my swim friend, and a lovely gifted illustrated Nancy Farmer. I wear a swim hat for visibility, to keep my hair out of my eyes, for head warmth and to try and keep some condition in my poor old salt soaked barnet. I double up on hats when it gets cold and in the winter I wear a neoprene hat too.

Towel

I have a normal bathroom towel. I don’t really mess about with anything else in summer. I had a micro fibre one but it seems to have disappeared.

All in the bag

And all this goes in my bag along with a plastic carrier to put my wet stuff in and a hot drink or a bottle of water in summer. This is my simple kit, you can have oodles more!

In winter I’ll have lots more clothes, boots and big socks, a wooly hat and hand warms. I’ll take my dryrobe to wrap up in, and sometimes a small hot water bottle and a flask of hot water. It wraps round my tummy. I put it so it warms up my back. It’s surprisingly pleasing.

Want to know more?

This blog piece is just about the kit, not about safety, or the ins and outs of managing cold water. If you’d like some support with your technique, confidence or cold water therapies do get in touch. You can read more about cold water here to!