Wild Swimming: Hidden Dips in the Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls of Britain: 4 (Wild Swimming: 300 Hidden Dips in the Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls of Britain)

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Firmly placed in the genre of swimming against adversity, this book tells how swimming off the coast of Ireland helped Ruth Fitzmaurice deal with the illness of her husband, who had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Together with fellow “Tragic Wives,” she swims all year, using the waves and the cold to combat her trauma. The Mindful Art of Wild Swimmingexplores how swimming in rivers, lakes, and seas is the very epitome of conscious living. Zen-seeker Tessa Wardley reconnects the physical and spiritual cycles of life to the changing seasons and flow of wild waters worldwide and leads the reader on to a mindful journey through the natural world. With expert insight and personal anecdote, she shares a sparkling clarity on why our relationship with open water is so fundamental to pure wellbeing, and reveals how wild swimming can be the ultimate Zen meditation.

Dan Start has a whole series of beautifully illustrated, practical guides suggesting places to swim outdoors in Britain and France: This is a classic book about marathon swimming, written in the 1970s. The only copies I could find were very expensive – perhaps pressure is needed on the publishers to reprint it! Swim Speed Secrets

Reflective

Wim Hof shares both his life story and his knowledge / experiences with Cold Water Immersion. He introduces his three-pillar approach, where you can learn to harness the three key elements of Cold, Breathing and Mindset. A great read, regardless of whether or not you choose to follow his methods. He outlines, so many of the benefits which have been brought to us recently through the media. His personal achievements are phenomenal and he encourages each one of us to use his guide to improve our health and performance, although perhaps not go as far as emulating his daring feats! As one of our key forms of leisure and mass entertainment, tourism was a major growth industry of the nineteenth century and this growth continued into the twentieth century. Starting in the golden age of the Victorian and Edwardian resorts, Eric Simpson explores the ways and means whereby the Scottish people were able to enjoy the benefits of seaside and other holidays, including how they travelled, the things they did and where they stayed. This book, therefore, is not just about the holidaymakers but embraces too the many people in the resorts who made their livelihood in the tourist industry. Sporting activities, for spectators no less than participants, were and still are very important, especially golf. So too was swimming and one of the extraordinary features of the early twentieth century was the craze for open-air seawater swimming pools in a country that is not renowned for great warmth. Many Scottish towns, both large and small, ran into debt to construct the open-air swimming ponds that once dotted the coastline. In the large resorts there were entertainments for the masses. But in the wee quiet places, holidaymakers had to find their own ways of spending their time with bathing, country walks and sports always popular. (Publisher’s Synopsis) The story of Captain Webb, the first person to swim across the Channel. A short but interesting read. Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox Lynne Cox has swum the most gruelling and demanding long-distance swims in the world. The Channel crossings came early, then the Bering Strait, Straits of Magellan, Cape of Good Hope and Cook Strait in New Zealand. Her life story and those of her swims are gripping, culminating in her 24 minute Antarctic Swim. Here follows a list of books about swimming. If you are looking for inspiration, you’ll find plenty here. These are mainly memoirs of swimming to survive trauma, but there’s also more bucolic descriptive books plus a warm and entertaining novel. This is my bedside table book list, I’m reading through them all in between my own dips.

A look at the cultural aspects of what swimming means. A bit highbrow! The Great Swim by Gavin Mortimer For local / regional (non UK) coverage of wild swimming places, you will find more places, and the additional coastal locations, in our individual Wild Guides, or more detail in the Wild Swimming Walks series. Steve Munatones is a bit of a legend in open water swimming: he founded the Open Water Source and came up with the concept of the Oceans Seven– the swimming version of the Seven Summits. I suspect his book is well worth a look. This illustrated book about the social history of swimming was given a great review here. I’m looking forward to getting hold of a copy. This section is a bit more subjective, as what works for one person might not work for another. In honesty, I’m not really one for spending hours on my technique: I prefer to just get in the water and go. However, these are a few titles I’ve come across and have been recommended by others.Scotland is famed for its rugged coastlines, pristine beaches, endless rivers and deep lochs. The whole country is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world. In this unique guide, adventurer Mollie Hughes introduces many of her favourite places to paddleboard, kayak, swim and surf. Mixing world-class surfing breaks with kayaking adventures on the west coast, and urban paddleboarding along the Clyde with invigorating swims in the lochs of the Cairngorms, the book shows us how to access and enjoy these varied blue spaces. Mollie includes her own personal experiences and tips, enabling wild watersports fans of all levels to make the most of the amazing opportunities Scotland has to offer. (Publisher’s Synopsis)