The Outdoor Swimmers Handbook

'An important, inspiring book by someone that has encouraged million of people to experience the wonders and friendships of Britain's rivers, lakes and seas' ROBERT MACFARLANE 'A treasured guide for anyone who wants to venture into rivers, estuaries, lakes and seas for a dip, a moonlit swim or a great adventure. I loved this book!' LYNNE COX Capturing the freewheeling spirit, community and wisdom that defines The Outdoor Swimming Society movement, founder Kate Rew reveals everything you need to know to explore rivers, lakes, seas and estuaries. Sharing tales of her own inspiring swims, Kate explores the rich and varied life of outdoor swimmers, from the physiology of cold to planning lazy hazy downstream swims. An exquisite guide for beginners and enthusiasts alike, The Outdoor Swimmers' Handbook will lead you to the shore and become your trusted companion for the adventures ahead.

Lynne Cox has set open water swimming records across the world, and now she has focused her decades-long experience and expertise into this definitive guide to swimming. Open Water Swimming Manual provides a wealth of knowledge for all swimmers, from seasoned triathletes and expert swimmers to beginners exploring open water swimming for the first time. Cox methodically addresses what is needed to succeed at and enjoy open water swimming, including choosing the right bathing suit and sunscreen; surviving in dangerous weather conditions, currents, and waves; confronting various marine organisms; treating ailments, such as being stung or bitten, and much more. Cox calls upon Navy SEAL training materials and instructors’ knowledge of open water swimming and safety procedures to guide her research. In addition, first-hand anecdotes from SEAL specialists and stories of Cox’s own experiences serve as both warnings and proper practices to adopt. Open Water Swimming Manual is the first manual of its kind to make use of oceanography, marine biology, and to weave in stories about the successes and failures of other athletes, giving us a deeper, broader understanding of this exhilarating and fast growing sport.

In this stunning and inspiring guide, Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, takes you on a wild journey across Britain, braving the elements to experience first-hand some of the country's most awe-inspiring swim spots, from tidal pools in the Outer Hebrides to the white-sand beaches of the Isles of Scilly. Waterfalls, natural jacuzzis, sea caves, meandering rivers - every swim is described in loving detail, taking in not only the gleeful humour of each mini-adventure and the breathtaking beauty of the surroundings, but also practical information about how to find these remote spots. Featuring evocative photography from Dominick Tyler, this is a must-have book for serious swimmers and seaside paddlers alike, and is perfect for the outdoors enthusiast in your life.

'I love this book ...' Louise Minchin 'The perfect companion for anyone who wants to swim outdoors.' Your Healthy Living This is the ultimate practical guide to get you swimming outdoors, 365 days a year. Whether you want to take your first tentative dip in your local wild swimming spot or take on a long-distance swimming challenge, you'll find everything you need to embrace outdoor swimming and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits it offers. Have you ever wondered what kit you need for winter swimming or how to fall in love with the cold? This book includes dedicated information about each season, ensuring you have everything you need to make outdoor swimming something you can enjoy safely all year round. Discover how to overcome your outdoor swimming fears and why becoming an outdoor swimmer can help you cope better with the ups and downs of daily life. Find out the differences between swimming in oceans, rivers and lakes, learn how to become a stronger swimmer and how to design your own training plans. Featuring case studies from people with a wide range of backgrounds who have embraced the outdoor swimming lifestyle, including people living with physical disabilities and mental health challenges, this is the book for anyone who wants to swim outdoors.

A science-based approach for transforming ailments of both body and mind through cold-water swimming. The belief that swimming in cold water can improve one's health is hardly new. For centuries, people from all over the world have reported that immersing themselves in cold water alleviates their pain and improves their overall well-being. Even Katharine Hepburn famously claimed to treat her winter colds by swimming in the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean. But until now, the practice has been treated lightly by the scientific community, the curative effects all but dismissed by doctors seeking medicine-centered solutions for their patients' illnesses. In Chill, expert anesthetist and researcher Dr. Mark Harper delivers long-awaited evidence that cold-water swimming can, in fact, achieve powerful, tangible health benefits. Combining science with case studies and stories from the lives of patients, Dr. Harper illuminates the ways in which cold water can impact us physiologically and mentally, alleviating conditions like: • chronic pain • arthritis • anxiety • depression • PTSD • migraines • and more Dr. Harper guides us in safely establishing our own customized practice of cold-water swimming in order to harness the therapeutic power of water for improved circulation, a strengthened immune system, cell regeneration, and everyday vitality. Eye-opening and actionable, and full of extraordinary discoveries about our minds, our bodies, and the healing powers of Earth's most plentiful resource, Chill is a drug-free, no-cost, revolutionary approach to lasting wellness and rejuvenation. FOR EVERY SKILL LEVEL: With inspiring and instructional narrative case studies, Chill gives readers a highly accessible, cost friendly approach to healing—whether you are an athlete or someone who enjoys wading in the water. Many of the cases studies include people who could hardly swim! A NEW APPROACH TO COLD WATER PRACTICES: For readers who enjoyed The Wim Hof Method and Blue Mind, Dr. Harper offers a science-based, proven approach to the trending health and fitness practice of cold-water immersion. A NATURAL WAY TO HEAL: Joining an ever-growing genre of natural, drug-free alternative programs to heal ailments and improve overall health, Chill will call to readers who came to books like Alejandro Junger's Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body's Natural Ability to Heal Itself and Jon Kabat-Zinn's Full Catastrophe Living: How to Cope with Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness Meditation.

A guide to 50 of Ireland's best locations for swimming, diving, and snorkeling. From secret coves to serene rivers and lakes, there is something for swimmers of all abilities. With maps and color photos.

The thrill of plunging--or dipping a toe--into open water brings joy, confidence, adventure, and friendship. It can wash away stress and sadness, pain and grief. Here water is a great healer, a place to feel gloriously, elementally alive and in touch with yourself, with others, and with nature. Full of life-affirming personal stories and breath-taking images of scenery and swimmers, this bookcelebrates the remarkable wild swimming community. With practical advice on how wild swimming works and how to get started--from what you'll need (a swimsuit and a smile ) to where best to go (rivers, oceans, lochs, lakes . . .)--there's never been a better time to take the plunge.

New to wild swimming and wondering how to stay safe? Old to wild swimming and wondering what's been accidentally left out of this book? Fed up of hearing about wild swimming but in need of a present that looks like you care about it? All welcome. After ten years of swimming in the sea in Scotland, Sue Gyford found herself on the admin teams of two online wild swimming groups amid what she lovingly calls "The Great Influx of 2020". Lockdown, cabin fever, the closure of swimming pools, and the inability to fly to Magaluf, saw huge numbers of people heading to beaches, rivers and lochs near home to swim. At the same time, wild swimmers could no longer swim in groups, so more experienced swimmers couldn't lead by example or pass on scraps of advice over their shivery bites. Eventually she decided that, rather than concocting ever-more baroque facebook posts about the dangers of cold water swimming and how to avoid them, she'd put it all in one place. A place where nobody could answer back in the comments. The Little Book of Swimming Safely is part advice, part warning, part saving her a hell of a lot of future facebook posts if everybody buys this for themselves or their pet swimmer. It doesn't pretend to be complete, she's probably missed out some obvious but important tips but she's publishing it herself, so this is her best shot. Keep safe, have fun, don't be stupid, be kind. That's about the size of it.