Wild Swimming - 'Back in Our Day they Called it Swimming'
‘Wild Swimming’ the very name itself is enough to send people into a Twitter rant. ‘It was just called swimming when I was a kid’ or ‘Doesn’t look that wild to me’ are popular choices. Calling ourselves the Wild Swimming Brothers has, as you can imagine, pulled us into the debate. We really named ourselves after our Grandma Wild (yes real name Edith Wild - no ‘e’ at the end) and our mum Tina Wild but that’s beside the point. We still like to stick up for the term Wild Swimming. It’s helpful, it separates chlorine-stained red eyes from the fresh tea-stained colour of mountain tarns. It divides the chemical smell of warm congested indoor pools from the liberating expenses of the open ocean. But most importantly it is not something worth getting angry or frustrated about.
What would rather the privileged urban elite were doing? Surely the fact they are swimming outdoors is a good thing.
So we wanted to use this article to explore some of the things in the Wild Swimming community over the last 8 years that we have seen irk our fellow merpeople. It often seems that the closer we get to interests and passions the more divided we become. It seems the swimming world is no different. ‘Oh I’d never wear a wetsuit, it’s not proper swimming’ or ‘well they’re just dipping so it’s not really proper swimming’. This is called the ‘Narcissism of Small Differences’.
The narcissism of small differences is the thesis that communities with adjoining territories and close relationships are especially likely to engage in feuds and mutual ridicule because of hypersensitivity to details of differentiation. If you’ve recently been annoyed by someone calling a swim in a lido ‘wild’ or furious at someone for wearing a Dryrobe in summer, take a deep breath, put down your cup of tea and read our guide about the things in wild swimming that are worth getting angry about…
Things Not Worthing Getting Angry About
Whether someone is wearing a Dry Robe - we know, we know, they’re not truly necessary, proper ice swimmers get changed in fridges and that they’ve become the de-facto uniform of middle-class dippers all over your local swim spot BUT they’re still swimmers and they are quite handy for hiding your bare bum while you change.
What to call it? Wild Swimming, Outdoor Swimming, Nature Swimming - It’s not all that important is it? We’re all swimmers at the end of the day and if we can quibble about what it’s called that just means it’s become a popular enough activity to criticise itself.
Whether someone is wearing a wetsuit or not - Look we understand it’s demoralising when a triathlete overtakes you 15 times in the lido and you swear they’re only quicker because of that damn wetsuit, but fight the urge. It’s worthless arguing about this. A wetsuit is a device for prolonging the amount of time you can spend in the water. That’s it, they’re great, admit it. They help beginners build confidence, they allow faster swimmers to swim at a slower pace and maintain body heat (great for group dips) and they help that triathlete kick your arse in the Lido.
That there are too many wild swimming articles in the Guardian - Again, we hear you, it seems Guardian journalists are incapable of passing a puddle these days without waxing lyrical about a born-again experience. But, alas, it just means the activity that we love has become loved by so many that it’s taken the place of articles about how you can build cars out of broccoli and live on a diet of sunshine, buttercups and £4.00 Matcha Flat White Frappucinos. We’re being facetious of course, but is it really that painful for you to hear about someone else’s joy at discovering the wonders of a wild swim? Plus all those Guardian journalists have really done their bit to propel the pastime forward and into the public consciousness.
Now we’re getting to the good bit, you can rile yourself and get those fingers ready, Twitter isn’t going to know what’s hit it after you’ve read the next four points…
Things Worth Getting Angry About
The Lack of Diversity - The next time you’re at your local wild swimming spot, Lido, pool, waterfall or any swimming place take a look around and see how diverse the merpeople are. We’ll hazard a guess that there will be a startling lack of diversity. According to Swim England, our sport’s governing body, 95% of black adults and 80% of black children in England do not swim, and only 2% of regular swimmers are black. This is worth getting angry about. Direct your anger towards supporting Ed Accura, Seren Jones, Alice Dearing, The BSA, and Swim Dem Crew. We should all be allies and fight to support greater diversity in wild swimming.
Lack of Swimming Lessons for Children - It’s difficult to acknowledge that if you’re enjoying wild swimming then you have experienced an element of privilege. Likely benefitting from swimming lessons growing up. Yet, 25% of school children in the UK leave school unable to swim. Not only is this a lifesaving skill it is, as we know, incredibly beneficial to physical and mental health. Get angry and advocate for swimming lessons for all children - support the Swimming Trust and write a letter to your local MP.
LGBTQ representation - The problems that the LGBTQ+ community face in society are generally mirrored in sport and as such Wild Swimming is no different. It’s up to all of us to make sure the wild swimming world is supportive, inclusive and has space for all. Direct your anger towards supporting groups like Out to Swim, Pride in Water, The Transgender Swimmer and read this excellent article by Coach Kate Gillwood.
Lack of access to clean swimming water - This is especially prevalent in the UK where recently the government declared that not a single river was fit for swimming in and in addition that ‘rivers were not for swimming in anyway’. This is a dereliction of duty of the highest degree and a worrying 1984 moment for the wild swimming world. Direct that anger to fighting to protect the waterways of the UK and support groups like the Rivers Trust, Surfers Against Sewage and Feargal Sharkey.
Ed Accura and members of the Black Swimming Association
From what we’ve seen, 99% of the time any critical judgement of another swimmer is just a revelation of that person’s own insecurities. We’ve heard swimmers scoff at Ross Edgley for wearing a wetsuit, for Lewis Pugh being a bit too serious and we’ve also heard people say Martin Strel ‘just floats’. You can ignore these voices and don’t let other people steal the narrative. Conflict gets clicks but it’s a trap we must avoid. Don’t forget that wild swimming is changing people’s lives, combating depression, stress & anxiety, getting people to open up about mental health, and getting people reconnecting with nature. Yes, there are lots of Guardian articles and yes it is annoying when you see someone in a heatwave walking to the lido in a Dryrobe but don’t let this distract you from the real narrative that wild swimming is transformative and a major force for good.
Now unsheath those fingers, pick up that phone and go get angry about the right things!
‘Unity in Community leads to a Community in Unity’
