Portobello - Swimming beginning

Despite the current cold snap, I think it’s fair to say that I’ve survived my first winter of wild swimming. The sea temperatures here in Portobello are starting to rise again from a low point of 5.8 degrees Celsius. The evenings are drawing out as well, bringing to an end the simple joy of being in the water after dark. I’ve discovered that I love being in the water, although I certainly need to get swimming lessons to improve my technique. I’ve realised that I don’t feel the cold too much either.  But I’m very much a novice, so I thought it might be useful to share here how I got started.

First of all, I started swimming in August when the sea temperature was a balmy 13 degrees. That way, I gradually got used to the cold as it slowly dropped into single figures towards Christmas. I’ve discovered that I like to stay in the water for quite a while and therefore I use a wetsuit. Some people use just a swimming costume but the time you can stay in the water is limited this way. With my wetsuit on, even in the coldest temperatures, I can stay in the water for much longer and don’t have to worry at all about getting cold. I also enjoy the added buoyancy from the wetsuit. When the sea temperature dropped to eleven degrees, I added neoprene swimming gloves to my ensemble and at ten degrees I put neoprene socks on. Once the water was below 10 degrees, I had to put thick Vaseline on my lips to stop them chapping. I always wear goggles, ear plugs, and a red swimming cap for visibility. I slip on a pair of cheap flip flops for walking the 30 metres from the front door to the beach. These are left on the groyne while I’m in the water and I always worry that a dog will run off with them.

Of course, that proximity to the beach is a big bonus. When I’m finished, I just walk out of the water and right into the shower. I’ve formed the habit as well of filling a bucket with warm water and placing it at the front door. That way, if my hands are cold, I can warm them enough to use the house key and it also allows me to wash sand off my feet before stepping indoors. I keep the wetsuit on when I go into the shower and that way, I can give it a good rinse while I’m in there.  The first wetsuit I bought was quite a cheap one (£80) and it was a nightmare for getting on and off. After only a few uses, the seams came apart and I got a refund. This allowed me to buy a slightly more expensive one (£120) and what a difference that made for just another £40. The suit was made of a much softer neoprene which was a lot easier to put on and take off, and it has lasted well.

One other thing that helped me get started was watching the weather forecasts and tide tables even more closely than I usually do. Perfect swimming conditions are high tide and a light westerly wind with small or no waves. Here at Portobello, winds from the east, northeast, north or northwest make the sea rough and can leave a swell for several days afterwards, neither of which are good for novice swimmers. Of course, it only happens on a handful of occasions that you get a flat calm sea. As well as the Met office general forecast and the tide tables, I also use two other websites. The first, https://seatemperature.info/edinburgh-water-temp gives an accurate reading of the surface water temperature for my location and gives a forecast of wave heights.

The second site I use, www.thebeachguide.co.uk/sea-temperature, also gives temperatures but as a map showing the different sea temperatures around the UK. I think it’s not as accurate as the first but I really like the colours and enjoyed watching them change as the temperature dropped over the winter months. It’s coldest in February and March.

There are a number of reasons for starting swimming. I was looking for an exercise that complemented my other activities and would maintain my flexibility in the years ahead. It’s also been something new to try and possible to do close to home during the pandemic. One big advantage as well is that it’s a short activity that I can fit in at lunchtime or between other things and doesn’t need much planning or preparation – just pull on the wetsuit and go. Lunchtime swims are possible now that I’m working from home during the pandemic and I find I’m really refreshed afterwards for the rest of the working day.

Of course, it’s not all about swimming. Mostly, I enjoy just being in the water and dreamily drifting away from shore. And sometimes I just float.

Kit Notes
Wetsuit - TRN Orca 
Gloves - C-Skins 3mm neoprone swimming gloves. Really important to have proper swimming gloves so they are a tight fit which enables the water to be trapped and warmed by your body temperature. This applies to all the kit but especially the gloves. Cold hands can be crippling and are likely to reduce the time in the water.
Socks - Lomo neoprene swimming socks
Hat - Lomo silicone
Goggles - Speedo

Ear plugs - Zoggs junior