Journal

Can you feel the lure of the lake? Do you daydream of wallowing in the river and cliff-jumping into a natural plunge pool? If wild swimming is on your bucket list, we’re here to make it happen. Swimming in nature is one of the most rewarding things we can do for our well-being, but like anything wild, it deserves respect. That’s why we’ve put together a rundown of tips and advice to help you stay safe when seeking out those glorious dip spots.

There’s so much advice out there on cold water immersion telling you what to do and how to do it. But we understand that cold water exposure is a very personal thing and we all do it differently depending on why we’re doing it, what we’re using to do it, and the environment available to us. So we’ve put together 8 easy steps to help you get a good grip on your practice and some of the things you might want to consider before you jump in.

To answer this question, we first must understand how the body manages the cold… “Thermogenesis” is the term for the body’s temperature regulation system. It’s one of the ways our body keeps us alive. In a nutshell, the brain and body work together to regulate our temperature through hormones and neurotransmitters. Everyone has an internal thermostat that sits just behind the nose.