Why wear a wetsuit wild swimming?
So you’ve booked your wild swimming experience and quite rightly you’re getting a tad excited about the upcoming adventure but the big question many people have is this: ‘To wear or not to wear a wetsuit?’
While it’s not a compulsory item, we do ask people to wear wetsuits on our specific wild swimming trips to places like Snowdonia, the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands and here’s why:
Dipping vs swimming
On many of our trips there are opportunities to take a dip in the water whether it’s a mountain rock pool or exploring a waterfall which is generally fine to do without a wetsuit.
However with our wild swimming trips we spend longer in the water and journey along exploring rock pools and lagoons. Unless you’re used to cold water immersion, it really is better to wear a wetsuit on these occasions.
Keeping you warm
Wetsuits trap a thin layer of water between your skin and the neoprene material which warms and helps you remain toasty. For this reason a wetsuit has to be a snug fit; too baggy and the warm water simply flushes out.
When we get out of the water, the wetsuit also continues to help keep you warm!
Making you more buoyant
The neoprene material of wetsuits is like a foam sponge which traps air bubbles and gives you more buoyancy when you’re in the water. This can be a real bonus particularly if you’re a bit tired and need to tread water as the suit will help keep you afloat.
Protection from scrapes and abrasion on rocks etc.
The very nature of wild swimming means there will be no handy steps at the entry and exit points. Instead we often find ourselves clambering over barnacle covered rocks or picking our way round sharp edges of slate in a quarry. So it pays to have a good covering to protect yourself from scrapes.
Jellyfish stings
On our Scottish Highlands trips we venture into the sea where there are often jellyfish floating around. Donning a wetsuit will provide great protection from stings by the little (or not so little) blighters!
Extras - hoods, gloves and booties
You should also consider any extras to the main wetsuit. If swimming in the depths of winter then we would suggest boots, gloves and a hood are a great idea. If you are joining one of our trips then maybe consider getting yourself some or all of these items:
Gloves
If you are someone who feels the cold then getting some neoprene gloves can make all the difference.
Hoods
Most people don’t tend to need a neoprene hood for our trips, we will supply everyone with a swim cap which despite being super thin will keep your head surprisingly warm.
Booties
Not just to keep your feet warm but boots are good for protecting your feet for the reasons mentioned above (rocky entry points). Wetsuit booties with a decent thick sole are ideal but an old pair of trainers can work although they won’t keep your feet warm.
Swim shoes don’t tend to have the thick soles so we wouldn’t recommend them.
If you are considering buying a wetsuit to take wild swimming please read our blog which gives you more of a steer on making the best purchase from the mind-boggling array of different suits on the market.
https://www.largeoutdoors.com/news-blog/what-wetsuit-should-i-use-wild-swimming