‘When I first started dating my partner, we took a dip on a beach in the north of Scotland, at Durness,’ says TV and radio presenter and author Gemma Cairney.
‘We were wild camping up there, and the water was turquoise blue in a way that was like Caribbean waters to me (except for the fact that it was freezing). I just felt so in love and it was so special just swimming around.’
Gemma took up wild swimming after moving to Margate – she says she ‘fell in love’ with the tidal pool at Walpole Bay, which she could see from the window of her flat.
As soon as the presenter started swimming near Margate, she felt an ‘instant lift’ every time she went in the water – and says it helps her deal with everything from work stress to family to hangovers.
Gemma now swims in the sea, lakes and rivers around the world, and says that the cold water offers huge physical and mental health benefits for her.
‘I just see it as a really beautiful activity,’ she says. ‘I think the freedom of a vast expanse of water is just such a beautiful thing.’
‘The lure of the sea is hard to ignore’
Gemma swam daily in Margate and has now moved to Edinburgh, where she swims on the beach near Portobello along with ‘lots of hardy Scots’.
‘The lure of the sea is hard to ignore,’ she explains. ‘It’s addictive. I think we have been called to arms by Mother Nature not only to look after the planet, but to enjoy the wonders of the world.’
Gemma believes that wild swimming offers instant psychological benefits and admits she likes to run around screaming as a ritual before getting in the water.
‘Especially if you are feeling closed in by bricks, when you see glistening water around you as far as the eye can see it offers your mind a different perspective,’ she says.
‘It also makes you feel like perhaps your own problems aren’t that big. And I used to always think that looking at the horizon of the water, I’m just a tiny speck here. So it helps you to get real pretty quickly.’
And the benefits don’t stop there. Swimming every day leaves Gemma feeling filled with energy and creatively inspired to do her work and she leaves all self-consciousness behind when she gets in the water, preferring to wear Victorian-style swimming clothes rather than your usual swimsuits.
‘When I’m hanging out in the water it doesn’t matter about looking sexy,’ she says. ‘There are so many fabulous brands out there now providing for all of the wild swimming enthusiasts!’
‘It’s so available, it’s everywhere – that’s Priceless to me’
One of Gemma’s most unforgettable wild swimming experiences was in South America.
‘I made a radio series called The Sound Odyssey where we took a British musician to Guyana in South America,’ she says.
‘Somebody told us about this kind of lagoon that was about two hours away from the city. It was completely silent. And it was the colour of tea.
‘We asked locals, “Why is it this colour?” They said it basically absorbed all of the plants and herbs to create a kind of pool of cold, medicinal herbal tea. And it was just fantastic!’
‘I just felt like the happiest I’d ever been’
One of Gemma’s favourite parts of the wild swimming experience is ‘getting some angst out’ in the water, before returning to dry land for a hot drink and some food with friends.
‘One day first thing in the morning, in Margate by the tidal pool on a sunny day and I just wanted to sit out for a while and I messaged my friends on my Whatsapp group, “Please bring me breakfast!”
‘Half an hour later my friend brought me some yoghurt and granola and a coffee and I just felt like the happiest I’ve ever been!
‘With wild swimming you feel really alive. That aliveness doesn’t leave you. There are so many elements to my relationship with the sea, but it’s available, it’s everywhere and that’s what makes it Priceless to me.’
Gemma’s tips for getting started as a wild swimmer
First timer? Go with someone
‘It helps to go with someone if you’re just starting, especially someone who is experienced.’
Don’t just dive straight in
‘Be careful. I’ve seen people just plunge right in when it’s really cold. And I don’t think that you’ll get the benefits.’
Choose your kit carefully
‘Don’t feel pressure to have all of the snazziest kit. Buy what makes you feel comfortable. Just be sure that you have the right gloves, the right booties, the right hats. There is a lot available so do your research, but don’t follow trends, follow logic!’
Don’t be scared
‘I think we have these irrational fears about the water particularly in the UK. That there’s something beneath the surface. But honestly, you won’t be meeting any sharks!’
