FEATURES,  View from the Water

You know you’re an open water swimmer when…

Swim the channel with the Mencap Marvels

You see these types of lists circulating on Facebook from time to time; “you know you’re a whatever when…” There’s probably one out there already for open water swimmers but I haven’t seen it yet so I thought I’d write one. It’s meant for fun so please don’t take it seriously but do send us any other suggestions.

  • You think cake is a recovery food and you can always say yes to a second portion
  • You always want the heating in your office turned down
  • You can’t pass a body of water without wondering if you can swim in it
  • You carry your swimming kit everywhere, just in case…
  • Your partner, or a guest in your house, has screamed when they encountered your wetsuit hanging above the bath to dry
  • You’ve eaten your lunch by 10 in the morning and your afternoon snack by midday
  • You think leaving your cosy warm bed at five in the morning to jump into a cold lake is a normal, rational and fun thing to do
  • You think changing robes are fashionable
  • You’re comfortable being seen in public with next to no clothes on (or wearing a tight-fitting rubber suit)
  • You’ve learnt not to judge a swimmer’s ability by the shape of their body
  • You read H2Open Magazine cover to cover (and if you haven’t got one already you should take out a subscription today!)

(Added 23/9/09) And here are a few more sent in by readers:
 

  • You’ve invested in your own tube of neoprene wet suit repair adhesive (Dianne Parrish)
  • You eagerly scan web sites for bargains on extra warm clothes (Rod Newing)
  • You get dizzy in a pool (Liz Tarr)
  • You are more socialable than a triathlete (Adrian Ward)
  • Your car seems to accumulate un-identified, permanently wet and moldy pieces of kit (Nic Defillion)

I created Outdoor Swimmer in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine) as an outlet for my passion for swimming outdoors. I've been a swimmer and outdoor swimmer for as long as I remember. Swimming has made a huge difference to my life and I want to share its joys and benefits with as many people as possible. I am also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 a Year and I provide one-to-one support to swimmers through Swim Mentoring.