Night Swimming: Getting Comfortable in the Dark

With open water swimming, you quickly get to grips with being uncomfortable. Let’s face it, cold water shock isn’t lovely, but once you get to experience what it feels like on the other side of that initial reaction, that’s what brings many of us back time and time again.

For me, looking at a body of water has always held a sense of awe. I love open water, but loving something doesn’t mean you have to be completely comfortable with it.

During the day, that feeling is much easier to rationalise. You can see the shoreline, see the buoy you’re aiming for, see a dark cloud coming in or a wave beginning to form. You can look around and make sense of your surroundings.

In the dark, that certainty is stripped away.

So then the question becomes, why would you choose to swim at night?

Why Swim in the Dark?

Cold water swimmers are already acutely aware of just how sensory swimming can be, but in the dark, I find that experience is heightened.

Without the same visual information around you, you start noticing other things. Sounds seem louder. You become more aware of the movement of the water against your skin. A light on the shoreline suddenly becomes incredibly significant. Things you might barely register during a daytime swim can demand your attention in the darkness.

And with that comes a sense of mindfulness and awareness that, in this busy world, can make a refreshing change.

There is nowhere else for your brain to be. You are very much there.

Looking Up

I’ve always drawn comfort from looking up into the night sky.

I’m sure there is a psychological name for it, but looking at the moon and stars makes me feel very insignificant, in a good way. It reminds me of just how enormous the world is and, somehow, that helps put into perspective whatever big things might be happening in my own life at the time.

Now add cold water immersion into that experience, and for me it becomes even more special.

Floating in dark water and looking up at a clear night sky is quite difficult to describe until you’ve experienced it.

Learning to Be Comfortable With Not Knowing

For the past couple of years, I’ve done an annual night swim at Rydal Water in October.
For me, part of it has been about becoming more comfortable with not having control, or rather, not knowing exactly what is around me.

There can be an initial reaction to being in dark water that I find quite claustrophobic. I can’t rely on all the visual cues I normally would, and my brain has to deal with that.

But that’s also part of why I do it.

If I can recognise that initial panic, manage it and settle myself in the water, then that experience becomes something I can draw upon elsewhere.

When life feels overwhelming or I feel hemmed in by a situation, I can remember that swim.

I can remember the initial reaction, how I dealt with it and how it eventually passed.

For me, night swimming isn’t about proving that I’m fearless. Quite the opposite.

It’s about being uncomfortable and discovering that I can still be okay within it.

I Would Never Night Swim Alone

There is one important caveat to all of this.

I would never, ever do a night swim on my own.

I only night swim with a group and, more specifically, I prefer a guided swim with a qualified swim guide, such as Suzanna Swims, who I’ll be swimming with again this October.

The number one reason is safety.

In darkness, navigation becomes much more difficult. Familiar landmarks can disappear and judging distance and direction becomes harder. A clearly identifiable light on the shoreline can therefore be an important reference point, giving you something to orientate yourself towards and helping you identify your exit point.

You also need to know the water you are entering, understand the conditions and have a clear plan for getting in and, crucially, getting back out again.

Night swimming is not the occasion for deciding to explore an unfamiliar stretch of water by yourself.

My Slightly Unconventional Night Swimming Lighting System

Last year, I think I finally mastered my perfect on-body lighting system.

The aim is to make myself visible without destroying my night vision, or that of everyone swimming around me.

My solution?

Go to a pet shop.

Light-up dog collars work surprisingly well worn around your head, while small flashing lights designed for collars or keyrings can be attached to your tow float.
Because there is nothing worse than floating peacefully in the darkness, enjoying the stars, only for a fellow swimmer to turn towards you wearing a blazing head torch and temporarily remove your ability to see anything at all.

Just saying.

I still take a torch for getting to and from the water, but once I’m actually swimming, I much prefer softer lights that make me visible without lighting up the entire lake.

What to Take Night Swimming

Post-swim layers become even more important at night.
Getting back to your car or changing spot can take longer because you’re moving carefully in low light, so you may not get quite the same warming effect from a brisk walk back that you would during the day.

Get dry and layered up quickly.

This is where I leave my Changing Tube on as an extra layer after getting dressed, and make sure I have all the usual cold weather accessories waiting safely and dry on shore: a bobble hat, neck warmer, wool socks, and mittens.

And finally, something warm to eat and drink.

If you aren’t lucky enough to have access to Suzanna Swims’ famous flapjack, might I suggest making a spicy Parkin cake to share after your swim alongside a lovely hot drink of your choice?

And don’t worry if you’ve never made Parkin. We have the recipe waiting for you here in the Swim Snacks section of our Wild Swimming Journal.

Because if you’re going to voluntarily get into a dark Cumbrian lake in October, I think cake afterwards is the very least you deserve.