What swimming means to me

A man diving off a boat into the ocean

Why I aspire to be a Renaissance Swimmer

People are drawn to swimming for many reasons. Some say the water is their happy place, where they can relax and unwind, a little slice of mindful tranquillity in a busy, noisy world. Others sign up for swimming challenges that inspire them to train and improve their fitness. I swim for both these reasons, and more too. I love the feeling of swimming, the sense of weightlessness, the rhythm of it, the sensation of water rippling over my skin.

Swimming outdoors has the added uplifting joy of immersing myself in nature. I like the adrenaline buzz from racing in the pool and the sense of satisfaction from completing a long swim in open water, of looking back to the far end of a lake and thinking, “I just swam that”. Being a competent swimmer has enabled me to explore and enjoy other sports from kayaking and windsurfing to triathlon and swimrun. And swimming has created opportunities for travel and adventure all through my life. It’s even, a couple of times, helped me out of tricky situations. One time, while trekking through the bush in Africa, a bridge I expected to find had been washed away. No problem, I thought, and swam across instead.

But it’s even more than that. Swimming can enhance your life in many ways. To list a few, regular swimming will improve your health and fitness and hence your quality of life. This, in turn, increases your chances of an active (and potentially adventurous) later life. There are plausible reasons why immersing yourself in cold water can enhance your ability to manage stress and even – hypothetically – decrease your risk of dementia.

I, and many others, have found ways to create lifestyle businesses around swimming. I founded Outdoor Swimmer magazine in 2011 (originally as H2Open Magazine) and published a book, Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 Days a Year. I also offer one-to-one “swim mentoring” and have done a little direct coaching.

As far as I can tell, the concept of a Renaissance Swimmer didn’t exist during the Renaissance Period but perhaps Everard Digby could lay claim to being one. In 1587, Digby, an academic theologian at Cambridge University, published De Arte Natandi (The Art of Swimming), possibly the first self-help guide to swimming. The book was illustrated too, with a series of 42 woodcuts, which are worth searching for online. As well as practical advice on swimming, the book explored the health benefits of exercise and gave tips on staying safe. Digby combined his passion for swimming with wide-ranging academic interests including philosophy and natural sciences.

Published in Latin, Digby’s book was translated into English by Christofer Middleton in 1595 for “the better instruction of those who understand not the Latine tongue.” Here is Middleton’s translation of Digby’s advice against swimming in the rain.

“The weather that is to be eschewed is rayne, for these considerations, the droppes doe trouble the superficies of the water hurteth the bodie, disturbeth the eyes, and lastly, drayning from the bancks into the Riuer, bringeth also with it, whatsoeuer dunge, strawe, leaues, and what filth or vnwholsome things else, doe lie neare adioyning vnto the place.”

I aspire to be competent in as many aspects of swimming as possible, to ensure swimming helps me live a fit, healthy, and active life, and to apply lifestyle habits that support my swimming. I then want to encourage and support anyone who wants the same.

For the Renaissance Swimmer Project, I spent a year collating my knowledge and experience of swimming. I’ve then organised it into 16 core chapters or sections and put it all on this website. I hope it answers many of your swimming questions and helps you get as much out of swimming as I have done.

If you have any questions, please email me at simon@outdoorswimmer.com