The global phenomena that is Cold Water swimming shows no signs of diminishing. It seems everyone I know these days is giving it a go… even me! I’ve drawn on the expertise of Rowan Clarke who is an expert to pick out the best stuff that any cold water swimmer would absolutely love to be gifted.Cold water swimmers are a diverse bunch, but there\u2019s a huge swathe of people of all ages and backgrounds out there who are discovering the health benefits of going for a chilly dip.
\nThere\u2019s plenty of gear available for everyone so I\u2019ve picked out some of the best that we\u2019ve tested that might be a great gift for that cold water swimmer in your life.
\nWe appreciate everyone is on a different budget, so we\u2019ve tried to pick an array of gifts at different price-points in order to ensure you can get something for the special cold water swimmer in your life \u2013 no matter your budget.<\/p>\n
Our pick of the Best Gifts for Cold Water Swimmers<\/p>\n
1 \/ dryrobe Changing Mat
\nWhen it comes to post-swimming training, dryrobe knows its business. And this handy little changing mat feels like a luxury for your cold feet.
\nChanging mats are all about protecting your feet \u2013 from rough surfaces and from the cold and wet. This is why I love dryrobe\u2019s changing mat. It\u2019s a simple design, but the water-repellent ground-side layer with the soft, warm fleece to stand on is an absolute winner.
\nI would like it to be about twice the size. But, the advantage of it being small is that it doesn\u2019t take up much space in your kit bag.<\/p>\n
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2 \/ Chilly Swim Star Bum
\nSometimes you put on a swimsuit that makes you walk a bit taller. This beautiful limestone neoprene swimsuit did just that. It\u2019s a right wriggle to get on, but once in, it feels incredible.
\nIf you\u2019re looking for extra warmth for your cold water dips, Chilly Swim has the answer. Made from a super-soft, stretchy limestone neoprene, it keeps your torso warmer for those winter swims.
\nFrom a sustainability point of view, limestone neoprene has the lowest carbon footprint of any wetsuit production. But it\u2019s also that you\u2019re shopping with a tiny cottage industry.
\nThe downside of this gorgeous, soft, stretchy limestone neoprene is that it gapes when you swim front crawl. But if you buy it for dipping, you won\u2019t be disappointed.
\nBuy it now
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3 \/ HUUB Araya Wetsuit
\nHUUB is renowned for its high-performing open water swimming kit. And so, I was really excited that plus-size swimmers are now included in their offering.
\nThe HUUB Araya was my favourite plus-size wetsuit. However, that\u2019s with the caveat that while I\u2019m very tall, I\u2019m on the smaller end of the plus-size scale.
\nThe fit was great \u2013 well proportioned for my curvy hips, breasts and legs and the neoprene felt incredibly soft. But it was the shoulder flexibility that most impressed me. Using what HUUB calls \u2018Arms Neutral positioning\u2019 gave me real freedom of movement \u2013 I swam for two hours without tiring.
\nI love that HUUB names its women\u2019s plus-sizes Siren and Athena. Also, that female swimmers and lingerie designers helped shape these wetsuits. But, I could have done without the added buoyancy to the legs. The extra lift over-flexes my lumber spine.
\nOverall, a great fit and warm, comfortable, enhanced and empowered swim.<\/p>\n
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4 \/ Nancy Farmer Swim Cap
\nMy favourite swim caps are designed by the artist Nancy Farmer and sold on Etsy. They\u2019re bright, beautiful, comfortable and durable \u2013 they check every requirement for a swim cap.
\nIf you have longer hair (or a big head) it\u2019s worth trying the long hair swim cap. This also has a gripper band around the inside edge, which stops the dreaded hat creep that long, clean hair can cause.
\nNancy\u2019s swim hats get five-star reviews on Etsy for a good reason.
\nBuy it Now<\/p>\n
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5 \/ Lomo Swim Run Rucksack Tow Float
\nLike all Lomo products, this rucksack tow float is of great quality. I loved how durable this Rucksack Tow Float felt. You could drag it over rugged rocks, drop it on the beach and it wouldn\u2019t break \u2013 and that\u2019s great if you use your kit hard.
\nThe inflation valves take getting used to. Rather than having straw-like valves that stick out, you inflate this tow float by putting your mouth over the holes. But this does avoid rubbing and minimises the potential for damage. Equally, it\u2019s super easy to deflate after use.
\nLike other tow-float rucksacks, it wasn\u2019t as comfortable in rucksack mode as a proper hiking rucksack. But, so long as you keep your carry load light, you can\u2019t go wrong. And it enables a whole world of combined activities and adventures.<\/p>\n
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6 \/ Speedo Women\u2019s Biofuse 2.0 Mirror Goggles
\nI tested the open water version made for women\u2019s face shapes. They offer anti-fog coated lenses with total UV protection against harmful UVA and UVB radiation and fantastic wide vision.
\nBest of all, they\u2019re made for women. Thankfully, that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re pink \u2013 just that they fit female faces comfortably. They also have a push button mechanism on the strap, which is great if you have long nails. You can get them in men\u2019s and children\u2019s versions and with different lens tints.
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7 \/ Voited Poncho Changing Robe
\nVoited do a range of changing items, from lightweight toweling ponchos to bigger thermal huge coat style changing coats. I was sent the full range to test and so far I have used all of them and loved them all. From the lightweight one I used at the hot springs where I keep my boat in the Azores, to a chilly swim in the open Atlantic pool, I put on the warmer poncho and then when the weather turned really cold lately in the UK, I donned the big changing coat, and walking the dog for an evening toilet biz was never more snug for me, never mind the dog.
\nThese are absolutely fabulous.
\nBuy it from Voited.co.uk<\/p>\n
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8\/ Orca Core Swim Gloves
\nWhen it comes to neoprene gloves, comfort is at the top of our wish list. Orca\u2019s offering is just that \u2013 comfortable to wear and easy to get on and off.
\nMade from 2mm flexible neoprene, these swim gloves are nice and stretchy. This means pulling them on is a cinch and they feel comfortable. But what separates them from the other gloves is how they\u2019ve been tailored to fit your hands.
\nWhile 2mm neoprene is stretchy and flexible, the flip side is that it\u2019s not as warm as thicker neoprene. However, a good fit is key and our tester found these easy to wear with minimal water ingress. Five stars.<\/p>\n
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9 \/Decathlon Olaian Swimming booties
\nKeeping your toes warm can help to keep cold water cramp away. I love wearing mine as they make walking down the slippery stone steps into the open water swimming area much safer. I love wearing mine at anypoint I need to get in the water as it eases the cold water shock for me. These simple light weight booties from Decathlon are easy to pull on and take off, they fit into a kit bag really easily and they dry out quickly too. The grippy bits do the job well and they\u2019re thin enough that I still get some feeling through the soles so it\u2019s not like wearing shoes. I swim in a swimming costume, as long as I keep my feet and hands warm then the middle bit is happy!
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Best gift ideas for cold water swimmers
\nIf you didn\u2019t find anything in this list that\u2019s perfect for the Cold water swimmer in your life, you might want to browse some of the options below for a whole range of Swimmers\u2019 favourites.
\nBest open water swimming shoes and booties
\nBest changing mat for swimmers and surfers
\nBest open water swim suits for women
\nBest Plus Sized swimming wetsuits
\nBest open water swimming hats
\nBest swimming tow floats for open water
\nBest goggles for open water swimming
\nBest changing robes for outdoor swimmers
\nBest swim gloves for outdoor swimmers
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\nThe post Gifts for Swimmers \u2013 Smart Gift Ideas for Cold Water and Wild Swimming appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The global phenomena that is Cold Water swimming shows no signs of diminishing. It seems everyone I know these days is giving it a go… even me! I’ve drawn on the expertise of Rowan Clarke who is an expert to … <\/p>\n