Wondering what to get an open water swimmer (or yourself)? This three part blog series shares wonderful gifts for wild swimmers, so we’ve got you covered!
In the first two posts, we shared gifts that wild swimmers might appreciate during and after their swims. In this post, we’re looking at ways to deepen that relationship with wild swimming and bring it into the rest of life – you’ll find ideas for inspiring books, magazines and evocative art to bring the wild swimming magic home. Along with some amazing wild swimming experiences to dream about.
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Gifts for wild swimmers: Books
There are lots of lovely suggestions for gifts for wild swimmers in my books for sea lovers blog post, but here are a few more I’ve come across this year that would make thoughtful gifts for wild swimmers…
The Little Wild Swimming Book (£8) by Flora Jamieson, illustrated by Gemma Koomen, would also make a beautiful little gift for new and experienced wild swimmers – an ode to wild swimming with lots of lovely illustrations, inspiring quotes, tips and advice.
Salt on My Skin (£9.99) by Sarah Kennedy Norquoy (read her Sea Soul Community interview over here) tells the biographical story of how in January 2019, Sarah’s world was shattered by two life-changing events within the space of two weeks – the death of a close friend, and her mother’s dementia diagnosis.
Living through grief, Sarah turned to her newfound hobby of wild swimming, and this inspiring book captures her experiences of a year of transformational wild swimming on Orkney, while adjusting to her mother’s dementia.
I have to mention our pocket-sized plastic-free Sea Soul Blessings book (£7.50) again because it’s the perfect size to pop in the post with a card, or to slip into a stocking. For Christmas, I’ll add a mini set of 5 random mini Sea Soul Blessings cards (while stocks last), as an extra little treat for the recipients.
I originally wrote this little book to accompany the Sea Soul Blessings cards, offering some thoughts on how to use these as part of a daily routine or a self compassion practice, writng a little about my own experiences of sea swimming, and sharing thoughts on the 49 different messages or sea wisdom I’ve been lucky enough to glean from my time in the water. But you don’t need the cards to appreciate the book. Flick through the pages and see which message calls to you today – a lovely way to glean some extra inspiration before or after your sea swim.
I also spotted another beautiful little book, The Colours of the Sea, (part of a series of three with Daughters of the Sea and The Whispering Wood) in one of my favourite local shops, Circa 21. Beautifully illustrated, it features stories, poetry and woodcut illustrations by sisters Sarah Thomas and Angela Annesley, and is £12.
The set of three books are currently out of stock, but this is definitely one to keep an eye on, and Circa 21’s shop is always worth a visit, I’ve been getting lots of lovely gifts from there…
Gifts for Wild Swimmers: Magazines
Coast Magazine captures coastal stories and beauty from all around the UK. It’s guaranteed to make the wild swimmer in your life hanker after a coastal adventure by offering them a little boost of coastal magic in the post every month. It looks like there’s a special subscription offer on right now.
For the more actively swim-focused – especially those training for wild swimming events – Outdoor Swimmer is your go-to magazine. It’s the only magazine in the world dedicated to open water swimming in all its forms. So if the wild swimmer in your life wants to get inspired by others’ achievements, delve deeper into swimming technique, get advice on the best gear, and connect with others’ amazing swimming stories, this is the magazine for them.
You can buy a single issue online for £6.95 plus postage, get back issues for £3.50, or get a gift subscription for £19.95…
Gifts for Wild Swimmers: Wild swim experiences
Swimming lessons
I recently treated myself to my first ever outdoor swimming lesson with Ella of Wild Edge Swimming Cornwall – and it was so much fun!
There’s a lesson for every level of swimmer – so if there’s a keen wild swimmer in your life wanting to hone their front crawl (that’s what I was trying to do…), or a newbie seeking some support to get more confident in the water, a swimming lesson would be a fabulous gift.
In our lesson, even though I haven’t had a swimming lesson since I was a kid, Ella immediately put me at ease on land, talked me through everything we’d do together, explaining what we’d look at and what I was aiming for. Then in the sea, I got to put it all into practice – and my front crawl is improving! Gift vouchers for lessons range from £18 – £22 for a shared lesson, and £25 – £30 for a one to one lesson.
Women’s retreats:
For the ultimate in Cornish wild swimming get-aways, how about a five night women’s wild swimming and yoga retreat with The Salt Sisterhood in the Helford Passage or abroad (£1000+)?
The Salt Sisterhood describe themselves as a “sanctuary for all women who seek to re-wild themselves through a connection with the ocean” – and how lovely does that sound!
The Salt Sisterhood host small empowering retreats in a stunning location. You’ll meet new friends, enjoy delicious healthy food, wild swims and sea visits every day, stretch into yoga, meditation and a whole lot of joy, judging by the fabulous photos on their website. (You might even come across a Sea Soul Blessings card there if you’re lucky…!)
Wild swimming trips
If you’re keen to head even further afield, what about the gift of planning a wild swimming trip to the Hebrides with Immerse Hebrides?
Led by husband and wife team Norma and Neil on the Isle of Lewis or the Isle of Harris, these trips look absolutely magical – with swim trips offered for any experience level. Short breaks start from £925 per person.
They also offer wild swim experiences that start at £10, so if you’re planning on visiting the Hebrides yourself, why not surprise the wild swimmer in your life with an extra watery treat.
Gifts for Wild Swimmers: artwork
Us wild swimmers do love to be reminded of the water – seeing images of it around us evokes that blue mind magic, and soothes our sea souls, even as we ache to be back by the water.
There are all sorts of wonderful ways to bring the sea, your favourite wild swimming spots or ocean inspiration into your home. How about this signed mini print of my Salted poem for just £3.75 including postage?
Etsy is a treasure trove for wild swimming inspired prints if you’d like something a little different. You’ll find some wonderful ones like this one from Cornish artist, Chilli Betty – it’s called Chilly Dipper, features a bobble-hatted swimmer in a tidal pool, and is available unframed for £12.
While Nancy at Water Drawn Art (whose swim caps we featured in our first Wild Swimmers’ gift guide) creates wonderful scenes full for character and joy – you can get a greetings card like this one featuring “A bouncy day at Poole” below for £2 and frame that – or scour her etsy shop for art prints and other treats.
Another artist whose wild swimming artwork I love seeing pop up on instagram is Fiona Chivers – artist, designer, maker, mother and sea-loving Yogi…
You can very much tell that Fiona is also a former dancer from the sense of movement and vitality in her work – like this beautiful watercolour below. Fiona offers cards and signed prints, as well as creating special original commissions – including one inspired by our synchronised swimming antics as Out of Sink.
Go big or go home (or go get back in the water)…
If you’re considering purchasing some large-scale original artwork that features watery beauty, the sea or wild swimming, you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice – I could write a whole new blog post just about that. (In fact, I must just have to do that at some point…!)
For now, do take a look at these gorgeous paintings by Cornish artist Siân Blunt that transport us to a magical sea vista, like this one below – Lyonesse I (£595).
Siân also happens to have painted a beautiful painting entitled Sea Soul Blessings – I have a card sized print of that one! She also offers outdoor painting workshops using her innovative Pod Studio, amongst other things. So if your wild swimmer also loves creating art en plein air, Siân is a great person to connect with!
On the other side of the Atlantic, I love following the work of Whitney Heavey from New England over on instagram. This beautiful piece below, “Inhaling the Sea Air” might be out of my budget at $3800, but it gives you a sense of the beauty of her work. You can also purchase notecards, calendars, holiday decorations and more from her US shop, so there’s something for every budget.
Something a little different
If your wild swimmer would prefer something more sculptural, head over and explore the work of Belinda Landini on instagram.
Belinda is a Cornwall-based artist who also creates evocative ceramic and mixed media pieces of women floating in the sea, and stunning stoneware and wire sculptures of figures – like this one below.
I simply adore this piece – for me, it so beautifully captures that feeling of being at one with the water, and takes me straight back to this morning’s dip… What more could you want from a piece of art?
Sea Soul Blessings
Of course I have to mention our Sea Soul Blessings gift sets under ‘something a little different’ too, as they’re one of the best ways I know of bringing the sea swimming experience into your daily life. If you’re far from the sea, drawing a Sea Soul Blessing card will awaken your blue mind, and encourage you to breathe and reflect, gathering together some of the many gifts you get from a wild swim.
As rejuvenating and healing as a wild swim can be, there are blessings to remind you of your courage and resilience, that bring a sense of clarity and spaciousness, that soothe and encourage – and they always connect you more deeply to the water, and to nature.
Our best selling gift sets are £21, including 51 Sea Soul Blessings cards, and the book I mentioned above.
Well, that’s the end of my third post in this series, all about finding great gifts for wild swimmers – but I’m sure I’ll keep spotting incredible things to share, and I’d love to hear all your suggestions below.
If you liked this, you might also like 20 great gifts for sea-lovers (which actually includes way more than 20 gifts…) and these wonderful books for sea-lovers.
And here are the other blog posts in this series:
Gifts for wild swimmers 1: the swimming gear
Gifts for Wild Swimmers 2: Post-Swim Treats.
Thanks for reading – and do sign up for our Sea Soul Newsletter here for all sorts of lovely sea treats and inspiration.