Why October Is My Favourite Time to Swim

By Linzi Betts | October

There's something about October that makes me fall in love with swimming all over again.

Give me crisp autumn air, seas still holding onto a little summer warmth, dramatic clouds and a quiet beach over the height of summer any day.

The rivers are beginning to cool, the mornings have that wonderful sharpness in the air, and the changing skies seem to make every swim feel a little different.

And the beaches?

The beaches are glorious.

Early mornings and evenings can feel almost completely deserted. Sometimes you can walk onto the sand and feel like you've got the whole place to yourself.

And occasionally, you might even spot a deer on the beach.

That's when you know you're somewhere pretty special.

A Different Kind of Swimming Season

Nature is changing all around us. The days are getting shorter, the colours are turning golden and the landscape is quietly getting ready for winter.

There's something lovely about watching those changes from the water.

The busy summer beaches have settled down, the coastline feels a little quieter, and there's more time to notice the small things.

The changing light. The clouds moving across the sea. The sound of the waves when almost everyone else has gone home.

And I think that's why October swimming feels different.

It's not about chasing summer.

It's about embracing the season we're actually in.

Be Bright. Be Seen. Be Heard.

Of course, as the days get shorter and the water begins to cool, being visible and sensible

becomes even more important.

I'm a big believer that cold-water swimming should be an adventure, but it should never be a secret mission.

Be bright. Be seen. Be heard. Let people know where you are.

If I'm heading out for a swim, people know where I'm going. I wear bright, visible kit and use equipment that helps me be seen in the water.

I don't rely on someone spotting a tiny head bobbing around in an enormous sea.

Autumn conditions can change quickly, so checking the weather, tides and water conditions matters too. As the water gets colder, it's important to know your limits, swim with others and have warm, dry clothes ready for afterwards.

And when the light starts fading, that's my cue to get out rather than squeeze in one last swim.

Because being prepared doesn't take away from the adventure.

It makes the adventure possible.

The Best Bit? The Food!

And then there's the best bit…

The food. 🍲

October swimming requires porridge for breakfast.

Soup afterwards. Coconut. Butternut squash. Chilli.

All those warming, comforting foods that somehow taste even better when you've just climbed out of the water with rosy cheeks and cold fingers.

There's something particularly satisfying about getting warm and dry, wrapping your hands around a hot drink and knowing you've earned that bowl of soup.

Simple pleasures, but some of my favourites.

Darker Evenings, Warmer Moments

Then the evenings get darker.

And honestly? I love that too.

Because darker evenings mean cosy nights after a day of adventures, hot chocolate and fires. 🔥☕️

Evening talks. Games nights. Long conversations. Big blankets. Hot baths. Candles. And finally slowing down.

There's something wonderful about coming out of the water, getting wrapped up in layers, pulling on a huge coat and a woolly hat, and knowing that the rest of the evening is about being warm and cosy.

It's not just the swimming I look forward to at this time of year. It's everything that comes with it.

The friends, the conversations and those moments when nobody is in any particular hurry to be anywhere else.

October, I'm Ready for You

October is layers.

October is wrapping up warm.

October is big coats and woolly hats.

It's beaches without the crowds.

Autumn clouds rolling across the sky.

The sound of waves when everyone else has gone home.

It's watching nature change around you.

It's finding deer on the beach.

It's fires and laughter.

It's adventures with good people.

And after a year that has been… a year, I'm more than ready for it.

Ready to slow down.

Ready to breathe.

Ready to get outside.

Ready to swim.

But most of all, ready to remember that sometimes the simplest things are the best things.

A swim.

A warm bowl of soup.

A hot chocolate.

A fire.

A blanket.

A good conversation.

And that feeling when you look around and realise just how lucky you are to call this coast home.

So bring on October.

I'll be the one in the big coat, woolly hat and bright swim kit.

And yes…

I'll tell you where I'm going before I get in.