The journal
Notes from the shore
How to read a forecast, what cold water does to you, and what we pack for a winter swim. Written by the people who make the app.
Why the swell period matters more than the wave height
A 0.4 metre wave can be a ripple or a shove. The number that tells you which is the period, and it's the one most swimmers skip.
Forecasts
When an onshore wind says no
Wind blowing onto the beach builds chop fast and pushes you back towards the wall. How we read it, and when we stay on the stones.
Forecasts · Safety
Your first cold minute
The gasp, the racing breath and why the first sixty seconds in cold water are the ones to plan for.
Cold water · Safety
What we pack for a winter swim
A bright cap, a flask and socks you can pull on with numb fingers. The bag that lives by our door from October to April.
Kit · Cold water
The Swim Sheet, once a month
A short email at the start of each month: what the water's doing on our coast, what's new in the app and one thing we learned the cold way.