The Best Wild Swimming Books: Recommended Reading by an Open Water Coach
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The Best Wild Swimming Books: Recommended Reading by an Open Water Coach
If you’re looking to deepen your connection with the water, build your confidence in the sea, or simply get inspired by the magic of outdoor swimming, reading the right books can transform your perspective.
Over my years as an open water swim coach, these four books have stayed with me—offering invaluable lessons on everything from tide reading and coastal navigation to the deep psychological joy of immersing yourself in wild water.
Here are the best wild swimming books I personally recommend adding to your reading list:
1. The Outdoor Swimmers’ Handbook by Kate Rew
Why I Recommend It: Written by the founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, this is an inspiring and essential guide for anyone exploring outdoor swimming across lakes, rivers, and the sea. It covers everything from safety and acclimatisation to the pure freedom of wild dips.
2. Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui
Why I Recommend It: An incredible exploration into the unique human relationship with swimming. Bonnie Tsui dives deep into why we are pulled toward the water—from survival and health to community and joy. It’s easily one of my absolute favourite books!
3. Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey Through Britain by Roger Deakin
Why I Recommend It: The ultimate classic. Waterlog is a beautiful travel memoir filled with deep insights as Deakin swims his way across Great Britain's chalk streams, rivers, and coastal waters. It’s the book that helped kickstart the modern wild swimming movement.
4. How to Read Water by Tristan Gooley
Why I Recommend It: Tristan Gooley breaks down the secrets of the sea—explaining how to interpret wave shapes, read tidal patterns, use water for natural navigation, and predict changing sea conditions. As a sea swimmer, I learnt so much from this book about observing the water before stepping in.
Something Special Is in the Works: I’m Writing a Book! 📖
Sharing my passion for open water swimming and local sea safety through coaching has been one of the most rewarding journeys of my life - and now, I’m taking the next step.
I am currently in the process of writing my very own book!
Drawing on my years of daily sea swimming, cold water adaptation, tide reading, and coaching along the Kent coast, this book will weave together practical open water safety, mindset tools, and the deep, transformative power of the sea.
Whether you’re looking to overcome sea anxiety, master local coastal tides, or simply find your own quiet flow in the waves, I can’t wait to share these pages with you.
Stay tuned for updates, release details, and sneak peeks as the writing journey unfolds!