Christmas gift ideas for wild swimmers
Wild swimming is more than a sport. It’s a ritual, a place of restoration, and a reminder of the wildness and simplicity that nourishes us. As more and more people are taking the plunge (sorry), more and more wonderful gift ideas arise to treat them with. If there’s a cold-water dipper in your life, here are some gift ideas that will fill their soul with warmth after a chilly dunking.
Ultimate Wild Swimmers Gift Box
A beautifully curated set from MindFill featuring Swim Wild by Jack Hudson, a wild-swimming log, some cocoa to warm your cockles, a protein flapjack, and more. A wonderful gift for both new and seasoned open-water swimmers, this one is designed to appeal to all corners nurturing mind, body, and spirit. Retails at around £36 (at time of going live on this blog…).
Shop the Wild Swimmers Ultimate Gift Box here.
Wild Swimmers Gift Box (the standard option)
Not as ultimate as the Ultimate Swimmers Gift Box above (we think if people are worth buying this present for, they’re probably worth the extra few quid) this is a slightly smaller but equally thoughtful version of the above. It contains a swimming journal, a muscle balm for recovery, and a ginger kombucha for some post-swim refreshment. Retails at around £29.
Shop the Wild Swimmers Gift Box here.
Finisterre towelling changing robe
The perfect way to dry off in privacy. Cornish B-Corp company, Finisterre (whose foundation we support in our Coastal Café Guide), offers a towelling robe that, like everything they touch, do, or create, will be of excellent quality. Retails at around £60.
Onneke Wild Swimming Logbook
Another logbook option, this one is slightly more rugged, with space for notes, doodles, and even route sketches. Ideal for swimmers who treat their wild adventures like mini-odysseys and want to remember every element. Retails at around £9.
Merino wool layers and accessories
Merino wool is brilliant for wild swimming because it somehow manages to warm you even when you or it is wet. Aren’t those sheep clever? When dry, it wicks moisture away from the skin so you don’t get that clammy feeling, it’s naturally temperature regulating and it’s not itchy. Findra make lots of items to delight a dipper. We love their buffs, beanies, and cosy base layers. Cost varies per item. Image below (c) Findra.
Discover Findra’s Merino range.
The Coastal Café Guide
The Coastal Café Guide is a great book for people who love racing to the coast for their wild swims and sea dips. Packed with over 120 coastal and sea-view cafés, it’s the wild-swimming-adjacent gift that every water-baby needs to help round off their freezing cold day in style (in a lovely, cosy, independent café cradling a coffee). Every purchase supports Surfers Against Sewage and shines a light on 11 brilliant marine and coastal charities.
If you love good food, independent businesses and exploring the British coast, this is the guidebook made for you.Retails at around £17.99 (when bought direct to support the publisher which is, ooh, us!). It’s cheaper on Amazon but you won’t feel as fuzzy.
Shop The Coastal Café Guide and our other books.
Mooonbag changing mat and bag
This is the original multi–functional bag for easy changing out of wet and into dry clothes (or the other way around if you’re a glutton for punishment). Open the bag, remove your wet or muddy clothes, then pull the drawstring to create a bag. A genius way to keep your feet dry and gravel and sand-free after a wild swim. Retails from around £25+.
The Wild Swimming Guide
The unparalleled bible of 1,000 hidden dips in the rivers, lakes, and waterfalls of Scotland, England and Wales. Available now from Wild Things Publishing, who also have over 50 other titles and counting. Retails at £19.99 (buying direct to support the publisher).
Shop Wild Guide Books here.
Choosing the perfect gift for a wild swimmer
Wild swimmers don’t need much – just water, courage and a towel – but the right gift can make their cold-water routine even better. Whether it’s kit to warm them up, gear to keep them organised, or books that inspire new adventures, this round-up is full of ideas that support every kind of dipper. Pick something that helps them stay safe, stay warm, or simply enjoy the ritual a little more.
