Which swim kit do you need to extend your open water season?

Temperatures might be dropping, but you don’t have to confine your swimming to the pool. Adding some thermal accessories and choosing the right wetsuit can help you stay outdoors – here’s how.

With the end of race season and the start of autumn, many triathletes will take their swim training inside. While the pool is great for targeted training and sessions, if you leave the open water completely you’re missing out.

The claimed health benefits of cold water are numerous, plus it’s undoubtedly a great way to get fresh air and exposure to daylight and nature in the colder months.

Not only that, but sticking with some open water swimming over the winter months will keep up your acclimatisation and mean that when it comes to training and racing outdoors again in the spring, things will be much easier!

What accessories do you need?

We’ve partnered with leading swim brand Orca to take a closer look at their range of cold water wetsuits and accessories and explain how they can help.

Orca accessories are technical accessories specifically designed to retain body heat, protecting the swimmer from the cold and offering maximum comfort.

Which accessories you decide to use will be based on need: what will keep you warmer and delay hypothermia; and comfort: what will make you feel better and delay chilling of extremeties.

Most swimmers will choose a mix of both, based around how they experience the cold, their level of acclimatisation and also how long they hope to spend in the water.

Keep your head warm

We lose a lot of heat through our head when we swim in cold water and because our body works to protect our head (therefore our brain) that heat will keep being replaced and lost. Therefore adding extra layers on your head will keep you warmer overall.

The Orca Thermal Neoprene Swim Cap offers extra thermal comfort thanks to its 3 mm thick neoprene and thermal lining, it allows you to enjoy swimming in even the coldest waters. A Velcro chin strap allows you to adjust the cap as well as securing it more snugly.

For more warmth, you could try a Neoprene Hood, which as well as keeping the head warm also keeps cold water off the delicate and sensitive neck area.

The Thermal X thermal lining provides added warmth, while the neck cover prevents water from getting into the chest area, helping to maintain body temperature.

Add layers to your body

While a wetsuit is a no-brainer if you want to be warmer in cold water, adding extra layers underneath that wetsuit will help your body retain core heat for longer.

The Heatseeker Vest With Hood is a 3 mm-thick neoprene vest with a built-in thermal hood can be worn underneath a regular wetsuit to make cold water swimming safer and more comfortable – with the added bonus of keeping your head and neck warmer, too!

For versatility, the 1.3 mm Base Layer Neoprene T-shirt can be used as an outer layer or as an inner layer underneath the wetsuit.

In temperate waters, it can be used as an outer layer, protecting you from the cold and the sun without any restriction thanks to its elasticity. In colder temperatures, it is the ideal accessory to wear underneath your wetsuit while swimming in open water. It has a pattern specifically designed for women, which conforms to the body’s shape for greater performance and comfort.

For a little more warmth, the Thermal Undersuit is 2 mm thick and again can be worn alone or underneath your wetsuit for more core warmth without restriction.

Look after hands and feet

When you put yourself in cold water, your body will work hard to protect the most vital organs – housed in your head and core.

As such, less blood circulated to hands and feet. The blood vessels vaso-constrict, not helped by the large surface area to mass of fingers and toes, which can lead to biting pain.

Adding gloves and boots is an easy solution.

Orca Thermal Gloves have liquid seams which prevent water from seeping into the panels, protecting your hands in the coldest conditions.

With a 3 mm thickness and an ergonomic pattern, these gloves adapt perfectly to the position your hand will take while swimming in open water.

Meanwhile, Orca Hydro Booties provide maximum thermal comfort to your feet. And thanks to their fit, they stay put and will not bother you while swimming.

Conclusion

Hopefully you now understand that with the right accessories there’s no need to end your open water swimming season now!

Be mindful that time in water will always be shorter when the temperatures drop and that it’s important to listen to your body and avoid risks.

But adding an extra layer to your core, a neoprene cap and some gloves and boots can make swimming in open water possible and much more comfortable.