Wild Swimming on Långholmen

The heat has been relentless over the past week and I’ve found myself fantasising about outdoor swimming; something I haven’t done since visiting Solviksbadet in 2018.

We sussed out Långholmen as a possible swim spot one evening and the island was packed, which isn’t great when you’re trying to avoid people in a pandemic. But it was perfect apart from that! We decided going early was the only way to dodge the crowds — convenient because a lack of darkness means we are waking up between 4am and 5am most days (eugh). And I should add, struggling to fall asleep before midnight.

We slept in until 6am this morning and rather than toss and turn for a few hours, we hopped on some electric scooters to Långholmsbadet. The sun felt scorching even at 6:45am!

Deserted beach, blue skies, sand and sleeping geese. The fact that no-one else could see us floundering around was a very British bonus.

The air and sand may have been warm but the water was ice cold! Submerging my waist took my breath away — always the worst bit.

And then quickly dipping my top half in resulted in the best and worst photo rolled into one! Too funny not to share.

Once I’d acclimatised, the water felt glorious. It was lovely and clean too. Just what I needed after a week of feeling permanently overheated. Cold water always helps my muscles feel relaxed… once I’ve recovered from the initial shock anyway.

Then it was Scott’s turn. He just ploughs his way through the water, no messing around. I sat and munched on some buttered rye and apple rings while he swam.

Långholmen was really busy the night before and unfortunately, many people just left their litter on the floor rather than putting it in a bin. The sight of these geese sleeping with discarded bottles and a carrier bag weighed down with a rock made me really sad. Total disrespect for nature and other people’s enjoyment of the area.

The sun grew hotter and the beach became busier, which was our cue to go home. I stupidly forgot to pack pants so I ended up scootering home commando in a skirt, being extra careful not to fall off. Next time… pants.

Wild swimming makes me feel so free. I’m looking forward to many more outdoor swims over the next few weeks if we can continue dodging the crowds. Fingers crossed!