August was a nightmare. Every car park rammed, every good spot claimed by 6am and a queue for the loos longer than the one for Glastonbury tickets. Getting into the water felt like an Olympic qualifying heat, elbows included!
Then September turns up, quiet as you like, and steals the whole show. Same sea. Same lake. Same lido. Minus roughly four hundred people and their inflatable flamingos.
There's a different quality to the light too, that golden glow that makes even a five-minute dip look like something off a shampoo advert. Evenings shorten but somehow that only adds to the drama.
So here's the thing: why, the second summer “officially” packs up, does everyone else pack up their kit too? September isn't the fag end of the swim season. It's its own event, arguably the better one!
Why September Actually Wins
- Fewer crowds. Car parks with actual spaces in them! Changing areas you don't have to queue for like it's the January sales. The water itself calmer, without half the county paddling through it.
- Better visibility. Fewer boats, fewer paddleboards, fewer feet churning up the bottom. Less silt means better sightlines, so you might actually spot a fish rather than just imagining one.
- Kinder weather, and we mean for you, not just the water. No midges treating your ankles like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Less heat haze. And a walk to the water that doesn't leave you sweaty before you've even started.
- Warmer water than you'd expect. Sea and lake temperatures lag well behind the air. A September dip can feel suspiciously close to an August one, minus the crowd watching your technique.
- The regulars show up now. Proper open water swimmers will tell you September is when the real season begins. The sunrise crowd and the club regulars have been waiting for this all summer.
There's also cold water swimming's rising popularity and the wellbeing perks people swear by. We'll leave the science to the experts but the appeal is obvious once you're in.
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The One Thing That Actually Catches People Out
Here's a truth nobody mentions before your first September swim. It's rarely the water that puts you off but the fifteen minutes either side of it.
Cold hands wrestling with a zip that feels too small. A stiff towel, still damp from yesterday and trying to get changed on an exposed stretch of shoreline while the breeze picks up.
Sound familiar? None of it’s dangerous. It's just annoying enough to talk yourself out of going back next week.
The Kit You’ll Be Glad You Packed
Here's what actually helps and what's worth looking for before you spend a penny.
- Something that dries you fast, doesn't stay heavy or remain damp in your bag afterwards
- Something like a 5L dry bag to keep the things you need to stay dry protected from the rest of your wet kit.
- A hands-free way to carry valuables across slippery paths or pebbly beaches
Once you know what you're after the kit itself is simple. A Star Towel gets you dry fast and warm right there on the shoreline. No wrestling with a beach robe in a gale and no looking like you’ve borrowed Granny’s dressing gown either. Just wrap, dry, change and go.
A 40L Dry Bag is your everything bag for anything you’d rather keep dry. Spare layers, towel, bits and bobs. Chuck it all in and forget about it. Even when the rest of the beach is dripping.
Then there’s the neoprene running or money belt. Keys, cards and phone stay strapped to you, hands-free, for the walk down and back. No more patting down four pockets like you’re being frisked.
Get all three sorted and that's your whole post-swim system nailed. Towel, dry bag, belt. Simple as that.
A Few Practical Tips for First-Timers
If you're new to this, ease in gently. And we mean that literally. Swim with a buddy or a known group, especially this early in the season. Acclimatise gradually rather than launching in like you're auditioning for a bushtucker trial. Know your exit point before you get in and check tide and current conditions locally before you head down. For the finer detail, an official open water safety resource is worth a read.
One Last Thing
The sea, it turns out, has never once checked a calendar.
September is the open water swim year's best-kept secret. Quieter, calmer, every bit as good as August and refreshingly free of the car park scrum.
With the right kit sorted, the only decision left is when you're getting in!