Group bookings
All my courses, walks and experiences can be tailored to meet the individual needs of your group. My extensive experience of working with a variety of groups means I am well placed to understand the needs, goals and requirements of your group and create a programme to fit. Whether you are looking for a great day out for a group of friends or colleagues or programme designed to educate and build confidence I can put together a session or series of sessions which will do just that.
Cold water swimming can be used as a way to build confidence and shared experience, and can be combined with other skills such as navigation to foster a relationship with the outdoors which in turn can lead to a range of benefits. Everything I run is designed to give people practical skills, the right knowledge delivered in a manageable and accessible way and the confidence to feel able to foster their own relationship with new environments, places and activities.
Courses can be focused on personal development, nature connection, mindfulness, confidence building, wellbeing, working with others, getting active, skills acquisition or simply enjoying time outdoors.
Programmes can run over a series of weeks or months to appropriately support the development of new habits and to introduce people to a range of conditions and environments. Activities can run in both coastal and inland areas including Dartmoor and venues will be chosen to meet the needs of your programme and participants.
Cathy is an incredibly knowledgeable instructor who puts safety at the heart of everything she teaches.
Over four weeks we explored a variety of beautiful wild swimming locations across Dartmoor, Cornwall, Plymouth and the River Dart. Along the way we learned about local history, basic map reading and navigation skills, as well as how to understand tides, wind conditions and other factors that affect safe wild swimming.
The course gave me so much more confidence, both in cold water swimming and exploring new places. Before the course I was nervous about Dartmoor because I'd never explored the area, but I now feel much more confident thanks to the navigation skills Cathy taught us.
The only downside was that the four weeks went far too quickly! I'd happily have done a longer course. If you're thinking about trying wild swimming or building your confidence outdoors, I'd thoroughly recommend this course and Cathy's expertise.
Rachel O
Introduction to Cold Water Swimming
This can be delivered as a stand alone session or a series of sessions. Theory will be taught in a practical and pragmatic way to support good decision making and leave people feeling equipped with the right knowledge to continue swimming safely after the course. A series of sessions allows people to build confidence at a pace to suit and can include a variety of venues to broaden knowledge and experience.
Wild Swimming sessions
For those with some prior experience or in combination with my introductory course I an offer fully guided wild swimming sessions in a variety of locations, these are a great way to introduce people to swimming in new environments including rivers on Dartmoor, coastal locations and other 'wild' waters. A focus on hazard identification and choosing safe venues means people leave with the knowledge and confidence to explore more independently after the session. Can be run as a series of session and combined with basic navigation training.
Navigation Training
Learning to use map and compass alongside other navigation techniques is the first step in exploring more remote environments like Dartmoor safely. A little knowledge can go a long way and can build confidence to utilise these fantastic natural resources. Sessions can also include discussions on equipment and what to do in an emergency. Not only will participants leave with practical skills but they will also discover the vast natural resources available on their doorstep
Guided walks on Dartmoor
Dartmoor National Park is a stunning and varied landscape, perfect for finding your sense of adventure and connecting to the world around us and each other. There is so much to see, from sheltered valleys, to exposed granite tors, extensive Bronze age settlements and mining heritage. Walks can be designed to meet your groups level of fitness, desired challenge or topic of interest.
Who am I?
I’m Cathy—a wild swimmer & someone who loves being outdoors. My career has been spent working in nature, gaining extensive experience and qualifications along the way. I pride myself on creating a calm, supportive atmosphere & responding to you as an individual. For more information about me including my qualifications and experience , please see my About section
