What to look for in a Wild Swimming guide?

In the age of social media, AI generated pictures and overwhelming choice how do you decide who you buy from? When you book a course or an experience how do you know that the person you are putting your trust in, is in fact qualified to do the job? We all connect with different people for a variety of reasons, and that's great, but it's also important that when you trust someone to take you out into the outdoors that you do some checks and make sure that person has in fact got the skills and experience to keep you safe.

I mean it's just going for a walk and a swim, right? Do I really need to worry? As someone with over 20 years experience working in the outdoors then I would say yes and no. Do you need to worry? Well, no, if you go out with someone who has the skills, experience and equipment to keep you safe, even if everything doesn't quite go to plan, then you don't need to worry. Hoever, outdoor environments like Dartmoor are dynamic environments, which mean they change, sometimes quickly. Rivers can rise and things in them can move around, visibility can decrease quickly, temperatures can drop and that's before you even consider the fact that accidents do happen. None of this is in itself a problem but it does mean you need to be well prepared and know how to deal with situations when they do arise or you go out with someone who can do this for you.

So how do you know that your Wild Swimming Guide is right for the job? Maybe you've found someone you like the look of, they can take you to swimming spots you might not be able to find yourself, so what do you need to check before you book? I'll list them here and expand on each one below

• Are they qualified to do what they are doing?

• Do they have the relevant experience?

• Do they hold an appropriate First Aid Qualification

• Are they insured?

• What do other people say? Read the reviews.

Firstly, are they qualified? This is important, a nationally recognised qualification is a great way to know that someone is safe to operate in the environment they are taking you to. You may be surprised to know that the outdoors is not regulated, except for if you are working with under 18's (in this case then we have the Adventure Activities Licencing Authority (AALA)) so it's up to you as the customer to decide if someone is safe. Luckily we do have some organisations who award nationally recognised qualifications in a variety of activities. For example Mountain Training are the awarding body for all things walking, so whether you are taking people on simple tracks and paths through the countryside or up mountains there is a national qualification which ensures that that person has the skills and experience to lead other people. In terms of swimming then there is the Swimming Teachers Association (STA) who again offer a range of qualifications depending on what you are doing and where you are operating. There are also many more for other activities and environments, for example for all thing paddling including canoeing there is Paddle UK and for all things sailing we've got the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) but I'll not get into those now.

So does someone who is going to take you swimming need a walking qualification? That depends (one of my favourite answers). If someone is taking you swimming at a managed venue or somewhere you can access by car then they may not need a walking qualification, however if someone is taking you to a spot that needs to be accessed by walking then the answer is yes, even if that walk is quite short.* So which walking qualification do you need to be looking out for? Again this depends, personally I am a qualified Mountain Leader, do I need this to take people onto Dartmoor? No, I could hold a Hill and Moorland Leader qualification which would qualify me to taking people into this environment but a Mountain Leader qualification will cover environments like Dartmoor and then also the more serious environments found in areas with mountains. Whereas a Hill and Moorland Leader qualificaiton will not cover someone to operate in mountainous areas. Depending on the swim spot you are accessing then you might also find that someone has a Lowland Leader Qualification and this may well cover them. What's important with walking qualifications is the environment that the person is operating in.

However, something like a Mountain Leader qualification doesn't assume people will be going swimming, so for me when I decided to offer Wild Swimming Walks, alongside just taking people walking, I decided I needed something that demonstrated that I could look after people who were swimming in open water environments, i.e. rivers, the sea, quarries and other similar environments. Initially I thought maybe I needed to be a lifeguard, but of course lifeguards mostly work in very controlled environments i.e swimming pools which have access to lots of facilities like warm buildings and easy access for ambulances, so this wouldn't quite work for me. After much research I found that the STA offer a qualification that was perfect for what I offer, it's called an Open Water Safety Qualification and it trains people to keep competent swimmers safe in these more dynamic environments and undertake rescues if required (prevension is always best). So this is the qualification I hold and keep up to date every 2 years. There are of course other swimming qualification but I would be looking for a guide who holds the right qualification for what they are offering.

Alongside the qualifications, experience is really important, particularly in the world of wild swimming which is vast and often combines many things, from exploring the natural environment, to immersion in cold water, for some it also may involve some serious swimming and for others it's more about the experience. Does your guide have the experience in the area you want to focus on? For me I help people to explore beautiful places and have meaningful experiences in the outdoor environment, often in quite remote areas. I also teach people skills and help them build confidence in themselves. These are areas I have lots of experience in. On the other hand if you wanted to swim the channel then I'm not your guide, I just don't have the experience.

I would also be looking for someone with a first aid qualification, again there are lots of different ones but the one I feel is most relevant to wild swim guides is the 16 hour Outdoor First Aid Qualification, as this not only includes the first aid skills it also covers how we would look after someone while waiting for help to arrive, something that can take many hours when you are not close to a road. I have some personal experience of this, I was with a friend when she broke her ankle on Dartmoor about an hours walk from the car park, it was nearly 6 hours before Dartmoor Rescue arrived and 8 until she was back in the car park and in an ambulance, that day I certainly put into practice those first aid skills I've been practicing for years but without a doubt the most useful was being able to keep her from deteriorating during the wait. A big shout out to Dartmoor Rescue who are entirely a voluntary service.

Insurance is a big topic and not one I am qualified to speak about but I would be making sure that your Wild Swimming Guide has appropriate Public Liability Insurance, at least £5 million is good practice. Personally, I am with a company who are specific to the outdoor industry as they understand our needs and cover me for the combination of things I offer.

So how do you find any of this out? I would be checking their website before booking and if the information is not obvious I would be asking the question, as a customer you are completely within your rights to want to know that someone is going to be able to keep you safe and that they haven't just decided on a whim that they could probably do that. Working in the outdoors for as long as I have done, it worries me how many people on social media seem to be offering experiences that they don't have the skills, experience or qualifications to deliver. When people come out with me for a Wild Swimming Walk, or book on a course, I want them to know that what they are buying is not only going to be a really great day out but that everything that should be in place behind the scenes is.

Lastly, go look at some reviews, finding out what others have to say is often a really good way to guage the quality of what you are buying, that's why I am so grateful when customers take the time to write a review for me. You can take a look at mine on Google, Trip Advisor and Facebook and if you come along maybe even leave one yourself!

*There are many situations, not all of which I can cover here, what qualifications someone uses to show competence in a set of skills can vary and qualifications are just one way of proving competence but holding them is best pracitce. There will always be exception and this article is not intended to be legal advice, just guidance as a starting point.