Open Minds Active and Orca

Stepping into the sea, feeling the cold on your skin, concentrating on your breathing and allowing everything else to disappear for a few minutes may seem easy. Yet for many, reaching this point is far from it. A fear of water, a lack of confidence, a long-term illness, mobility problems or even just not knowing how to swim can all present barriers that discourage people from accessing natural areas and bodies of water.

Open Minds Active was born precisely for the purpose of breaking down these barriers. The Bristol-based social organisation works to reduce health inequalities in order to make it easier for people to access nature and feel connected to bodies of water known as blue spaces. Their work includes learn to swim programmes for women of colour and Wild Swimming for Wellbeing sessions aimed at people who suffer from long-term physical and mental health problems, as well as community events and workshops. 

Behind these activities lies a common purpose: to build confidence - confidence in oneself, in those who support us and, slowly but surely, in the water.

For Open Minds Active, the relationship between swimming in open water and emotional wellbeing lies in the way the water forces us to be present. In cold water, breathing and feeling at one with your body become conscious actions. Your attention shifts from each inhalation and exhalation to your body’s sensation of being in the water. This moment of pure focus can represent a kind of physical and mental break. As well as this, you get to enjoy a feeling of connection with nature, the social aspect of swimming in company and the satisfaction of having faced something that may have initially felt terrifying. According to the association, their participants have shared that they now feel less isolated, more emotionally resilient and are more able to face life’s ups and downs.

Scientific investigation into the benefits of open water swimming for mental health are still in progress. Open Minds Active currently participates in a national study financed by the University of Portsmouth and the NHS that analyses whether swimming outdoors could be considered a treatment for anxiety and depression, the results of which are set to be released at the beginning of 2027.

The benefits are clear, but starting out in open water requires a little more than just bravery: preparation.

For someone who has never been in the sea or a lake, the first step isn’t necessarily to start swimming. It can be getting closer to the water, observing the area or wading up to your knees. Open Minds Active recommends never swimming alone but instead starting out in groups or guided sessions, preferably with trained lifeguards and people who know the area. Checking the weather conditions beforehand is imperative, as well as the tide and water conditions, especially when swimming in a coastal area.

The cold also warrants special attention. When you enter cold water, it’s normal to experience involuntary gasping and fast breathing, also known as water shock. Open Minds Active recommends getting into the water slowly, concentrating on completing long exhalations and waiting until your breathing stabilises before starting to swim. Getting used to the water should be progressive and it’s up to each person to learn the limits of their own bodies.

What goes on before and after a swim is also important. Choosing a safe entry and exit point, swimming in a supervised area and having warm clothes at hand, as well as a hat and a hot drink, are small details that make a big difference to your experience. More importantly, there’s no obligation to complete a set distance or time. Open Minds Active reinforces this philosophy in a simple sentence: swim your own swim, listen to your body and understand that less is often more.

Additionally, your kit can also help to transform your experience. For many Open Minds Active participants who are beginners or who still don’t feel completely secure in the water, a wetsuit isn’t just a technical piece of equipment; it provides warmth and buoyancy and can help to calm a swimmer’s fears associated with the cold. This is why the Orca Openwater Vitalis TRN is the most recommended wetsuit within the community. They describe it as an extra layer of safety that helps swimmers to relax, breathe and enjoy the water, as well as allowing the swim season to continue into the colder months.

For the team’s coaches and long distance swimmers, the Orca Zeal Perform Openwater is the top pick. Its neutral buoyancy and neck design make it, according to Open Minds Active, a well-suited option for swimming long distances.

A wetsuit isn’t the only kit you’ll need. A safety buoy is essential for increasing swimmers’ visibility and provides additional support when they need a break. A brightly-coloured swim cap helps swimmers to stand out in the water so that they can be spotted by others in the area, while neoprene gloves and socks help you to stay warm in the autumn and winter months. On top of this, for daily training sessions, a good pair of goggles is super important: the Open Minds Active team’s top choice of goggles is the Orca Killa 180 because of their comfort, peripheral vision and performance in very bright conditions.

Lastly, all the elements of your kit share the same objective: to disappear from your mind, leaving room for the experience.

“Orca gear provides our members with warmth, safety and the confidence they need to say ‘yes’ to the water, often for the first time.”

At Open Minds Active, this “yes” is much more than starting a swim session. It’s the moment someone overcomes a barrier, dares to try something new and discovers that the water is also a place where they can belong.

This connection with nature carries on long after the summer ends. Open Minds Active is currently preparing their Equinox Dip Challenge, an initiative aimed to encourage people to go for a swim once a week between the autumn and spring equinox, with each swim presenting an opportunity to connect with nature, reflect on the experience and become part of a community. In July 2027, the organisation plans to launch new open water distance challenges focused on swimming a certain distance as opposed to competing against the clock.

Perhaps this is one of the main things we can learn from Open Minds Active: we don’t always need to swim faster, further or break a record. Sometimes, the true challenge consists of taking the first step; entering the water, and discovering what happens when we allow ourselves to be truly present.

The water is for everyone.