Striking out into the Currents of Life

Surfacing

‘Surfacing is about keeping your head above water even as life pushes you under. Inspirational and uplifting, I loved it' Bonnie Garmus, author of Peck and Peck 
 
'Glorious, connective, profound, and exciting - a masterpiece. I absolutely loved it' Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica 
 
'You don't have to be a swimmer to rejoice in this book' Val McDermid 
 
-- 
 
When life narrowed, I refused to shrink. I set off. And I swam' 
 
We are all looking for a way to live that feels true. For Kate Rew, swimming outdoors, beneath the sky and through the elements, is that way: it’s a cannon of joy in a complicated world where, when life closes in, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the horizon. 
 
Kate does not swim to make herself better - ‘life is not an illness and nature is not there for our therapy’- but because swimming is a way of letting meaning sneak back in through the body. 
 
Blending memoir, adventure and nature writing she swims with friends, family and people she meets along the way: up a cold Welsh estuary where the tide surges under low autumn skies; down 24 kilometres of peat-dark river from the Arctic Circle where reindeer watch from the banks; through muddy rivers and ditches close to her Somerset home and into Guernsey sea gullies where clear waves tower above her. 
 
Surfacing is a life-affirming story of connection, with people, places and the parts of ourselves that can disappear. Taking us on an exhilarating, heart-opening journey through rivers, seas and reservoirs both close to home and further afield, it’s a book for anyone who has ever felt hemmed in, and who wants to lift their eyes to the horizon and keep striking out for more. 
 
It’s about not being afraid of what’s around the next bend.

I felt like I was right there in the water with Kate. This book will be a wild swimmers delight, and the perfect armchair read for those who want to experience a great journey without getting wet. Glorious, connective, profound, and exciting—a masterpiece. I absolutely loved it

Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antacrtica

Kate Rew is bracingly honest about the pain and pleasure of her wild swimming life. Surfacing opens the door into a world of water, with all its challenges and rewards

Surfacing is about keeping your head above water even as life pushes you under. Inspirational and uplifting, I loved it

Kate Rew is a writer and founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, which she started in 2006. The OSS helped transform outdoor swimming from a fringe pursuit into a mass movement in Britain. Born on a farm in Devon, Kate grew up swimming in rivers and hasn't stopped since. She previously worked as a freelance journalist for newspapers and magazines, and is the author of Wild Swim (2008) and The Outdoor Swimmer’s Handbook (2022). In 2016 she received the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s Paragon Award for her contribution to recreational swimming. She lives in Somerset.

'The world has a thousand ways of reducing us. Some loud, some gentle. Some dressed as love, some as duty. Sometimes it can feel easier to shrink. To accept the version of you being offered. To believe this is the size of you now. 
 
But it isn’t. 
 
When life narrowed, I refused to shrink. I set off. And I swam' 
 
We are all looking for a way to live that feels true. For Kate Rew, swimming outdoors, beneath the sky and through the elements, is that way: it’s a cannon of joy in a complicated world where, when life closes in, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the horizon. 
 
Kate does not swim to make herself better - ‘life is not an illness and nature is not there for our therapy’- but because swimming is a way of letting meaning sneak back in through the body. 
 
Blending memoir, adventure and nature writing she swims with friends, family and people she meets along the way: up a cold Welsh estuary where the tide surges under low autumn skies; down 24 kilometres of peat-dark river from the Arctic Circle where reindeer watch from the banks; through muddy rivers and ditches close to her Somerset home and into Guernsey sea gullies where clear waves tower above her. 
 
Surfacing is a life-affirming story of connection, with people, places and the parts of ourselves that can disappear. Taking us on an exhilarating, heart-opening journey through rivers, seas and reservoirs both close to home and further afield, it’s a book for anyone who has ever felt hemmed in, and who wants to lift their eyes to the horizon and keep striking out for more. 
 
It’s about not being afraid of what’s around the next bend.

Kate Rew

A must for your reading lists ... beautiful

A really important, inspiring book, written by someone at the heart of the outdoor swimming movement that -- over the last fifteen years -- has encouraged millions of people to experience the wonders and friendships of Britain's rivers, lakes and seas. Rew's book combines hard-won, deeply researched information on how to swim safely and joyfully out-of-doors, with vivid first-hand accounts of swims in astonishing places and with remarkable people. Read on. Dive in.

The Outdoor Swimmers' Handbook will be a treasured guide for anyone who wants to venture into British rivers, estuaries, lakes, and seas for a dip, a moonlit swim, or a great adventure. I loved this book!

Jam packed with info ... useful and inspiring to all dedicated outdoor swimmers

A great book for swimmers especially those who may be relatively new to the water

A really useful guide and an evocative dive into the pleasures of outdoor swimming. Glorious

'An important, inspiring book by someone that has encouraged million of people to experience the wonders and friendships of Britain's rivers, lakes and seas' ROBERT MACFARLANE 
 
'A treasured guide for anyone who wants to venture into rivers, estuaries, lakes and seas for a dip, a moonlit swim or a great adventure. I loved this book!' LYNNE COX 
 
Capturing the freewheeling spirit, community and wisdom that defines The Outdoor Swimming Society movement, founder Kate Rew reveals everything you need to know to explore rivers, lakes, seas and estuaries. Sharing tales of her own inspiring swims, Kate explores the rich and varied life of outdoor swimmers, from the physiology of cold to planning lazy hazy downstream swims. 
 
 An exquisite guide for beginners and enthusiasts alike, The Outdoor Swimmers' Handbook will lead you to the shore and become your trusted companion for the adventures ahead.

Kate Rew

Books by Kate Rew

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