Sea Swimming Kit Checklist: How to Keep Everything Dry

The essential sea swimming kit is: a bright tow float, a dry bag for your clothes, something warm to change into, and a hot drink for afterwards. Everything else is comfort (our complete guide to open water swimming gear goes through the lot) — but those four things cover safety, dry clothes and the cold, which are the three problems every open-water swimmer has to solve.

The checklist

• Tow float — makes you visible to boats, kayaks and lifeguards, and gives you something to hold if you need a breather. Ours doubles as a dry bag: the 28L high-visibility tow float swims with you, carrying your phone, keys and a dry layer, with a waist strap to tow it.
• Dry bag for the beach — a 20 litre dry bag keeps your towel and dry clothes safe from rain and spray while you swim. It is the smallest size that comfortably takes a towel and a full change of clothes; if a changing robe is going in too, step up to the 30 litre.
• Changing robe — the fastest way to get warm and decent at the water’s edge. Our sherpa-fleece-lined changing robe lets you change underneath it while the wind does its worst.
• Changing mat — a waterproof mat to stand on while you change. On cold days it keeps bare feet dry, warm and off the sand and stones — the difference between a civilised change and hopping about on one leg.
• Brightly coloured swim cap and goggles — the cap adds visibility; take a spare pair of goggles, straps always snap at the worst moment.
• Warm layers for after — more than you think you need. Your body keeps cooling after you get out (“afterdrop”), so hat, gloves and a warm top earn their place even in summer.
• Hot drink and a snack — a flask of something hot speeds up the warm-up and makes the whole thing civilised.
• Phone protection — a waterproof phone case comes with every Ultra Dry bag, so your phone can safely come to the water’s edge for the post-swim photo. Want it on you while you swim? See waterproof pouch or phone case?

Why do sea swimmers need a tow float?

Visibility. A swimmer’s head is almost invisible from a moving boat; a bright orange or pink float on a short tether is visible hundreds of metres away. Many organised swims and events make them compulsory. A float with dry-bag storage also means your valuables aren’t sitting unattended on the beach.

Getting changed at the water’s edge

This is where a sea swim is won or lost. Cold hands and a cold wind make fiddly jobs slow, so the trick is to have everything ready before you get in: dry clothes packed in the order you will put them on, a changing mat to stand on, and the robe within reach.

What should I wear for sea swimming in the UK?

Above roughly 15°C many swimmers go in “skins” (just a costume); below that, a wetsuit extends how long you can stay in. Either way, the changing robe and warm layers afterwards matter more than what you wear in the water — the cold hits hardest once you’re out. If you are wondering how well a robe stands up to rain on the beach, read are dry robes waterproof?

Everything above ships UK-wide, prices include VAT, and every dry bag and tow float is covered by our 5-year guarantee.

Buying for a swimmer this Christmas? Our Christmas gift guide for swimmers, paddlers and cyclists picks out the kit they will actually use, from stocking fillers to a changing robe.