Open water has a way of shrinking people. From the shore, a sea swimmer becomes a flicker, then a speck, then something the eye struggles to hold onto between waves. That vanishing act is exactly why visibility is one of the most important safety factors in open water swimming.
Whether you are wild swimming in the sea, a lake, or a river, being seen is not optional. It is fundamental. All open water venues across the UK make it non negotiable to have a tow float when swimming at their facilities. This should be the same practice in all bodies of open water. It should also be the practice no matter how long you intend to be in the water. Whether it is a dip, a short distance or a long distance, a tow float needs to be round your waist for every cold water immersion. We may sound like we are preaching but it is always our stance to be safe regardless of your experience with open water. We are a small business love open water swimming as well as the products we create but above all we want water users to be safe and to enjoy the water as much as we do.
The Ocean Is Huge - Swimmers Are Not
Waves break, light scatters, and water constantly reshapes itself. From a distance, a swimmer’s head rises and falls in rhythm with the swell, often blending seamlessly into the surrounding water. Even in calm conditions, spotting an unmarked swimmer can be surprisingly difficult. Add chop, glare, or overcast skies, and visibility drops further. To be detected in the water, you need contrast by adding colour. In the pictures above there is a lone swimmer. The first without a tow float and the second with one. You have to agree that the tow float allows easier sighting from the shore. If there were rocks, seaweed, paddleboarders or anything else in the water, then the person without a tow float will be even less noticeable. A tow float interrupts the endless blue and green of the water by adding colour that the human eye can lock onto. The difference in spotting someone in the open water is significantly greater when they have a tow float.
Key Benefits Of A Tow Float
- High visibility: Bright pink, orange, or neon floats are visible far beyond the swimmer’s body. The contrast makes wild swimmers visible from a distance.
- Early detection: Boats and other water users can spot the colour of a float long before they would see a person's head. Jet ski users share the same space as open water swimmers so they need to reduce their speed long before they approach swimmers so the tow float provides them with visible signs of swimmers ahead.
- Emergency support: A tow float whilst not a swim buoy, can assist you in an emergency. You can hold onto it if you need to rest. Cramp can come on quickly, breathlessness, or other physical issues that will cause you to need to tread water and float. The tow float can be used until you raise awareness that you need help or until you are fit to swim again.
-
Our Dippy Camo Tow Floats are equipped with a whistle to attract attention should you need it. They also double up as a dry bag so you can keep your phone safely inside should it have a tracker or need to be used in an emergency.
Tow Float + Bright Cap: A Safety Duo
A bright swimming cap is not just good for keeping hair out of your vision, protecting your hair or reducing drag. A bright swim cap works closer to the source. In open water, when your head surfaces between strokes, colour matters. Black or dark coloured caps might look sleek, but in open water they erase you. Stick with the bright colours of our swimming cap range to ensure you can be seen.
Open Water Is Beautiful But It Is Also WILD!
Open water swimming is exhilarating, grounding, and freeing. But the same environment that makes it beautiful also makes it unforgiving. Waves, rip currents, changing weather, rocks, cold temperatures and the strength of the water can be dangerous to those without knowledge and the right gear for the conditions. Be responsible, assess the conditions, never swim alone and always have a tow float. Be seen, be safe and be sensible.