WILD SWIMMING
Go boldly into the cold with the best open-water kit
£379, orca.com
If you’re planning to join the fast-growing trend for wild swimming, you’ll be wanting a wetsuit to keep you warm. Whether it’s the sea, a river or a lake, open-water swimming in the UK, while exhilarating, can rarely be described as cosy. That’s where the Orca Zeal Hi-Vis Wetsuit will come to your rescue.
Made of Japanese Yamamoto neoprene, which is produced from limestone rather than petrochemicals, this long-sleeved and full-legged suit offers the ideal combo of insulation, buoyancy, elasticity and visibility. The arms, legs and back are highlighted in orange for safety.
Thermal insulation is increased with a second layer of ‘batwing’ neoprene, to stop water entering the zip and neck area. The suit also gives you a feeling of extra buoyancy via its Aerodome 2 tech, which will help keep you feeling safe out there, while a Hydrolite inner lining allows it to seal to the body without chafing.
Above all, this wetsuit can make swimming in nature’s great unheated pool a smooth and sublime (and not completely bone-chilling) experience.
KAYAKING
Hit the open seas, lakes or rivers with the finest products a paddler can buy
£1,575, phseakayaks.com
The Virgo is a compact but uncompromising sea kayak for day trips and weekend tours. It’s most suitable for coastal adventures, with its size and defined carving rail giving top manoeuvrability for exploring varied coastline while staying stable – but we also found it a pleasure on rivers and lakes.
This version of the Virgo is made with CoreLite X, a plastic construction that’s stiff and durable, yet still fairly lightweight (and easy to lift on and off a car). While this material is heavier than fibreglass or carbon fibre, it copes much better with the inevitable bashes and scrapes of kayaking.
This model scores especially highly for hull stiffness, resulting in better performance on the water, with the hull cutting cleanly and efficiently through the waves. The Virgo design offers excellent stability, so you’ll feel safe in tricky waters, and it ha
