6 open-water kit essentials

1 WOMEN’S ASPECT ‘BREASTSTROKE’ WETSUIT, £159, ZONE3.COM One of only a few wetsuits on the market that has been specifically designed for breaststroke swimming, it allows for more lateral leg movement while also working well if you do break out into front crawl. As well as keeping you warm, wearing a wetsuit improves your buoyancy in the water and can make swimming easier.

2 SUBEA AQUASHOES 100, £7.99, DECATHLON.CO.UK These are lightweight, quick-drying, non-slip, and invaluable for protecting your feet as you walk across rocks and pebbles to get into the water. They will also help if you are worried about stepping on something unseen when you’re in the water. Choose between dark grey and fluro peach.

3 SWIM SECURE TOW DONUT, £27.50, SWIMSECURE.CO.UK This is a high-visibility float with a small integrated dry bag to hold valuables such as your phone, wallet and keys while you swim. Use it to alert other water users of your presence, while also keeping you safe if you need to rest. For extra protection, you can use a Swim Secure Protective Phone Bag, £7.50, inside the donut.

4 SWIM SECURE LARGE MICROFIBRE TOWEL, £16, SWIMSECURE.CO.UK

Weighing just 200g, this packs very small, and is designed to dry you in record time, before drying itself four times faster than a regular beach towel. Choose bright pink or navy blue.

5 VAPOUR SWIM GOGGLES, £35, ZONE3.COM These curved lenses will give you a wide field of vision – vital for swimming in open water. With soft silicone gaskets, they are also extremely comfortable, and will do just as good a job in open water as in the pool, so you don’t need two separate pairs if you’re dipping into both. Choose polarised to reduce glare or photochromatic lenses, which change colour according to light levels.

6 NEOPRENE SWIM CAP, £29.99, ZONE3.COM This is far superior to standard silicone or latex swimming caps, which won’t keep you half as warm in the water. Choose this cosy skullcap to banish brain-freeze from your open-water session and allow you to get into a rhythm, undeterred by the chill. The adjustable Velcro chin strap allows for a comfortable fit, whatever your head shape, and the hat itself is sized xs-l.