Short film about sea swimmers in West Sussex is released on YouTube

Kristian Coburn filming swimmers at Worthing beach

‘Just Add Water’ is a short documentary all about sea swimmers, by Worthing based filmmaker Kristian Coburn. It was filmed on the beaches between Shoreham and Goring between February and June 2022.

The film, which is about fifteen minutes long, features interviews with people who swim in the sea all year round, and asks them why they do it, what they get out of it and how it feels. Themes such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and grief are discussed, as well as the strong sense of community within the swimming groups and the joy of being in nature.

In May 2022 Kristian organised a mass gathering of sea swimmers to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. The event, called the Big Jubilee Dip, attracted approximately seventy swimmers from various local swimming groups, as well as individuals who had travelled from as far afield as Horsham to take part in the dip. Some footage of the event is included in the film.