Winter swimming dip tips
By Maggy Blagrove, Founder, Open Minds Active
As spring slowly comes into view it has made me reflect about my recent winter swim adventures. An avid netballer, I was forced into early retirement due to chronic back pain and was looking for an activity that replaced the camaraderie and physical challenge I used to enjoy on court, so I took up open water swimming. I had read a lot about the mental health benefits of submerging in cold water and was keen to try.
The last 5 years as an outdoor swimmer in spring and summer, I have participated in numerous events and long distance challenges and spent many a happy morning or evening swimming with friends trying out numerous wild swim spots around Bristol and Bath. But as October loomed, I would pack my wetsuit away with a sigh and eagerly await the Spring.
However, back in September 2019 myself and a good friend set ourselves a challenge of swimming through the winter at Clevedon Marine Lake without a wetsuit. First of all, we wanted to know if we could actually do it and secondly, to see if we experienced any changes in our mental and physical wellbeing.
Fast forward 3 months and we are still going strong, not only that but our initial WhatsApp group of 4 hardy souls has now grown to a staggering 60 plus!
The members are mostly women, who have found delight, friendship and comfort in throwing themselves into the chilly water at 7.30 am on a weekday morning, often in the rain and the dark.
In Clevedon there is a wonderful swimming community with a host of experienced swimmers and social groups who are no strangers to the icy charms of the lake. The physical and mental reset myself and the group experience after just a few minutes of dipping in waters as refreshing as 4 degrees has reaped benefits and helped us adjust to the shortening days and reduced sunlight, giving us a much-needed focus to get through winter.
Inspired by my watery journey and the people I have met along the way I set up a non-for-profit organisation, Open Minds Active. By widening participation to this fantastic activity, I intend to address some of the health inequity and access to green spaces I see in my own city of Bristol and enable those who may not ordinarily have the opportunity to benefit cold water swimming.
A lot of people ask me about tips for winter swimming. There is a whole raft of excellent information and literature out there on this rapidly growing sport. I have included some useful links at the end of this article. But here are my own top 5 cold water dipping tips. Please be aware that winter swimming does come with its own risks and if you have any kind of serious health condition, please check with your GP before you embark on any dipping adventures.
1. Swim with friends
Always go with people or an organised group. Though the thought of a solitary swim is alluring, I would never advise going alone, especially if you are new to cold water swimming, you never know how your body will react. Always check tide times, weather conditions etc in your chosen spot. Shared experience is a big part of the mental health benefit, from the car journey to the getting in and out, the post swim shivers, laughter and sense of achievement. This is one adventure best shared with others.
2. Prepare yourself
Your body will experience cold water shock if you are dipping in water less than 15 degrees, especially if you are not used to it. This is totally normal, and you can control it to an extent if you keep calm and are sensible with your preparation. Over time your body will acclimatise with regular immersion if you dip regularly. Make sure you eat an hour or so before you go as you will use up a lot of energy, even if you are only in the water for a few minutes. Have a warm drink ready for when you get out and plenty of layers to put on. Some of the ladies I swim with bring a hot water bottle with them to stand on when they get out. I also use an old cut up camping mat to stand on as this helps warm my feet up. Extremities such as hands and feet are the bits that suffer the most and quite a few people find that neoprene gloves and boots work well. I prefer not to, but this is all about personal comfort and whatever it takes to get you in do it! Hats, woolly, neoprene or silicone are a must and crucial for keeping you warmer.
3. Get in slowly
There are people who bomb it into the water, good for them! However, if you are new to dipping my advice would be take your time and do what feels right for you. It is not a competition so if you don’t get all the way in on your first go, don’t beat yourself up. Be content with having a laugh with friends and enjoy being outside in the fresh air. I find getting in slowly but purposely works really well and focus on your breathing. If there are steps into the water, like there are at Clevedon, just walk down them and don’t stop until you are fully submerged. Stay close to the side until you regulate your breathing and focus on something or someone and just breathe steadily. Controlling your breath is the hardest part as your body and mind are both screaming “what the …?”. It takes about 2 minutes (if you can bear it) for your body to adjust, your breathing to regulate and for the burning sensation of the cold, yes burning ironic right? to subside. For some this maybe enough but know your own limits as we all feel the cold differently. I’ve acclimatised all winter and stay in 5-degree water for about 10-15 minutes, some people can stay much longer and others much less. Look out for your friends and check in with each other for signs of hypothermia. I’ve put some useful links at the end on this topic, but applying some old-fashioned common sense goes a long way.
4. Get out quickly
When you exit the water, many will feel strangely warm, unless the air temperature is a lot cooler than the water. This is because blood has rushed to protect your internal organs whilst you are in the water so when you emerge you can feel peculiarly warm. There is a tendency to dance around and laugh hysterically, which is very much encouraged but do get dressed asap. As the blood starts recirculating to your extremities your core temperature drops and will continue to so for up to 20 minutes, so pile those layers on as quickly as you can. If it’s not raining, I like to lay my clothes out in the order I’m going to put them on, as decision making is not always easy with brain freeze. I also leave the zip of my waterproof changing robe partly done up so I can step into it as my fingers lack function for a good few minutes after exiting the water. The key is to warm up gradually as any rapid changes in body temperature can cause health issues. Get your layers on, stamp your feet and get moving. Shivering is good as that shows your body is warming up.
5. Drink tea, eat cake
Once you have your layers on get that thermos open. Warm drinks are a cold water swimmer’s best friend. You will discover that amidst the community of open water swimmers there is an abundance of cake, tea and good cheer. People you have never met before will openly congratulate you on your dip and conversation flows easily. The sense of achievement and post swim euphoria is addictive. Spreading the positive and supportive vibe is made all the more fun when you add cake and a hot beverage into the mix. Lots of people share what they bring which is another element of what makes this community of winter dippers so joyous and addictive.
If you want to join the BODs, the newly formed Bristol Outdoor Dippers! We are a very friendly, inclusive bunch. You’re very welcome, just drop us a line through the website and we will add you to the WhatsApp group :) Happy Swimming.
For further advice, information and guidance here are some useful links
https://outdoorswimmer.com/blogs/6-tips-for-cold-water-swimming
https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/category/survive/cold/
http://clevedonmarinelake.co.uk
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypothermia/