Cold Water Swimming

[bruno22rf]

Our neighbours do it several times a month, mainly in the lakes around MK, both well into their 70's.

[Mice!]

@7daysinaweek

[7daysinaweek]

@Mice!

Cheers K

Myself and mrs 7days are regular long distance cold water swimmers having swam in most the cumbria lakes, many lochs in Scotland and our regular haunt is a local spring fed quarry. The longest swim we completed was the Coniston end to end at five miles, done straight crawl for just over five hours and it bloody nearly killed me  I done a mile swim in December in the quarry it was a barmy eight degrees in the water, usual indoor pool temprature around twenty five degrees. 🥶 

Cold water swimming is not just about physical effects its also psychological, with the cold and being out of your depth in sometimes very, very deep water. I tell myself that when i am out in the middle of a lake or loch with a few hundred feet of water below me that the risks are similar in many ways as to six foot as as a few hundred. Being confident and swimming with a confident partner within your abilty is key to safe and enjoyable swimming. We also wear bright caps and bright tow floats which we carry water, sweets and car keys etc in and they can be seen by other water users also.

We done the Bala lake end to end swim a few years back and if I recall it was around the thirteen/fourteen degreee mark which at that temprature is 'painfully cold' if the individual has not acclimatised themselves to cold water in the previous weeks or short months. At this particular swim you are put on the small train that runs alongside the lake and takes you to the end then you get in and swim back to the beginning train point. There were around four hundred people taking part and whilst on the train which was all participants and many people could be heard saying it was their first ever outdoor swim and some could be heard discussing they had done a few weeks in the pool and so on as training for the event. Well what a shock came for what I would easily say well over a hundred people, when we entered the water many could not stand the pain and did not get past ankle depth, others managed to get the body in but soon got out shortly thereafter.

Cold water swimming is exhilarating and and fantastic experience when approached correctly, once you have overcome the physical cold barrier twinned with the mental barrier there is something about being out at water level that gives you a unique vista that is in some way very satisfying. A few months back whislt swimming in our local sea at water level I was passed by many hundreds of small water fowl, great long lines of them just a few feet above the water. A unique view and marvelous it was.

At times we do use wet suits as some areas and events we swim they are mandatory, however, they give you very little thermal protection when immersed in the cold for more than half hour or so. Wearing one does give you added buoyancy, though if you upright yourself you still can sink below the water so the adage that you cannot sink in a wet suit is certainly not true.

Go ahead and try it, do it with a established group that knows the water and safety aspects for when you are getting going. You will be surprised how quick your body acclimatises to the cold, once you have been immesed for 5 minutes or so the pain sensation dissipates and your body then tingles. You don't have to swim any distance just get yourself being comfortable in the water. In our local meet at the sea there are a regular set of older ladies who never swim they just get in and chat. If you enjoy the swimming aspect you will be surprised how quickly your confidence grows being in the water. Let the marshall know your are wanting to get back to it and they will buddy up with you, ours certainly do for any newcomers. The benefits of swimming with others in the first few years is that they can recognise when you may becoming tired or developing hypothermic concerns. We have been swimming now for seven years or so and would say we are experienced and strong swimmers, that said there are times when even we have gone to a body of water such as a river or sea that has desiganted swimming and we have abandoned the swim due to safety concerns.

Below is a pic of one of the places we swam at a last summer in Yorkshire, a short swim.  The other pic is our new pool we bought last year, it only takes 10,000 litres to fill. Lol! We do our training in it, our ankles are tethered so we can just swim constantly, that said you don't need to have a pool to enjoy it and just get out there and have a go. You would be suprprised at the amount of people who will ask that when we are getting out of the sea or a other body of water that they 'would love to give it a go' and i say 'why don't you' life is too short if it is something you want to do give it a go.

atb

7diaw

 

 

[Mice!]

@7daysinaweek fantastic mate, 5hrs front crawl 😳😳

[7daysinaweek]

Just now, Mice! said:

@7daysinaweek fantastic mate, 5hrs front crawl 😳😳

Cheers mate, when I got out I could not stand for about five minutes as had lost the standing tone in my lower legs so the front crawl was continued out of the water onto the gravel shore, actually more of dragging my legs behind me lol! It is a common thing when swimming long distance even though you kick, the muscles in your legs are used in a different way to walking and it takes a short time for the memory of your leg muscles to reset a standing/walking position.

P.S I try and catch up with you in the next couple of months, got you some goodies.

[vmaxphil]

Fair play to you 👍, most we've done is a mile across from the isle of wight 

[Walker570]

Whatever turns you on. I was not born with flippers so stay away from it if I can.  A carefull wade to cast a fly is my limit.

[Agriv8]

I nearly went wild swimming / bog diving while on a rough shoot up on the moors on Friday bog gras covered deep blocked  ditch.

wellies and water proof trousers thankfully created a dry suit! As in leg disappeared up to nearly the hip. 
 

the beretta took some cleaning but back out tomorrow 

Agriv8

[treetree]

I do it regularly in the sea, and I also take cold showers (for the most part). I've never been in and then regretted it afterwards.

Good to see it gaining in popularity, as it should help the push back against the disgusting way the water companies treat our rivers and seas

The sight of those super expensive dressing gowns (Dry robe things) that many see as a prerequisite is a bit irritating.

Get back into it OP, it'll only do you good.

[7daysinaweek]

4 hours ago, vmaxphil said:

Fair play to you 👍, most we've done is a mile across from the isle of wight 

Cheers Phil

A mile is certainly not to be 'sniffed at' and all power to you, if it was a sea swim you more than likely done a bit further. Sea swims are harder in general as you may be moving against the current, if the current is behind you as you may also have to contend with a choppy swim. Large lakes and lochs can get a bit of a swell on them in a wind but a thrashing sea is an altogether different monster.

One of the most difficult swims we ever undertook is the famous Burgh Island sea swim in Devon a charity swim for prostate cancer through the Chesnut appeal.

it is a mile so not extreme distance, however when we done it in 2019 the swells at the back of the island were huge, trying to time your breathing in the crashing water was almost impossible. Finished like a drowned rat.

[SuperGoose75]

Cheers for the replies folks. Some very detailed accounts and useful tips. Respect to those open water swimners and surfers ect..those guys and girls are a different breed entirely. Those are very impressive achievements 7daysinaweek and sounds like you and your Mrs are loving life, fair play to you.

Let it be said that I am not or never have been what could be described as a strong swimmer, I can swim but a couple of laps of a swimming pool is my limit.(My wife is a very strong swimmer but diesnt like the cold) I will be approaching this more on a ''Cold Plunge'' basis with maybe some light swimming involved.It is said that it can reset the nervous system and help fight anxiety along with other health benifits and that is my main aim. Someone mentioned the cold showers also and that is another thing I am going to start taking. 

I think like most people the feet and hands are the most likely to suffer in cold water, so I'm thinking about getting the neoprene gloves and feet covers. I rarely suffer cold hands and in 30 years of wildfowling in all weathers I have never worn gloves, but needs must!

There are loads of stuff on Youtube and instagram is full of people taking plunges in iced covered lakes ect..! 

One interesting documentry on Youtube worth watching if anyone is interested in cold water/wild swimming and the health benifits and over all wellbeing and features the ever lovely Dr Alice Roberts.

It really is surprising the amount of elderly people who have taken up this hobby/exercise/recreation or for whatever reason. There is an elderly gentleman who has swam at every pier in our county and is now embarking on swimming at every beach in Ireland for charity.

Im hoping to start my venture in the coming weeks.  PS I have done a christmas day swim/dip in the sea in the past for charity but it was no more than a quick splash about and a few strokes. Staying in for 7 or 8 mins will be the real challenge.🥶

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by SuperGoose75

[billytheghillie]

Not for me, what with all the pollution and human carp in every body of water around and in this island, will give it a miss.

[SuperGoose75]

 

 

[sandspider]

The easiest way to get into it is turn your shower cold at the end for a minute or so before you get out. Colder each time, or each week or month maybe. I like a roasting hot shower, but sometimes turn it cold at the end for a bit, seems to perk me up a bit. Give it a go!

[old man]

12 hours ago, billytheghillie said:

Not for me, what with all the pollution and human carp in every body of water around and in this island, will give it a miss.

The correct answer?

[billytheghillie]

I worked on the Tweed up until retirement, many guests used to comment on how clean the river was. Little did they know, downstream of every sewerage works on the shingle banks, tomato plants would grow and thrive. I used to watch people come down and fill there bags with tomatoes and take them home. 🚽

[SuperGoose75]

13 hours ago, sandspider said:

The easiest way to get into it is turn your shower cold at the end for a minute or so before you get out. Colder each time, or each week or month maybe. I like a roasting hot shower, but sometimes turn it cold at the end for a bit, seems to perk me up a bit. Give it a go!

Good advice thanks 👍 People seem to be seeking out spots to take cold showers under small waterfalls in rivers all around the UK and Ireland at present. I think what you are saying is a good way of getting geared up for that sort of cold water exposure. I dont think the sea would be as cold as a fresh water river in the winter time.

This is a brilliant documentry on wild swimming.

[sandspider]

Good old Alice Roberts! And Roger Deakin too.

We have a stream in our garden, and I have a dip every so often. It's muddy / sandy, but seems clean otherwise. Not got ill from it yet, anyway. The water comes off the Brecon Beacons, so it is icy cold, all the time. Much colder than the sea.

[7daysinaweek]

7 minutes ago, billytheghillie said:

I worked on the Tweed up until retirement, many guests used to comment on how clean the river was. Little did they know, downstream of every sewerage works on the shingle banks, tomato plants would grow and thrive. I used to watch people come down and fill there bags with tomatoes and take them home. 🚽

I admit we have become a bit more selective where we swim in the last couple of years due to the sewage concerns. We are fortunate that we have three dive/swimming quarries in our locality that have assurances that no sewage is discharged into them. They are all formed from mining and are very isolated.

We can be up to the lake district and into wales within an hour swimming in the high tarns. That said, you are never truly away from organic and chemical substances as the run off from grazing animals carp and so on.

We walked up the Grey Mares Tail again last year and swam in the loch at the top, towards the end I swam past a 'bloated sheep' which had succumbed in some way. I learnt to swim in our local canal in Liverpool in the 70's, we still laugh about it my friends and I to think of all the rubbish that was in the 'cut'. Not unusual to find dead dogs, cats, fish and occasional dead body. The latter, fortunatley never finding one myself, not to mention the array of junk.

I stood and looked at the canal recently and though I will give that a miss.

 

3 minutes ago, SuperGoose75 said:

Good advice thanks 👍 People seem to be seeking out spots to take cold showers under small waterfalls in rivers all around the UK and Ireland at present. I think what you are saying is a good way of getting geared up for that sort of cold water exposure. I dont think the sea would be as cold as a fresh water river in the winter time.

The sea can be very cold at times on a cerain tide or wind, however I must agree that river water in the winter from a frosty glade is glacial and does not come much colder than that.

 

[billytheghillie]

2 minutes ago, 7daysinaweek said:

I admit we have become a bit more selective where we swim in the last couple of years due to the sewage concerns. We are fortunate that we have three dive/swimming quarries in our locality that have assurances that no sewage is discharged into them. They are all formed from mining and are very isolated.

We can be up to the lake district and into wales within an hour swimming in the high tarns. That said, you are never truly away from organic and chemical substances as the run off from grazing animals carp and so on.

We walked up the Grey Mares Tail again last year and swam in the loch at the top, towards the end I swam past a 'bloated sheep' which had succumbed in some way. I learnt to swim in our local canal in Liverpool in the 70's, we still laugh about it my friends and I to think of all the rubbish that was in the 'cut'. Not unusual to find dead dogs, cats, fish and occasional dead body. The latter, fortunatley never finding one myself, not to mention the array of junk.

I stood and looked at the canal recently and though I will give that a miss.

 

The sea can be very cold at times on a cerain tide or wind, however I must agree that river water in the winter from a frosty glade is glacial and does not come much colder than that.

 

Good on you mate, enjoy 

[discobob]

8 minutes ago, 7daysinaweek said:

I learnt to swim in our local canal in Liverpool in the 70's

are you sure it wasn't "The Hotties" in St Helens (heated from Pilkingtons glass)

[7daysinaweek]

@billytheghillie

Hi Bill

Did you ever ghillie on the Nith at all? Fished for grayling in the depths of winter on the Nith up around Thornhills a few times back in the early/mid nineties. What a beautiful river it was, it appeared crystal clean and given the head of grayling in it, that would appear to have been a good barometer of the health of the river.

4 minutes ago, discobob said:

are you sure it wasn't "The Hotties" in St Helens (heated from Pilkingtons glass)

Just had to look that up Bob. Who would have knew st helens had it very own 'thermal spa' obviously not a contender for the spa town of Bath, but not to be sniffed at nontheless. 

Put  a link up and have a read. them fish that were released into that area are 'terrifying' would not have fancied one of them chewing on me bits. 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/restoration/restoration-stories/the-hotties-of-st-helens

[discobob]

1 minute ago, 7daysinaweek said:

ok that up Bob. Who would have knew st helens had it very own 'thermal spa' obviously not a contender for the spa town of Bath, but not to be sniffed at nontheless. 

Put  a link up and have a read. them fish that were released into that area are 'terrifying' would not have fancied one of them chewing on me bits. 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/restoration/restoration-stories/the-hotties-of-st-helens

I used to go fishing there in the 70's and 80's and in the winter it was always a few degrees warmer than the prevailing temperature there. I never saw any swimming although a mate fell in - in fact that first photo on the link brought a complete flashback on  It is also covered on a YouTube video where the guy follows the canal all the way along it that the hotties was part of...

Don't remember any of the fish the mention - I just seem to recall sticklebacks was the main catch...

Cycling with a fishing rod and all the gubbins wasn't easy and it was about 6 miles to there

 

[billytheghillie]

7 minutes ago, 7daysinaweek said:

@billytheghillie

Hi Bill

Did you ever ghillie on the Nith at all? Fished for grayling in the depths of winter on the Nith up around Thornhills a few times back in the early/mid nineties. What a beautiful river it was, it appeared crystal clean and given the head of grayling in it, that would appear to have been a good barometer of the health of the river.

Just had to look that up Bob. Who would have knew st helens had it very own 'thermal spa' obviously not a contender for the spa town of Bath, but not to be sniffed at nontheless. 

Put  a link up and have a read. them fish that were released into that area are 'terrifying' would not have fancied one of them chewing on me bits. 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/restoration/restoration-stories/the-hotties-of-st-helens

No, just ghillied on the Tweed. Used to fish Thornhill years ago as well for the grayling, me and my 2 brothers. Think there was a sawmill there, that was usually a good bit.

[7daysinaweek]

9 minutes ago, discobob said:

I used to go fishing there in the 70's and 80's and in the winter it was always a few degrees warmer than the prevailing temperature there. I never saw any swimming although a mate fell in - in fact that first photo on the link brought a complete flashback on  It is also covered on a YouTube video where the guy follows the canal all the way along it that the hotties was part of...

Don't remember any of the fish the mention - I just seem to recall sticklebacks was the main catch...

Cycling with a fishing rod and all the gubbins wasn't easy and it was about 6 miles to there

 

👍

Those were the days.

5 minutes ago, billytheghillie said:

No, just ghillied on the Tweed. Used to fish Thornhill years ago as well for the grayling, me and my 2 brothers. Think there was a sawmill there, that was usually a good bit.

👍

Some wonderful memories I bet.