Festive Swim Dos & Don’ts

Winter swimmers are now a wide and varied bunch. There are those who conscientiously train throughout the winter months, exposing themselves to the gentle decline in water temperatures from September onwards, and there are those who take a different approach, throwing themselves into freezing cold water on Christmas Day instead. If you’re planning to join this second group at Christmas, here are the risks to consider beforehand.

We know some of you will be crying out ‘Scrooge’ and ‘Bah humbug!’, but just because we’ve all embraced festive swims in recent years doesn’t make them safe. In fact, very few of these events have much in the way of safety or procedure, so it’s important – as always with outdoor swimming – to take responsibility for yourself.

Getting into winter water is a massive shock to the body which can lead to hyperventilation, panic attack, becoming incapacitated by cold (which can lead to drowning if you don’t make it to shore) and increased danger of heart failure in vulnerable individuals. Not to mention the risks on land. More than one rib has been broken in the crazy dash to the sea!

FESTIVE DIPPING – NOT RECOMMENDED FOR:

The physiological effects of cold water mean there are some conditions where you should either avoid a festive dip or seek medical advice before considering it. Be aware: this is not an exhaustive list.

• Pregnancy: it’s not uncommon for winter swimmers to carry on swimming throughout their pregnancy but this is a different demand on the body than doing a one-off freezing dip.
• Asthma or other respiratory conditions: the phenomenon called ‘cold shock’ makes most dippers struggle for breath as they get in, a hyperventilation that can feel like (or bring on) an asthma attack.
• Heart conditions: cold water immersion causes an instantaneous and massive increase in heart rate and blood pressure as all the blood vessels in your skin constrict in response to sudden cooling. For those with a predisposition, this greatly increases the danger of heart failure and stroke.

DO:

• Do ensure you’re warm before the swim. Remove your warm clothing at the last minute, especially your shoes – you lose lots of heat into the ground.
• Do go in feet first, not head first. You will gasp as your body hits the water and you don’t want to be head under when this happens.
• Do take special care to have your breathing under control before immersing your shoulders or swimming. The gasp reflex is involuntary and occurs with a significant rise in heart rate. Both the gasp reflex and hyperventilation can result in you aspirating water (breathing it into your lungs). This can lead to panic and drowning. Some people like to stand waist deep, put their hands under the water, splash a little water on their cheeks, and wait for breathing to normalise. Others like to focus on the exhale, puffing air out, as they regulate their breath.
• Do take care when entering the sea, especially during the first few minutes of gasping and shock.
• Do have low expectations of how long you’ll be in for or how far you’ll go. Many winter swimmers count strokes (10, for example) and swim just 25m or less.
• Do dry off and layer up to get warm. You may feel deceptively warm at this point. It’s 10 minutes after you get out that you’re at your coldest, so you want to wrapped up by then.
• Do take more clothes for afterwards than before, including a hat, gloves, warm socks/boots and a windproof layer if it’s exposed.
• Do have a warm drink and some cake for afterwards (this is one time when a sugar boost is a good thing!).
• Do warm up slowly with some gentle walking if you feel OK. Increase the level of activity if you wish, but stop and sit down if you start to feel unwell.
• Do make time for some acclimatising dips. Acclimatisation reduces the immediate physiological effects, and if undertaken at your local lido or with other winter swimmers, you’ll be able to enjoy the quiet conditions.

DON’T:

• Don’t take part if you have a fever or chest infection.
• Don’t jump or dive into deep water unless you know what you’re acclimatised to that degree of cold.
• Don’t take part if you’ve been drinking alcohol, have a hangover or have taken recreational drugs. These will affect your judgement (about the length of time you can stay in, for example) and your body’s ability to withstand the cold.
• Don’t stay in too long. As soon as you start to feel comfortable, it’s time to get out!
• Don’t jump in a hot shower until you’re comfortable. You won’t be able to sense the water temperature, so be careful not to burn yourself.