Cold Water Swimming- A Complete beginner’s Guide

Cold Water Swimming and dipping continues to be extremely popular. The health benefits both physically and mentally are well documented and the exhilaration it gives you is second to none. However, it is considered to be an extreme sport and for very good reason. So if you’re thinking of dipping your toe in the water and seeing what the buzz is about, then have a read of my beginner’s guide to Cold Water Swimming.

Cold water swimming is open water swimming in water less than 16 degrees Celsius. In Winter however it can get a lot colder than that. Inland waters can get as low as 0 degrees, with coastal waters getting to low single digits here in the UK.

Swimming or even just dipping in cold water for a few minutes has many health benefits which has received a lot of press recently and resulted in a vast increase in uptake of the sport. However, the risk of hypothermia, cold water shock, swim failure and after drop are very real and can be life threatening. That, combined with wild swimming in seas and rivers which hold their own risks especially in late Autumn and Winter, makes cold water swimming a dangerous sport.

Saying all that, don’t let it put you off! I am a massive advocate of cold water swimming, and urge everyone to give it a go. Cold Water Swimming makes you feel amazing, and gives you a feeling of euphoria, or Swimphoria as I like to call it, that lasts all day and leaves you hungry for the next dip/swim. I’ve always said it’s a feeling I wish could bottle and hand it out to those that need it. I have personally experienced the amazing magic of the cold water.

All I’m saying is do your research, don’t just dive into it, and most importantly make sure you do it safely.

I discovered the joy of open water swimming (OWS) Summer 2020, and I wasn’t ready to hang up my wetsuit when it started to get colder. So I continued to swim through the Winter. My first Winter I was head to toe in neoprene, but started doing little skins dips at the end of my swims and found that I actually really loved the cold. In fact the colder the better!

This year is my 4th Winter swimming, so I have quite a bit of experience swimming in all temperatures. It was also my love of the cold water and wanting to share and encourage others to give it a go that drove me to becoming an open water swimming coach. Hopefully by sharing some of my knowledge it will inspire you to get involved.

Here’s my beginner’s guide to cold water swimming including how to start, what kit you will need, planning your warm up and my top tips.

How to Start Cold Water Swimming

Educate yourself

You need to know what cold water does to your body, understand cold water shock, hypothermia, after drop and swim failure. You need to understand the risks, but also learn to recognise the signs if something not’s quite right. It takes time to know your own limits and everyone is different.

Ideally get yourself on an Introduction to Cold Water session from an open water swim coach. I had one with a coach when I first started and I found it invaluable. Not only learning about things I hadn’t even considered, but it also gave me an opportunity to try it out in a supervised safe setting.

There are also some great articles and resources on the Outdoor Swimming Society’s Website, and Outdoor Swimmer magazine website.

Learn about the ‘Float to Live’ it could save your life. If you find yourself getting into trouble then relax and float on your back, use your tow float to help you, and raise one arm to signal you’re in trouble so that someone can raise the alarm.

I have started running Introduction to Cold Water Sessions in North Essex, I have yet to create a section for this on this website, so please contact me if they are of interest and I can give you some more information.

Find a Venue

If you are new to cold water swimming then it’s advisable to swim at a manned venue. Rivers and the sea pose additional risks especially in the winter with strong currents and rip tides. Manned venues often have group swim sessions and lifeguards too, which make them ideal for beginners. Don’t forget you may be a strong swimmer in the pool, but don’t underestimate what the cold can do. There is a directory of supervised and commercially operated open water venues on the Outdoor Swimming Society site, but bare in mind not all will open over the Winter.

If you can’t find a manned venue near you, then try and find a local organised group that will have experienced members in, and a wealth of local knowledge. The Outdoor Swimming Society has a list of local open water swim groups in the UK, and Facebook is also a great way to find local groups.

Don’t Go It Alone

Like all open water swimming, never ever swim alone. This is particularly important in the Winter. You can get into trouble pretty quickly, and may not recognise the signs yourself.

Find a swim buddy, again local groups are great for this. In an ideal situation you would also have someone spotting you on dry land with a mobile phone who could raise the alarm if necessary.

Acclimatisation is Key

If you have never swam in open water before, then taking up the hobby in the Winter may not be the best idea. Plenty of people do still, however gentle acclimatisation by regularly swimming at least once a week in the Summer and Autumn as the temperature drops means you’re body is more equipped to deal with it.

You also need to acclimatise slowly as you enter the water. That means getting in slowly, calmly and control your breathing. You should never jump into cold water unless you are already acclimatised.

What Kit You Will Need

What you wear is up to you, but also depends on what you want to get out of cold water swimming. If you want to swim in the winter for fitness, then it’s unlikely that swimming in skins (swimsuit) you’ll be able to be in the water long enough to achieve a decent time or distance in the water. If you just want the benefits of the cold water and are looking to dip and swimble more than actually swimming, then skins might be sufficient.

Skins vs. wetsuit also depends on how well you have acclimistised. If you have swum all Summer in skins, you may choose to continue through Autumn and Winter, perhaps with the addition of some neoprene accessories to help keep you stay in the water for longer.

Sometimes it’s a little bit of trial and error, but you soon learn what your body can cope with and what your own personal limits are. Just make sure you do what works for you, don’t be swayed by what others are doing, everyone’s cold water tolerance is different and just because your swimming with someone in skins doesn’t mean you have to.

Regardless of skins vs wetsuit, there are some essential items that you will need:

1. Tow float. Possibly the most important bit of kit. Useful if you need to float to live, but also necessary for visibility. Some also have compartments that you can store car keys or mobile phone.
2. Swimsuit or wetsuit depending on your preference
3. Head gear. We loose a lot of heat through our heads, so it’s important to keep it warm. Options include silicone hats or double hat, neoprene caps or even a wooly hat. Whatever you choose it should be brightly coloured to help you remain visible.
4. Neoprene gloves and boots. Again personal preference, but advisable if your a beginner. Your extremities get cold first due to vasoconstriction, so gloves and boots may increase the time you can spend in the water.
5. Goggles (optional)
6. A waterproof watch. Or at least someone in your group should have one. Doesn’t need to be an all singing/dancing one but it’s important to be able to keep track of how long you have been in the water.
7. A water thermometer. This is optional, but a good idea if you continue cold water swimming. You soon get to know your limits and can adjust your swim time depending on how cold it is.
8. Dry Robe or similar changing robe. Often you’ll be getting changed outside, and these are invaluable at not only keeping you warm but also great against the wind chill and rain.
9. Lots of warm loose layers to change into- this is covered more in my top tips
10. Hot drink and post swim snack– It’s widely accepted that cake and chocolate are an ideal post swim snack!

Plan Your POst Swim Warm Up

This might seem a bit unnecessary you just get out and get changed right? Wrong. Planning your post swim warm up can prevent you from getting the dreaded after drop. I actually have a separate post dedicated to planning your post swim warm up, which goes into a bit more detail.

The key is to get the wet layers off as quickly as possible, and get on the warm dry ones. Your body needs to warm up slowly, so avoid sitting in the car with the heaters on, or jumping in the shower the minute you get home.

A change robe is invaluable to keep you warm, help you dry and provides somewhere to get changed under whilst protecting you from the elements. You may need to practice getting changed under one, as it’s a lot of arms in and out of the sleeves.

Dab don’t rub. Your skin can be super sensitive after a cold water dip so dab yourself dry with a towel or dry robe.

Loose layers are key, and easy to get on layers with no zip or fiddly fastenings (forget about underwear!). Get your socks on first, and warm footwear as soon as possible. Either lay your clothes out in the order you are going to put them on, or have them in a bag in order.

Take your hat off last, and replace immediately with a warm wooly one.

Post swim cake and hot drink is extremely important!

My Top Tips For Cold Water Swimming

So if you’ve got this far you must be really interested in giving cold water swimming a go! These are some of my top tips!

1. Educate yourself as much as you can.
2. Never swim alone.
3. Warm up before you cool down, make sure you are nice and warm before entering the water.
4. Acclimatise, acclimatise, acclimatise!
5. Know your limits, but never reach them. Always get out wanting more.
6. Plan your post swim warm up
7. Enjoy yourself and the swimphoria!

If you have found this post useful, or have decided to give cold water swimming a go I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Happy Swimming!

Kerry x

If you want to follow my open water swimming journey, then pop over to our Instagram page where we are most active and say hi!

(first published Jan 2021)