To NOT include 9 year old DD in Boxing Day swim?

I'm all for kids being gung ho, but if she's not used to cold water swimming, she really should wear neoprene gloves and socks and some sort of hat as well as a 5mm wetsuit.

What's the plan for after the dip? She won't be able to play with her mates on the beach as she'll need to get out of the wind and into warm clothes very quickly. Getting out of head to toe neoprene is a PITA at the best of times, especially if there's nowhere sheltered to do it.

At the very minimum, she will need an adult 100% focused on helping her get warm and dry after her 30 seconds in, which means hot drink, layers, gloves, hat, out of the wind, making sure she moves around to generate heat.

I would say no this year but from late spring onwards start going cold water swimming and build up tolerance. Worrying about hypothermia in Boxing Day doesn't sound very relaxing tbh.

For a quick dip, she's probably better without the wetsuit to superficially register the cold quicker and be able to strip and dry ASAP.
Booties, gloves and hats are the first port of call for warmer layers before wetsuit anyway as they protect the extremities.

The important bit is being prepared to warm up with a hot drink/ soup and shelter from the wind/ cold air.

At 9, she's old enough to register discomfort pretty quickly, before her core temperature drops too low. Realistically she's most likely to have a quick splash and change her mind.

Where on their SM are they saying you shouldn't go?

This is a post saying how to swim safely.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CmXogKLBU/

For a child who isn't used to it just going in and out will probably be all they can handle. Though if I were to go in I'd go for a proper swim - if you dip in then come out then it doesn't feel cold when you go back in the 2nd time and feels rather lovely actually. Bloody love cold water!

If she doesn’t want to go in will your dh be happy to wait on the beach with her? If he’s ok with being responsible for her then I would let her come

This is what I was thinking too.

What’s the point in going ‘swimming’ for a few seconds dip ?
is it just to say you do it ?
Regarding your child … if you have chosen a Christmas family activity to do - then that should include your child- else choose a different activity . But cruel and weird to pick something just for yourself and she has to sit and watch !! Not very family is it !

I’m torn.
I’ll be going for a swim on Boxing Day but I’ve been swimming outdoors for a couple of years. I don’t think it’s really advised to just jump in in December without acclimatising but if it’s literally just a dip it should all be okay as long as she can get out and all the cold wet stuff off immediately and into dry layers, hot water bottle around the middle to start warming the core back up pronto and maybe a hot chocolate in a flask.
It IS a lot of faff, I swim in skins so less faffy than wetsuit/boots/gloves etc but even so it takes a bit of prep and thought about warming up quickly. Hypothermia is very real and incredibly scary.
My dc come with me in the summer and tail off in September coming back again in May, fair weather swimmers, but it means I can just focus on getting myself warm and dry rather than helping someone else while my core temperature continues to drop!

I'd let her try, the chances are she will change her mind once she gets thigh deep. If she doesn't then a quick run in and out, with someone to help her dry off afterwards, will be great fun and won't do her any harm.

If this is a tradition she's going to start somewhere...I'd do your dip then you or dh run out to grab her and run back in for a couple of seconds a the end. Take a onsie for after.

Wetsuit. Hold her hand until she’s in (cold water shock) and breathing calms.

Make sure she stays within her depth.

out. Hot chocolate!

ETA mine (11) is not coming in this year, her choice. She used to love it though!

I wouldn’t let my 9yo.

She's probably going to run in to about thigh height, get her torso splashed by a wave and run squealing back to shore a few times - and it sounds great fun!

Don't pressure her to either go in or decide not to, don't keep asking if she's sure, just let her play with the idea and do it like a 9yo, rather than the way and adult goes wild swimming or the way you fuss around a toddler. As long as she doesn't feel there's a right way to do it which is outside her comfort zone, she'll be able to use her judgement a bit and be fine.

I’d let her absolutely, but she probably won’t enjoy it! My DS (then 7) cried after about 10 minutes in the Jubilee pool in Penzance in May because he was so cold, I was absolutely fine as was DH.

We are in Northern Ireland - like I said they are all geared up. Wesuits work by holding a layer of water close to the skin. Your body heat warms the water. If you are in and out a wetsuit doesnt work the way it should - combined with winter hoods, thick neoprene boots and gloves, they really don't feel the cold.

So long as she knows the expectation and that it is just a dip and she needs to be put before she feels cold then go for it.

My kids swam in the sea all year round at that age. We went regularly and they would spend half an hour or so in a wetsuit.

Honestly at her age I was diving into puddles whilst playing in goal for 70 minutes or whatever it was then.

Honestly just layer her up as soon as she is out, hot water out of a thermos into a hot water bottle, wooly hat and let her snuggle up in blankets in the car. She'll live :) she'll probably dip her toe in and refuse to go further in.

I am guessing you don't live anywhere near the country where I am in, no-one will spend 1 or 2 hours in the water in the winter here 😂

😆😆

This! And also overanxious. Good lord I think I've heard it all now. OP, good on your daughter for being tough and brave! You should be encouraging her, not trying to put her off.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the RNLI come out for cold children so they?

Why the fuck do people do these things 🤣

Why would the RNLI come out? The risk isn’t she would float away…

Just let her put her feet in - she'll soon change her mind!

You are the fun police