Cold water swimmers including sea, lakes and rivers

[TriSkiRun99]

After sea swimming regularly since May I’m hoping to carry on. Is anyone else hoping to carry on open water or sea swimming through the winter? If you fancy supporting each other and sharing hints n tips come join me. I’ve just bought some socks and neoprene hat, I’m hoping to to stay in my cossie as long as possible but I do have a wet suit if I cave.

[AriettyHomily]

I love it but a bit wimpy past November. Are there any local groups there's usually a bunch of loon s that do it all year!

[CMOTDibbler]

I'm an open water swimmer, but tomorrow is my first official winter swim. But under 15' I am a wuss and in my wetsuit :-) Hoping to swim all winter

[OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea]

Yes, usually accompanied by children with body boards. They are already in wetsuits the wimps and are asking for wetsuit socks!

[TriSkiRun99]

I’m hoping to be able to keep swimming after being inspired last year watching a fab group of mostly older ladies swim all winter in their costumes and pink hats. They always seem to be down there 7-8am as I was running past.
Ive made a towel cover up from sewing two cheap beach towels together last month which has been useful. I’m lucky we have a sheltered open sea spot to swim in but there is pollution run off for 48hrs after heavy rain so this weekend is a write off. Where do you all swim? I’m on the SW coast.

[OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea]

North East!

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

I started over the summer, hoping to keep going as long as I can. I have a shortie wetsuit which I hate getting into and out of so I'd really like to not use it if possible. Got some good tips here recently about warming up after. Hot water bottle and a hot drink are already in my essentials kit!

How often do you swim? I'm hoping twice a week, three if I can squeeze it in.

[Runningdownthathill]

I would love to do this but haven’t ever had a wet suit. Which types would you recommend ?

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

I was in today. Google tells me the water was 14.1c. I've no idea how reliable that is though. It was about 12 outside. I was fine until I got back into the car when I was very glad I had a hot water bottle

[CMOTDibbler]

It was an air temperature of 10', water 12' in the lake this morning. Lovely to see ladies of all ages and shapes swimming and chatting with a few people whizzing round.
I can only swim outdoors once a week due to timings - I live as far from the sea as its possible to be, and our river is very sensitive to rain so unsafe most of the winter, so organised sessions only

[TriSkiRun99]

I read a great tip about wrapping clothes round a hot water bottle and putting them in one of those supermarket coolbags to keep them all warm. I always have a flask of hot chocolate and bobble hat in the car ready.
In July & Aug I swam nearly every other day, but in Sept it’s dropped to 1-2x a week with variable weather & shorter daylight hours intruding more. Such a shame this weekend is a complete write of here, due to the storm and the sea has turned brown with pollution run off.

[CMOTDibbler]

I can attest to putting your stuff in a freezer bag with a hot water bottle. I wear my crocs in the car so my cosy boots, socks are in the bottom of the bag with bobble hat and gloves, then hot water bottle, then my onesie, then towel on top - this way I don't have to faff packing it up. When I'm ready to swim, my changing robe then gets stuffed in.
Then coming out, everything is in the right order and lovely and cosy all the way through

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

I used your freezer bag tip, Dibbler but the wind blew away all the heat between me getting my jumper from the bag and on me . Having the hot water bottle on my lap all the way home was bliss. 12c water is cold, you are hard core.

Tri, i would suggest putting on your hat as soon as you get out of the water, before you get to the car. I've found it makes a big difference in keeping warm.

We have severe wind warnings here tomorrow so I'm hoping I can bunk off work for an hour after school drop off on Monday to get another swim.

How long do you all stay in the water? I managed 20 mins last week but today I had to get out after 15.

[Runningdownthathill]

I am interested to know how many of you are using wetsuits? I would like recommendations for brands.

[CMOTDibbler]

I'd love to be a skins swimmer, but the metal work in my arm doesn't like the cold, so below 16 its a wetsuit for me, plus a glove on my bad arm.
I have a few wetsuits - a Zone 3 which is my best one but I haven't worn this year as it is a reverse zip and I can't do it up by myself, an Orca which is my routine one (bought on Ebay) and a cheap Zone 3 which was my first, and isn't very stretchy but warmer.

[movingonup20]

I've been going in just a normal swim costume since May but wimped our this weekend, I think I need a wet suit! It's great though isn't it, feels so liberating

[movingonup20]

I swim in a sea fed marine lake, too tidal here for the sea. Any suggestions for wetsuits, the swimming ones are £££

[SirVixofVixHall]

You can get swimmers wet suits, such as Aquasphere, which are thinner than a surfing wetsuit, and more flexible, they still take the chill off, even though they are only 2mm neoprene. If I am properly swimming this is enough, but for bodyboarding or just playing about I prefer my proper wetsuit which is 4/3 . Nice and warm for now, but I might go for a 5mm suit if I was going in the sea in Winter. Wetsuit socks or booties help, a wetsuit cap or hood too, and gloves.

[TriSkiRun99]

Try a hat, gloves and you can get wetsuit vests from lomo co uk - I’ve used them for a few bits and found them ok. I invested in a Swim wetsuit last year a blue seventyWMA as it was the only one with sizing for short busty curves I could find. It a lovely suit but I can’t do breaststroke in it as it’s too buoyant on my hips and then hurts my lower back, it’s lovely to front crawl in though . I equally enjoy a splash in my Tesco £20 shortie with boots, gloves and hat. No swim for me this weekend it was wild on the Devon coast followed by brown pollution run off sea so I’ll wait until Wed to try again.

[SirVixofVixHall]

I am tall and busty, (big cup, small back) and finding a wetsuit that fits proves challenging. I wish someone would bring out a suit for bigger cup sizes, as I find the bust crushing quite painful.

[TriSkiRun99]

Have a look at Blue Seventy sizing chart as it did have variations as I’m v.busty but short and they were the only ones I found accommodated me.

[TriSkiRun99]

www.blueseventy.com/pages/wetsuit-size-chart

[Twilightstarbright]

If love some advice. I'm in the Channel Islands and have been sea swimming this summer but not sure how to continue and what I need? I feel like I'll need a wetsuit?

[SirVixofVixHall]

The Channel Islands ? Lucky you. Warm and cosy..
Some people do swim all year without a wetsuit, I wear one most of the year, even in warm weather as I can stay in for longer, but if I was properly swimming rather than noodling about with daughters, I probably would be fine without one from June to the end of October, even early November. December to May the sea is really cold, and only the hardiest types swim without a wetsuit.

[Twilightstarbright]

It's 16c sea temp so I'm going to try on Fri. What sort of wetsuit would I need beyond October for the winter?

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

I managed 20mins today. It was bracing. It was 12c air temp but no wind which made a huge difference to how cold it was getting out.

My wetsuit hate is being tempered by the look of that link TriSkiRun99.