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.

Im swimming in just my costume now even double dipped last night as my DD joined me in a new spot it was fab. So so warm even at 8pm. Went again this morning loved it as quieter.

@bigdecisionaboutwork you can get special stuff I think that doesn’t effect the neoprene in the wetsuit. Some kind of special lube, I’m not sure if Vaseline would erode the rubber or not.

Fantastic couple of swims over last two days, also took my 9yr old we love the new spot we have found. It’s perfect at mid-tide for her to swim in and because it’s 200m further to walk from the nearest steps most of the tourists don’t bother but the beach did looked so busy by 10am. The car park was full at 9am! The traffic warden was merrily ticketing all the idiots who were abandoning their cars and blocking the road!

Another lovely swim today although I thought I spotted a couple of algae blooms as I was getting out so I hope I was wrong. The heatwave is due to last another few days here so I'm planning to make the most of it.

Another swim this evening but the water was a bit grotty. Lots of seaweed, some dead jelly fish and a bit of scum I didn't like the look of. Dd was desperate to go so we did but I have to take a break for a couple of days and it's probably no harm. And the parking was wojeus...I'm longing for an empty November car park

I had a lovely sea swim although I forgot my shoes this time, stayed in a little over 20 minutes. Definitely colder at my N Wales beach than the one in Pembrokeshire that I swam at on Saturday!

I was wishfully thinking of my November swims too @Barmbraic but even super busy I managed a lovely swim yesterday after a 30m bike ride it was heaven to just put my head under to cool off then cycle home again. It was my last day off to myself well 6hrs with no kids & no work so I made the most of, as the juggle of work & school holidays starts Thursday. Because I’d been cycling I only had goggles & a costume with me so no boots/gloves/hat or tow float and it was heavenly as so warm in the water now. Plan to take the kids tonight after tea as a cool down. It’s already 28c in the shade here.

Nice swim last night after 10d out the sea due to being away and life stuff. Just a 15mins bit bumpy but the float at the end helped the persistent migraine ease.

Oh god, it's so long since I was in the sea, but dd and I went today and it was bliss although it felt very cold! Can't wait for the children to be back to school next week and I can do my morning dip after drop off. And for the car park to be empty again

I too went for a 7am dip and needed gloves on my bike to cycle there as chilly nip in the air. But by lunchtime it hit 25c! Lovely early quiet swim though but yes I’ll be glad when the level of tourists in Devon drop off as the car parks have been full since May!

Had a lovely couple of swims Monday & Tuesday perfect conditions.

I’ve name changed.
Anyone else planning to keep swimming again this winter? I dipped on the 1st Oct Friday and again this morning definitely a drop in temperature after all the heavy rainSat. Still Hope to keep going again this winter.

Four swims in 3 days such lovely weather and a good sea state recently. Loved it this morning.

I finally got back in today! On the way home I heard on the radio that it was national mental health day which felt fitting . Definitely keeping it up through the winter. I have had a shoulder issue for the last year which has finally been diagnosed as a torn rotator cuff tendon so I'm still only bobbing about instead of swimming but it feels so wonderful to do even that.

Sorry to hear about the shoulder that can take quite a while to heal so bobbing is good . My sill is currently trying to rehab from the same injury.

@SkiRun0077

I’ve name changed. Anyone else planning to keep swimming again this winter? I dipped on the 1st Oct Friday and again this morning definitely a drop in temperature after all the heavy rainSat. Still Hope to keep going again this winter.

Me!

But I need to talk about my new favourite thing which s swimming in the dark!!!

Does/has anyone else done it?

Yep swimming in dark is good. Make sure you have lanterns to mark the spot where you get in and torches for walking back to car

I had a blissful dip today, improved no end by my new 3mm gloves! I managed almost 20 mins as I bumped into a couple of people I know and we were having a great chat in the water.

I love being in the water at sunset and I'm planning one for Halloween. I have a small torch that I put in my swim bouy for a bit of extra safety although I don't swim as such so I'm just bobbing around close to the shore.

I’ve done a couple of dusk sunset swims but not full on dark swims. The ladies here do full moon swims but I’ve kept missing due to other stuff on. Hope to do an Oct one. They put head torches inside tow floats too.

Conditions have been idealic here all week actually better than the summer with calm water, clear sea but definitely a chill developing more now. I’ve been in 10days this month already but conditions changing Sunday with waves and swell returning. There were lots of little fishes last night swimming underneath us which explained the large number of gulls about!

Lovely swim last night under the moon. Sea was 14.3° and managed 45mins

I’m only in any heated lido but, any tips on dressing when your hands are useless? Was thinking about investigating front fastening bras for example. I dress back into wide trousers after swimming because they’re easy to put on, but they aren’t going to be that warm when it’s really cold. Also thinking of trying a microfibre wrap thing to wear around my head after swimming to stop wet hair dripping and making neck cold. Does everyone else wear gloves and a swimming cap to swim over the winter? I absolutely hate swimming caps and would love to think I could get away with not using one but still keep swimming in the cold.

unheated lido that should say

@BogDiscuits I don’t bother with a bra after swimming instead I pull on a thermal strapy vest top from my feet up under my towel poncho. Much easier . I wear gloves in winter plus a neoprene hat underneath a regular swim hat when it’s really cold.,then put a bobble hat on afterwards with thermal layers.

Thank you SkiRun. Great tips. I’m definitely going to try a neoprene hat, that has to be less painful than trying to get those thin rubber ones on and off.

After a really rough sea state over the last week it was stunning today so I got a lunchtime calm blue sky dip. Still brown yucky water so no head in swimming as we’ve had lots of run off from recent heavy rain.

Off to our lido this morning last week it was 11 degrees I think it will be sub 10 today.

First winter of doing this, when the lido stops we will go back to our usual quarry but a friend broke her foot recently so they lido is safer for her for now.