Wild / Sea swimming (with wetsuit)

[Bollocknays]

Hi everyone,

I live near the sea and my consultant has recommended cold water swimming with wetsuit (so it’s safer on my heart)….

Can anyone tell me how to start? I want to! But I’m super scared

What kind of wetsuit do I need? Winter? Do I need booties? (I’m a bit scared of jellyfish and we have lots on the north coast!)

How many times do you go per week and how long do you spend in the sea each time?

How do you warm up afterwards? Dry robe?

Please encourage me and give me all your tips! Apparently it’ll do wonders for my health and I’m excited but also apprehensive!

I’m a keen sailor, paddle boarder and kayaker! But having no “equipment” is weird for me…

You'll need a winter wetsuit (at least 5mm) , wetsuit boots gloves and a hat.

Everyday athletes rach hassome great videos

Make sure you aren't within earshot of any houses if you intend to scream like the fluffing sea swimmers where i live..

This is a challenging time of year to start!

5mm wetsuit. Booties are good for protection from cold and rough beaches. You can get good second hand wetsuits.

Jellyfish are usually a summer phenomenon.

Dryrobes are awesome.

Start small - 3-5 minutes - and build up. If you can do a bit of exercise - e.g. a lap of the beach - before getting in to raise your core temperature.

Wear a woolly hat - in the sea as well as on dry land if you aren't putting your head underwater.

Have a hot drink ready for when you come out. Have lots of hot drinks.

Don't have a hot shower if you are freezing cold. It takes longer for your body to reheat itself afterwards.

Find a group on Facebook, like the Bluetits, to go with.

Enjoy!

Firstly, now is really not the time to start cold water swimming, so my first advice would be to leave it until May when the temperature is much more sensible and you can start in non hazardous temps and then acclimatise down from September next year.
If you are determined to start, then you need to find a group to go with. There is an Outdoor Swimming Society group on FB, and then someone will direct you to local groups. Pinned posts on there will also direct you to info about the risks of cold water immersion, rewarming, and what to look out for.
If your consultant is recommending swimming for a particular condition, there is a very helpful Adaptive and Disabled Open Water Swimmers (ADOWS) on FB with people who have experience of the ups and downs of swimming in cold water with MS, Fibro, RA, CRPS and much more

Definitely check out outdoor swimming society

Thank you! I’m in Falmouth so I’m assuming there’s a few groups to join

I’ll leave it until Spring. I promise I won’t scream!! I might whimper though

I am in the North East and swim with with group.
We have just migrated to wearing jackets, in addition to gloves and socks. A couple if our lot still go in wearing bikinis😱
Dryrobe, or equivalent, warm water to clean feet ( I use a pop up bowl and stand in it), flask of coffee, or pop back into the campervan and pop the kettle on😁
Don't jump in a hot bath or shower, let your temperature rise gradually.
I started open water swimming in February this year, so no,reason not to start in winter, just build the time up slowly. Don't stay in trying to be brave, just increase as you feel like it.
We still have swimmers who only stay in for 5 or 6 minutes in the winter.
Be sensible, stay safe. Enjoy🧞‍♂️🧞‍♀️🧞

@Ratched thank you!! Love the encouragement.

[quote Bollocknays]@Ratched thank you!! Love the encouragement.[/quote]
I always wanted to try it, but never quite had the guts ( I was squeamish about swimming pools abroad being too cold)!
But, on a dog walk, I got talking to someone who did it and encouraged me to just give it one try. That's all, just do it once, they said, then you can say you have done it.
One try was all it took to be hooked 😁
I think adrenaline gets you through the first couple of times, then it is just great total buzzing feeling you get for the rest of the day that keeps you going!
I have not been for 3 days - the waves are too big, but I can't wait to get back!

I know Falmouth well. With a wetsuit you should be fine to try short swims in a wetsuit. Waiting 6 months seems such a waste!

The Facebook group "She Swims Falmouth" is lovely.

@CheddarGorgeous Oh wow! Thank you so much for this info! I’ll have a look straight away…

@Ratched oh gosh this sounds so exciting! My consultant thinks it’ll change my life and my health.

There's definitely a Falmouth Bluetit group and they have a Facebook page.
I often see a group go out at Perranporth and feel the urge to join them - but not quite enough to actually do it
Maybe next Spring 😉

Sea is at it warmest this time of air, it's about 12C at the moment (often warmer than the air temperature) and coldest around March/April when it has cooled down over the winter (the sea takes much longer to warm up and cool down than the land). So now should be OK to try it but make sure you have warm clothes, lots of towels (wrap one or two in a hot water bottle so they are warm when you get out). Dry robes are great if you have one. And a hot drink (I like hot ribena) as your body will keep cooling down 20 mins after you get out.

Wetsuit good, also wear boots and gloves. Jelly fish are more of a summer problem. Boots essentially to avoid a weaver fish incident. Many people also swim with a woolly hat on.

Take it easy to begin with 12-15 mins max. Get out when you are still feeling good.

@ColinKnocksTwoPence perranporth is a great idea. Because you can run to the pub afterwards!

Sea is not quite at its warmest in December but yes, warmer than April, and warm in comparison to the air temp.

Air temp does factor though for the post swim warm up.

You can do it without a wetsuit. Wear boots and gloves and just walk in and out and build up from there. There is no benefit to staying in for ages. I find a wetsuit too much of a faff. Warm up by getting dressed in lots of layers quickly, flask of tea and a brisk walk. It’s impossible to get warm unless you move around. Good luck. It has helped me enormously

I live up the coast from you and started sea swimming in April so now in my first winter. I wear a cheap shorty wetsuit with a thermal top and gloves. Shorty is easy to get in and out of. I wear wetsuit boots all year round as it's stony/weedy here. I have no desire to stick my head under right now so wearing a bobble hat. DH bought me a gorgeous dry robe alternative for my birthday. What you wear is quite personal as it depends which bits of you feel the cold the worst. My friend I swim with tried to push on without a wetsuit and was making herself miserable. She has just got a neoprene long sleeved top and it's been a game changer for her. Can you borrow some kit before you spend money to see what works for you?

I only manage about once a week at the moment because of kids and work, twice a week in the summer when evenings lighter. Had a swim this afternoon about 4.00. Was wonderful.