Top tips for chilly dips

19/11/2022

The temperature has plummeted since the leaves began to drop. But in the last couple of weeks the water is really cold. How do we cope with the increasing chill and what have we learned from year round outdoor swimming?

First the science

When we enter the water our body mounts its cold shock response. This is mainly felt in the first couple of minutes of being immersed as our bodies release 'fight or flight' hormones, and it subsides as we also release endorphins and serotonin. Ever felt that 'post swim high'? Scientists think this happens thanks to this combination of chemicals and many of us keep our chilly dips brief for this reason.

The cold shock response comes from the skin cooling, but hypothermia comes from core cooling, and our core continues to cool after we get out.

How we cope

Start in the warmer weather, keep going as the temperature drops and acclimatise
Eat first: don't swim on an empty stomach
Don't stay too long - as a rule we've been told a length or a minute per degree celcius
Know your limits - we wear wetsuits, booties, gloves and neoprene hats. Some swim in skins and do fewer lengths
Enter the water slowly so your body can get used to the cold shock
Breathe breathe breathe
Warm up slowly afterwards - hot water can cool your core. In very cold weather we take hot water bottles to wrap our clothes around so they're toasty afterwards
Lots of layers

And afterwards?

Zing, there's adrenaline, endorphins and a 'swimmer's high'. There is sometimes a drop. I've been known to find the drop on the bike ride home into a cold wind and lie on the sofa with a blanket and the hot water bottle for a bit when I get home. But after that I tend to feel fantastic for the rest of the day.