Ice, snow, cold water - "no pain, no gain"
It sounds a little odd but in fact it is actually true and quite logical – summer is the best time to start preparing yourself for the perils of cold water around the freezing point in the middle of winter and the fantastic extreme sport of winter swimming.
Open water is at its warmest here in the Northern hemisphere in August. But the open water season starts in June and finishes in September so any of these months the water should be warm enough for the novice cold water swimmer. Conditions will vary locally and ideally you should start open water swimming in water of 16c or above. Just take a quick dip to start with or swim a few hundred metres dependingon your fitness level, ability and the local conditions. The water may seem a little cold but this sensation isn’t unpleasant in the summer and only lasts a few seconds. Continue swimming all through the summer, increasing te time you spend in the water gradually. To immerse yourself in open natural waters is a wonderful feeling and you won’t be in a hurry to go to the swimming pool, although,of course there is nothing wrong with swimmming in pools (they are a valuable amenity).
During the summer, even a bad summer in somewhere like the UK the air temperature and therefore water temperature is still warm so supplement your swimming with cold showers every day or every other day. In fact there is little call for a genuinely hot shower during the summer months.
So have fun in the summer, enjoy the natural open waters that surround you and as the autumn approaches simply keep swimming. The temperature of the water will decrease very gradually and before you realize, it will be January and you will be swimming in cold water below 4c as low as the freezing point and occasionally if conditions allow below it – this is winter swimming. It will be extreme, exhilarating and exciting. That is all to come. for now enjoythe warmer waters and allow your body to naturally harden itself.
For more about hardening and an old tried and tested method click here http://extremewinterswimming.com/Vc
Beautiful open water in summer
Hey Guys, Love the site. I live in London and swim year round at Tooting Bec Lido in South London. We hosted the World Winte Swimming Championships a few years back … maybe you came. Anyway I’ll be exploring your site for interesting insights into winter swimming.
And I have started a couple of things up here in the UK. First off the Facebook fan page for the UK Cold Water Swimming Championships which take place in January at Tooting Bec Lido. They are run by South London Swimming Club and I dont think you necessarily have to be in the UK to take part. Find out more by visiting the South London Swimming Club site at http://www.slsc.org.uk.
And if you fancy some more tips on cold water swimming check out my new blog. It deals with winter swimming but not from the performance athlete point of view … rather the daydreamer and philosopher.
And the Facebook fan page for UK Cold Water Swimming Championship is: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/UK-Cold-Water-Swimming-Championships-2011/118643761513087
Hi, I am glad that you likeit here. I am currently trying to update and improve it and i can assure you there will plenty of fresh content as the winter approaches. i read your swimming blog it was great, some very nice pics. I will put a link to it soon. I don’t think I will be visiting London in Jan but who knows. Unfortunately over here the start of the winter swimming season was delayed. It always starts with a swim through an underground river (in a cave) in eastern Czech republic but there was a large amount of rain in the week leading up to the event and due to the high water levels it was cancelled for the first time in 60 years!