COLD WATER SWIMMING
Over the last decade I’ve lost count of the number of articles and studies that have been released, regarding cold water swimming, cold water shock and the benefits of cold water swimming/submersion… So I think, rather than going over old ground, we’re simply going to highlight some good practices and potential issues. We’ll relate these specifically to cold water swimming.
TEMPERATURE :
First and foremost, research and figure out the temperature of the water you’re swimming in. It’s really important that you have a good idea, as bodies of water can vary quite significantly. Generally the smaller the body of water, the hotter it gets in the summer and the colder it gets in the winter. Other factors like the surface in contact with the water, has an influence… a granite quarry for example could get colder, as granite doesn’t really retain or reflect any heat. The source of a river can be important, water flowing downstream from higher ground (mountains / hills), can be a lot colder. Lots of variables.
*Forecasting websites don’t always get this right. Best to take a temperature yourself, on arrival.
ENTRY :
Also consider entry. If you have a long walk across a beach, you’re exposed to cold wind pre-swim, it might be raining… these can all have an impact on your body temperature, before you’ve even reached the water. You also have to consider that you’ll be exposed to the same conditions walking back to your belongings!
Best practice is to always gradually submerge yourself. Allow yourself the chance to control your breathing and stay calm, whilst gradually submerging.
Don’t jump or dive into cold water, especially if you don’t know the temperature.
SWIM TIME :
Everyone is different, when it comes to cold water exposure, tolerance and swim times. There are various formulas and rules ‘floating’ around, like a minute for every degree ie. 10 degrees, 10 minutes. Best practice (if you’re not a seasoned cold water swimmer), is to start slow. Start off with a minute or two at a time and then build up. Far better to get out too earlier, than too late! Again, this is especially true in cold wind or rain. Could be a good idea to initially keep records of the water temperature and the length of your swims, so you can chart your tolerance to cold conditions.
POST-SWIM :
Do your best to find a sheltered area to get changed. Change reasonably quickly. Fairly obvious but a dry towel, of a decent size works best. If you have long hair and get it wet, wrapping a towel around your hair can be a good idea. Having a mat or something to stand on can also help. Remember that you lose around 10% of your body heat through your head, so a wooly hat and possibly a swimming cap (whilst in the water), are a good idea. A swim cap can also prevent you from getting wet hair.
LAYERS - a number of layers works best, for warming you up.
AFTER-DROP / HYPOTHERMIA :
These phenomenons are why you start slow and build up, when starting out in cold water swimming (always leave yourself wanting more!). If you swim in cold water regularly, eventually you’ll experience after-drop to some degree. Very basically, your blood and body tissue get cold. Your cold blood will then moves around your body and reduce your core temperature. Body tissue can also get cold and then continue to radiate that cold to other parts of the body. It can mean, that although you’ve left the water and put on your clothing, your body temperature can continue to drop. This can happen for up to approx 20 minutes. Body movement is a good way to generate heat.
HYPOTHERMIA - will generally occur when you’re exposed to a cold environment for too long, whether that be cold water, cold wind, cold ambient temperature… a combination of all of these factors… The bodies core temperature needs to drop by around 2 degrees to bring on hypothermia, so somewhere around 35 degree C / 95 degrees F. Symptoms can include : confusion, shivering, slurred speech. We’ll list specific symptoms below :
MILD HYPOTHERMIA : poor coordination/confusion, pale/cold skin, shivering, increased pulse rate, tired.
HYPOTHERMIA : can continue to become really confused, shivering stops, slow/shallow breathing, slow heart rate, skin turns more of a blue color, muscle stiffness… all leading to a loss of consciousness.
APPROPRIATE ACTION : remove wet clothing, dry off, plenty of layers, remove from cold environment, move to warm environment, huddle and use body heat to warm the person… in more severe cases - follow the previous steps and also call emergency services, warm-sugary drink, get someone to drive the casualty to A&E. Don’t apply heat directly (ie. hot water bottle) and don’t put them in a hot bath or shower. *Space blankets don’t really work in this scenario. If you imagine a cold bake potato being wrapped in foil. The foil simply acts to keep the potato cold.
DAYLIGHT HOURS :
If you swim year round, there’s a chance you may be swimming in the dark on occasion (before or after work). If this is the case for you, ensure you keep sessions a little shorter than usual. Give yourself a little more time to reach your belongings. It’d only take tripping up in the dark or a minor incident because you can’t see properly, to delay you and there’s then the risk of getting far colder than anticipated.
EXPERT :
One of the leading experts in cold water swimming is Mike Tipton. University professor at Portsmouth. He has a number of papers on cold water swimming and goes into some great detail. These papers are published on the following link - CLICK HERE
COLD WATER SHOCK :
A buzz word for the RNLI over the last few years and I’m sure most reading this know all about it. Shouldn’t be so relevant to cold water swimming, as if you’re swimming sensibly, you shouldn’t experience this type of shock. It’s most commonly associated with falling into cold water. The shock brings on panic - rapid breathing, gasping, water inhalation, hyperventilation, a spike in heart rate and blood pressure. This is a situation where saying “stay calm” doesn't really work. The RNLI’s advice is ‘float to live’… ride out that initial panic and then act.
Best bet is to avoid falling in in the first place! Be extra cautious around cold water, especially in the winter months.
PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS & COLD WATER SWIMMING :
Conditions like coronary heart disease, hypertension, asthma, high blood pressure and pregnancy MAY prevent you from cold water swimming. Best seeking medical advice.