Everything you need to know about open water swimming in winter to extend your swim season
Winter is coming. And open water swimming in winter brings its fair share of problems, that you won’t find in other sports. But for some swimmers winter swimming is somewhat overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be that way.
If you want to extend your swim season and swim in the winter, we got you covered. Here we will discuss everything related to open water swimming in winter. Not only the benefits and risks of swimming in cold water but also the basics of how long you should stay in the water and how to warm up afterwards.
What is “cold water” when we talk about open water swimming?
When we explain our open water swimming passion to our family and friends, we all have that friend that thinks the water is warm in the summer and cold in the winter.
True, the water does get warmer in summer, but it hardly ever gets “pool warm”.
For open water swimming in winter, we talk about cold water when the water temperature drops below 10 degrees. At this stage, inexperienced swimmers will experience a cold shock that affects breathing rhythm and could be dangerous.
Cold, however, is somewhat subjective. And it makes a great difference if you’re an experienced open water swimmer or a beginner. The two factors that influence someone’s resistance to cold water and his ability to swim longer distances are acclimation and body fat.
Someone with more body fat will be able to resist the cold longer, while someone who is acclimatized will reduce his response to the cold shock (which again, would make it easier to swim).
When is it too cold outside to swim in open water?
Water is too cold to swim when it’s below 0. Even the most experienced open water swimmers, who feel ready to take on the coldest lakes, should think twice. When the water is below 0, your body cools down so quickly that there is no way to swim safely.
The temperature of the air is also something that greatly influences how cold you will feel and how dangerous it might be to go out. If it’s a cold and windy day this will slow down your body warming up and might result in nasty side effects.
Before taking a swim in winter, you should always consider the temperature of the water (which you can check here) and the weather and the wind (which you can check on your phone or whatever).
How long should you stay in cold water?
The time you can stay in cold water is decided by your levels of body fat, the acclimation you have done and the temperature of the water. For example, if the water is somewhere between 0-4 degrees, the coldest of the cold, even the most experienced open water swimmer shouldn’t stay in for a few minutes before it starts to get dangerous.
Where acclimation and body fat makes a difference is in the 5-15 degrees range. Here, the combination of reducing the effects of cold shock and being able to keep the body warm thanks to insulating fat, could keep a swimmer going for a few hours in water that’s about 12-15 degrees without it being dangerous.
The best rule of thumb, however, is getting out of the water when you are still feeling good. If you get out of the water when you’re already getting cold, it means you will have a harder time warming up and you might put yourself in danger that could be easily avoided by leaving the water a little earlier.
The benefits of swimming in open water in winter
The benefits of swimming in open water have a long history. As early as the 17th century, doctors subscribed to swimming as a cure.
But then again, they also suggested drinking seawater in the 17th century.
That last advice did not stop anyone from trying the sea and the open water out for the possible benefits they might provide. This interest reached a high point in the 18th when seaside resorts popped up along the shore providing stays to cure the sick.
However, after the peak in the 18th century, the benefits of swimming seemed somewhat forgotten.
Till 2018. When a case study of a young woman showed that it was possible to reduce depressive symptoms thanks to regular swimming in open water.
Research on the relations between open water swimming in winter and (mental) health is still going on, but some scientists have found the following benefits:
Boots immune system
Increases circulation
Reduces stress
Burns calories
Increases your self-confidence and boosts self-esteem.
The dangers of swimming in open water in winter
Open water swimming also has its drawbacks for it could get dangerous quickly for an inexperienced swimmer. There are 3 things a swimmer should look out for when swimming in winter: cold shock, cold incapacitation and hypothermia.
Cold shock is the body’s response to cold water. Normally during the first few minutes, it will be hard to get into a steady breathing rhythm because you will be feeling that you’re gasping for air and hyperventilating. Acclimatisation, the habit of swimming in colder water, can reduce the effects of cold shock, but for many new swimmers in winter it is possibly the most dangerous side of open water swimming.
Not knowing your limits while swimming in cold water, could lead to physical incapacitation. If your muscles and nerves get too cold, they will simply stop working. Do you know that feeling of not being able to use your hands in winter when it’s too cold? Imagine that feeling, but in your legs and your arms, and you’re in the water.
But when you get out of the water on time, when you’re still feeling good, you’re not out of danger yet. Hypothermia is when your core temperature drops below 35 degrees. It usually happens when you lose body heat faster than you can replace it, like in cold and windy weather. When you get out of the water in winter, you should try to protect yourself from the cold as soon as possible because your body temperature will already be quite low, and the risk exists of developing hypothermia.
How do I warm up after swimming in cold water?
Unlike what you might think, don’t jump in the shower right away. When you swim in the winter, you cool slowly over time and you should warm up the same way. A quick shower would be counterproductive because your core body heat has lowered. Some things you can do:
Get out for your swimsuit right away and put on some dry clothes or a rope.
If you are further away from your car or another secluded spot, try to find another spot to stay out of the wild.
Have a hot drink ready. Some swimmers love chocolate milk while others go for tea.
Eat something. Anything with sugar will help you raise your body temperature.
This is how you swim in open water in winter
We have gathered all the advice and ideas so that you can extend your swim season to the winter months and the cold weather. Do you have a question about swimming in cold water that we haven’t answered here? Please contact us and we will add it to this blog. Have fun this winter and enjoy the cold water!