Invicta Vlogs
It might be chilly but I love it!
It is a cold start to a Saturday morning in December and the thermometer is showing minus one as the outside temperature! Yet, I am getting into my swimming costume and wetsuit and heading out to the car with my jeans and jumper over the top, to head down to the sea for an early morning dip!
Once there, the sea is as calm as a millpond and fellow swimmers on their way out tell me it is lovely and a cool nine degrees – warmer in than out! I meet my co-swimmer on the beach and in we go for a restorative swim. We squeal a little as we go in and manage 20 minutes, because we are in our wetsuits and know when we need to get out before hyperthermia sets in! The getting out is harder than the getting in, but once out, I wrap myself in my dry robe, put on about 12 layers of clothing and head to the café for a takeaway cup of tea, feeling alive and full of adrenalin. My sea swim is proving to the be the best part of my week!
I am very much aware that open water swimming has become a popular challenge of choice in these strange times of Covid – 19, which has been great for the swimming community. My friend and I have been open water swimming in lakes for a few years now, but only in the summer. This year, we decided to venture to the sea and aim to do a swim each week all year round for the first time. I amazed myself by managing to stay in my swimsuit throughout our November weekly meets, but come December, I gave way to my wetsuit and gloves plus a woollen bobble hat which is quite a fetching sight to behold. One of my favourite parts of the process is arriving at the bay and looking out at other bobble hatted swimmers enjoying the challenge of an early morning dip.
I never expected a sea swim in winter to become such a key part of my life and my wellbeing. I have loved swimming since I was a youngster and we always head to Cornwall in the summer for a holiday by the sea, to enjoy the waves on the north coast. A chlorinated pool does not have the same pull for me, as being out in the open air. My friend and I agreed to move from the lake to the sea back in June, when we could not get a slot booked at the lake anymore due to it re-opening in Covid - 19 times; it is becoming a popular hobby for others. We decided to head to the sea instead and have never looked back. Throughout the summer, it was a joy and as lockdown restrictions eased, we started to make friends with fellow swimmers on the beach. A number of them swim daily throughout the year, without ever donning a wetsuit – whilst I am impressed by that, the wetsuit option for me in the winter months is a definite must have!
The community of sea swimmers is a lovely group to be a part of. We have a common interest, and we know there is always someone to look out for us in the sea. I never swim alone and head to the same bay I am now very familiar with, so know what my limits are regarding distance and depth especially on choppier days.
Sea swimming might not be for everyone and possibly sounds like an act of masochism to some! For me, it is anything but! The thrill of getting into the sea dissolves any stress I might be feeling, making me feel brave and able to cope with other challenges in my life. With the numbers rising of those taking up cold water swimming, we now know from the experts how beneficial it can be for our wellbeing. A study by Professor Ed Bullmore, a Cambridge neuroscientist, is an advocate, having studied the benefits. His research shows that cold water swimmers experience an increase in levels of dopamine which plays a part in stimulating good feelings in the brain and body! He also found it increases serotonin which helps regulate our mood, decreasing tension, fatigue and negative states of mind.
Whilst I would highly recommend sea swimming to everyone and do, to anyone who gets me onto the subject, there are also some obvious safety matters to consider. These include considering your own health conditions, preparation with some advocates recommending switching to a cold shower to acclimatise your body before you head to the open water! Get your blood pumping before you get in with a few star jumps on the sand and never dive in, feet first all the way. Never swim alone – you will make new friends amongst the swimming community which is also part of the enjoyment. Dress the part and get those layers on quickly afterwards with a hot drink to hand as soon as possible, to help you warm up inside and out!
Sadly, this recent lockdown has put paid to my weekly swim for the moment and my garden pond really isn’t big enough! But, when restrictions permit, I will be straight back to the sea and am looking forward to planning a ‘sea swim on tour’ holiday with my co-swimmer hopefully later in the year!
What will your challenge be?
Mrs Rivers
Senior Assistant Head
