Cold Water Swimming

Talk to Amanda (Chicken of the Sea).....she is crazy like that! :D

critical is your personal safety... since you're unaware of how your body might respond to these cold waters, investigate training groups in the pacific northwest - train with groups or buddy system. acclimate with very cold waters... showers and outdoor pools the fact is this cold water swimming is done regularly but we all have different tolerances for cold water... you can pull this off but be wary each and every day... we have good days and bad days, and hypothermia has come on quickly to those that do cold water swimming every day. good luck:cheerleader:

Right now I dream of high 40s! I wrote a long post about cold water swimming some time back: forums.usms.org/showthread.php I'd change a few things if I wrote it now, but mainly because my physical reactions are now different (not much cold shock, longer endurance time etc) I've swam through the last 2 winters without wetsuit, lowest temp 5C or about 40/41 F, getting better all the time. What I now tell people is; Notice - (your reactions and physical indicators, before swim) Observe - (what you experience during the swim and after) Report - (write it down, it will really help you improve) I'm training for the Channel btw. I'm not big & don't weigh a lot, 5'8" and about 75 kilos, having put on 3 kilos in the past 3 months. I can now outlast some bigger guys than me in the cold. We did a 6hr15mins pool training session yesterday then went to the sea (6.9C/44F) for a wind-down. I've got a blog on the training, cold water etc and as much related OW stuff as I can put in, with the aim of being useful to people. (Hope I'm violating some protocol but I recall Terry Laughlin sharing his Channel blog here). I hope if you (or anyone else) find anything useful, you might consider clicking the charity fundraising page. Yeah, some days I'm tired or fed up, you'll see that as well, sorry. I still have a lot of stuff I want to write about, there just isn't enough OW information out there. http://www.loneswimmer.com

when the temp hits the high 40's i will start making a weekly trip to brighton beach to swim with the CIBBOWS crowd. they train all year.... into the low 30's (no wetsuits) but i can't justify the 4 1/2 hour round trip for a 10 minute dip. a few CIBBOWS swimmers thrive in the cold water. check out rachel's blog: rachelgolub.blogspot.com/.../strait-and-narrows.html and patricia's: cibbows.blogspot.com/.../cibbows-swims-beagle.html

for hands buy a pair of surfer's gloves, work great.

There risks associated with swimming in any cold water, particularly if you are going from 82 degrees to low forties in one jump. Try to build tolerence. There is the cold shower approach, the ice baths etc. Even with a good 3 mil swimming wetsuit and neo cap your hands feet and particularly your face are going to complain. Work up to it slowly. Have someone there at all times (that actually be able to get you out if necessary). Swim close to shore. Get out before you get cold. Plenty of warm clothes on the shore. I just find it easier to work into cold water from the summer into the winter rather than the winter into the summer. The ocean is colder in the NE in the winter than the west coast so they are probably a good resource. But as you know, the ocean is much colder in the summer in the NW.

Right now I wouldn't last 10 minutes in 40's water! I'm still waiting for 50, and even that's gonna be a spectacular shiver-fest. I'm pretty conservative and get out before I start feeling bad (well, I try). I always make sure I stay very close to an exit point when it's cold.

As some have said thus far: everybody's reaction is going to be different, BUT I think that with a wetsuit and cap (or 2, and earplugs) you will be able to swim quite comfortably in high-40s water. Depending upon how you feel about cold water. Just acclimate yourself slowly - I find that the face is the one part of me that hurts until I am acclimated (usually 4 swims or so)...be careful, but have fun.