Cold Water Dip

COLD DIPS
***NOT advised for those with heart or blood pressure issues***

From Alison Thibeault at Salty Sisters Cold Dipping Group:

Welcome to cold water immersion. I feel energized, invigorated and scrubbed clean on the inside. And surprisingly I really look forward to it and miss it on those days that we don’t get to go.  

Some of safety notes and tips that I’ve gleaned over the past few months.

First and foremost: Safety first! 

Always always always do this with another person whether they are in the water with you or whether they’re on the shore -safety first!

Listen to your body, this is not a contest of endurance on any level, go in slowly let your body acclimate and remember to keep breathing. Think of this as “it’s just another sensation” and let that knowledge wash through you - don’t push your body. This water is cold I think right now (January 2024) it’s around 42’F

Also, this is not a swimming experience. This is cold water immersion and we try not to stay in longer than five - 10 minutes.  Here’s some good info

https://www.soeberginstitute.com/

Here’s another link 

https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com

With Maine water temperatures, it is a requirement to have some protection on your feet and your hands. The preference is seven mill neoprene booties and gloves. If you don’t have the booties - wool socks and water shoes seem to be working for some people as do wool mittens for your hands.

While we aren’t, as a rule, putting our hands in the water, we have discovered that having the gloves or wool mittens on certainly helps keep your body temp warmer

Some helpful tips:

Arrive warm and dress in layers that are easy to get in and out of. Clothes that are easy to put back on think elastic waist bands, no buttons, no zippers, etc.. Lots of us have started to wear skirts (thanks Heather), which also allow for us to easily change out of our bathing suits which is a good practice.  Wool hats and scarves can stay on in the water and help keep your body temperature warmer– 

 Bring 2 towels, one to stand on and one to dry off with 

And most importantly come hang out with some amazing women!

From Wicked Nippy Dippahs:

It is recommended to warm up your core temperature a bit first (a walk or jog, a few lunges and jumps, breathing exercises, etc.), especially when it is cold out.

The most important part in colder weather is taking care of yourself when you get OUT of the water. Make sure you take the wet bathing suit off ASAP (either change under a big robe, towel, coat, etc.), dry off, and put warm layers on.

You may experience “after drop” if you are submerged in cold water for any period of time. This is when your body continues cooling once you exit the water. As your body begins trying to warm itself back up, you may experience shivering.

This experience is completely different for everyone, there is no science or exact amount of time that causes this. If you get into cold water swimming regularly – it will *likely* happen to you on occasion. A warm beverage is the most effective to help warm your body from the inside out. Try not to expose your skin to hot water too quickly once exiting the cold water so as to not shock it.

This link is also really important & thorough: https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/tips-on-winter-swimming/

Cold Water Safety Statement

Water transfers heat away from your body 4x faster than air does – meaning  50°F water feels much colder than 50°F air. According to the National Weather Service, any water below 70°F is considered cold water.

Cold water can cause hypothermia, the colder the water, the quicker is affects you.

Everyone is different - each day is different - listen to the moment – it usually does take time to acclimate and outside circumstances (weather, WIND CHILL, time of day, AIR TEMP, what you ate, drank, etc.) can impact a lot.

Some days it will simply be unsafe to swim (e.g., instant frostbite for wet skin in below 0°F wind chill).

There is no lifeguard on duty and we are all responsible for ourselves.

Know your limitations and listen to your body whether you’re staying in for 10 seconds or a few minutes.

Recommended Podcast episode:

Andrew Huberman interviewing Susanna Søberg (author of Winter Swimming and founder of the Søberg Institute) on The Huberman Lab. Listen to it here.