Cold water wild swimming is an incredible experience for the bravest of people, but should be approached with caution. If you’re ready to try it out, don’t forget these tips.
Don’t Stay in too Long
This may sound obvious, but it’s harder to judge than you’d think. You’ll be swimming, having gotten used to the initial chill. It can be tempting to stay in until you start to feel cold, but usually, that means it’s too late. Get out while you’re still feeling just about warm enough, and then you don’t have to try to bring your body temperature back from some seriously low point.
Bring Some Super Warm Clothes
Whatever you wear to be comfortable in the temperature of the day before you swim, make sure to bring some heavy-duty extra layers. It will probably feel over the top, but once you get out of that water all you will want will be to wrap up in as many layers as possible.
Take Wet Stuff off Instantly
If you feel chilled when you first get out, the thought of instantly stripping off probably isn’t a fun concept. But this will make all the difference to your overall body temperature. Leaving those wet items on for a bit too long will result in some serious coldness to the core. Take them off straight away and put on some dry layers to warm up.
