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Assume you want to do some cold water swimming, i.e. anything under 14 Centigrade (57F) water, for more than say 10 minutes (so, expressly, not a Polar Bear "dip and scoot").

What's the safest approach?

  • Wade/jump in quickly and get it over with.

  • Go in very gradually, legs first, then groin (ugh), torso and then finally your head. I easily take 2 to 3 minutes myself, hating every second of it.

(In both cases lets assume you are starting out in shallow water but will proceed to swim later on)

Does it matter much? Any studies done?

Italian Philosopher
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6 Answers6

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The worry with going in fast is cold water shock (RNLI, the main UK lifeboats and beach lifeguards). The cardiovascular effects are a particular concern if you get in fast and immediately put in a lot of effort, but the main issue is that even the mildest forms lead to gasping for breath, which can be uncontrollable, and lead to drowning if your face is in the water.

So if you go in quickly, you're increasing your risk. This can be mitigated by ensuring that you don't go right in quickly, but only if the water depth is perfect.

The UK Outdoor Swimming Society's safety tips include "Enter the water slowly, be wary [of] the gasp reflex"

Based on that, and what works for me, I wade in fairly quickly, splashing my chest and upper back once it's easy, and squatting into the water once any gasping has stopped. It may start again. This is in the context of somewhere beach-like and needs to be adapted for steeper entry.

Note that acclimatisation can help a lot, but it takes a lot to be acclimatised, like open water swimming several times a week. Even regular cold showers can help, but in my experience only go a small way.

Some indicative numbers, noting that individual responses vary a lot: I'm an occasional outdoor swimmer so never get truly acclimatised. In summer (15--16°C or 60°F) getting in quicker - but still cautiously - works for me compared to colder times of year (10-11°C or 50°F is the coldest I've done without a wetsuit, at 5°C/41°F even with a wetsuit the gasping took long enough to stop that my hands were already going numb).

Chris H
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I'm an all-year round open water swimmer in Scotland, so highs of around 18°C in summer, lows of around 1.5°C in winter (requiring breaking ice to get in) and for most of us, the usual technique is to walk in up to around waist height, then splash cold water on the face and neck - which helps the body prepare - and then swim.

Any new swimmers are encouraged to use a wetsuit, and strictly limit their immersion time, until they are used to the way the cold affects their body. We also encourage them to swim with an experienced group until they are full comfortable.

If the body of water is very deep, or the conditions are rough, or if there is vessel traffic, we always take a bright flotation device. It helps boat captains see us, but also can be held onto in case of cramp, excessive tidal rip etc.

Toby Speight
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Rory Alsop
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You don't have to jump in the water to get accustomed to the temperature quickly. Splashing yourself with water has essentially the same effect: once you're wet, (re-)entering the water for a swim is not as bad as when you're dry and warm. On the other hand, spilling water over yourself avoids the risk of drowning.

Going in up to the waistline and then sitting down is another (at least seemingly) safe way to do deal with the cold quickly: if you gasp for air, your head will still be above water.

Dmitry Grigoryev
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A fourteen year old boy in our neighbourhood drowned from cold shock when he jumped into a swimming pool last winter. Don't do this. It may be happen very very seldomly, but it does happen.

Susara Blommetjie
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Took someone waterskiing in January, with a wetsuit on. She fell off, and head went under the water. Stopped breathing immediately - I think it's a bodily safety function. So, more care needed with immersing the face (or head) is needed too. Maybe going in, but ensuring head stays out as long as possible helps. Good news - pulled back in the boat, she started breathing again, after a (anxious) minute.

Tim
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I did a lot of cold water winter swimming in the Navy (sans wetsuit, with SEALs who wore them). I didn't do a slow walk, but just went in from the shore at a normal pace. In a few cases, did a racing dive from a boat. But I generally found that it was best to not do the total jumpin, nor the slow walk, but just a normal pace immersion. I was in good shape and in my 20s. But not some superstar. A strong swimmer and used to ocean cold water swimming. It's not that bad once your head gets numb. ;-)

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