Ready for the cold? ❄️

Published: Sun, 11/17/24

Updated: Wed, 11/20/24

What's afterdrop and is it dangerous? Is the one minute per degree of temperature rule really a thing? And why should you avoid a hot shower after a cold swim?

Whether you're new to winter swimming or you're an experienced dipper, understanding what happens to your body in cold water is key to safe and happy dipping. We work with doctors, researchers, cold water coaches and organisations to make sure you get the best, most recent information about cold water swim safely.

This month, we've teamed with NOWCA, an organisation that focuses on enabling more people to swim outdoors safely. Start subscribing to Outdoor Swimmer magazine for access to all our expertise past, present and future - plus, we have a limited number of a free Cold Water Induction online courses from NOWCA worth £20 to give away.

Ella Foote, Editor

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MYTH BUSTING

Can you pick cold water fact from fiction? As winter swimming has got more popular, swimmers pass on received wisdom. But, plenty of myths are mixed in with the good advice - myths that can be dangerous.

The Cold Water Induction online course is all about getting you cold water safe. It dispels those common myths while giving you all the information you need to mitigate cold water risks such as hypothermia and the body's cold water shock response.

CHILLY CHALLENGES

With tickets for the Cold Water Swimming Championships at London's Tooting Bec Lido on sale this weekend, we've rounded up all this season's cold water swimming events and challenges.

Race in cold water, enter a best hat in show competition or earn a badge by tracking your cold water swims. Cold water swimming events are so much fun, and challenges like NOWCA's Sub10 Club are about community support while you dip through the winter.

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW?

Did you know that when you slip into cold water, you are taking yourself through a controlled stress? It's an extreme physical challenge but it also gives you huge mental health benefits. These benefits come from training your body to manage the drop in temperature and pulling your focus to your core, which feels meditative.

Test your cold water knowledge with NOWCA's FREE Master Quiz or a Mini Quiz to fact-check your cold water knowledge.

Read our cold water swimming guide and NOWCA's cold water swimming safety guide.

SWIM BETTER, LIVE BETTER

NOWCA's Cold Water Induction online course looks at the mental health benefits, cold water shock and the body’s physiological response to cold water exposure. You'll learn vital safety information, self monitoring, recognising warning signs, post swim recovery, what to do (and not to do) in an emergency, neoprene vs skin swimming, safe entry, acclimatisation and what equipment you need.

Presented in a series of short modules, you can complete this course online in your own time, at your own pace.

To get free access to the course:

1. Start subscribing to Outdoor Swimmer

2. Follow the directions on NOWCA's learning platform and use the discount code: OSNOWCA-CWI-241

We only have 20 courses to give away, so start subscribing today.

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