Dear fellow swimmers
Do you have a winter swimming ritual?
Think back through your winter swimming journey. When you first started, you probably knew little and didn’t have much in the way of kit. But you watched,
listened and learned. You asked questions. You experimented. You acquired hot water bottles, thick socks, hand warmers and many other things you never thought you needed. It’s likely that you made mistakes and sometimes got colder than you wanted or expected.
After some trial and error, you hopefully found a system that works for you. Eventually, that
system becomes a ritual. You no longer have to think about it. Once you exit the water, you smoothly go through the steps until you’re dried, dressed and rewarmed. Your ritual is part of what keeps you safe and happy after winter swimming.
We asked the question about post-swim rituals on our Facebook page and received more than 60 comments. Interestingly, while there are lots of
similarities – most people get dried and dressed as quickly as they can – there is lots of variety too. Everyone, it seems, has something different that works for them, from standing in buckets of warm water, to dancing, fast walking and vowing never to swim in cold water again. It’s also interesting to see the wide range of post-swim snacks and drinks swimmers consume.
It's worth a
read, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced swimmer. Someone else’s crazy idea might be just the thing that takes your post-winter swimming experience to the next level. And please add your own comment.
