Introduction (Please Read this First!)
Here at OWC, a small group of us will continue to swim during the months of November through March – often in extreme air, water, and weather conditions. It is a very intense challenge that requires a completely different mindset as well as meticulous planning and preparation.
With this in mind, I’d like to take this opportunity to provide you all with more details on exactly how we engage in this type of activity. But before I dive this topic, I need to emphasize three things:
1) OWC winter meetups are NOT “polar bear” or “bucket list” swim events.
This is not a “get in, get out” photo op moment that you do on a dare and follow up with hot cocoa in a warming tent. We are serious year-round swimmers, and you will find no support tents, lockers, changing rooms, hot showers, or equipment/gear rental services whenever you come out to any of our meetups.
Second, even if you are an experienced swimmer, OWC winter meetups are not the place to live out a midlife crisis or to fill some void of meaning in your life through a risky stunt. That’s why we exercise prudence while out at the lake this time of year and closely watch for “rogue elements” that might endanger themselves, other swimmers, or the overall goodwill that OWC has built up over the years.
So do NOT come out to any of our meetups if this is your expectation or if you are unwilling to practice basic common sense. At the very least you will embarrass yourself and be asked to leave. At the very worst, you will jeopardize your physical health and safety and potentially eliminate the OWC winter swimming opportunity for all others. Which leads me to my next point…
2) If you are unprepared for this experience, you can easily succumb to very negative consequences such as shock, frostbite, hypothermia, and untimely shuffling off your mortal coil.
During the warmer months, the key swimming hazards are infrequent and are usually limited to large waves or heavy chops. But the calculus is completely different once the air and water temperatures fall below the 50F (10C) demarcation point.
Under these extreme situations, rapid heat loss due to cold temperature exposure will almost assuredly lead to big problems unless you have deliberately taken measures to prevent them. Which is a perfect segue to my final point…
3) As a responsible adult, you need to arrive at each meetup fully prepared to swim in whatever conditions present themselves while out at the lake – and to take full responsibility for your own personal safety at all times.
Bottom line – if you have any difficulties understanding and accepting the aforementioned items, then you candidly have no business engaging in this type of activity. For your sake and for the sake of others, please stay out of the lake this time of year!
Now that I’ve totally rained (snowed?) on everyone’s parade, let’s dispense with the gravitas and delve into the actual specifics of successful cold water swimming…
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The OWC Winter Swimming Guide: (Almost) Everything You Need to Know About Year Round Swimming
Based upon my experiences with year-round swimming over the past 15+ years, I believe there are five key areas that you need to focus on in order to maximize your chances for a successful winter swimming outcome.
I’ve organized this information into chapters below – just click on the links for the details:
Chapter 1: The Inner Game – How Your Brain Works in the Open Water (and elsewhere)
Chapter 2: Pre-Swim Preparation – The Real Key to Mastering Cold Water Settings
Chapter 3: Gear Selection – What to Wear During Winter Swim Conditions
Chapter 4: Taking the Plunge – How to Effectively Manage the Swim Start
Chapter 5: The Afterdrop – What it is and How to Manage it
As with all of my instruction and advice, this is a continual work in progress. So whenever I discover new information or experience something that adds to or alters this knowledge base, I will be sure to keep you all updated.
See you out at the lake!
Steve