Cold water swimming in Southend

You’ll find plenty of sea dippers in Southend during the summer months. As October draws close and the temperatures start to drop, so does the number of outdoor swimmers.

Yet cold water swimming can be freeing. The tingle of cold water on your skin is exhilarating — a breath of fresh air for the senses.

If you want to carry on swimming into the cooler months of October – March, we run cold water swimming sessions for beginners through to advanced swimmers so you can learn how to acclimatise to the cold, swim safe, and enjoy winter dips.

Book an Intro to Cold Water Swimming

Book an Intro to Cold Water Swimming session

Take your open water swimming experience one stroke further with an Intro to Cold Water Swimming session.

In this session, we will cover:

Cold water acclimatisation advice and best practices
Risks and hazards of cold water swimming
What to pack in your cold water swimming kit
How to stay safe when swimming in cold water
Advice for warming up post-swim
Open water swimming techniques and tips

Once we’ve covered the safety basics of cold water swimming, you’ll get the chance to put everything into practice with a social sea swim.

Our session will end with a post-swim debrief and chat with hot drinks and sweet treats — the best way to end a cold sea swim!

You’ll learn how to enjoy sea swimming all year round while having fun and making memories.

In Southend, we’re lucky to have the estuary and plenty of beaches to swim from all year round. Swim location will be announced prior to the session. All open water swimming sessions are weather and conditions permitting.

Why do people love cold water swimming?

The joys of cold water swimming

Cold water swimming releases endorphins making it a natural source of feel-good chemicals. Anyone who has swam or dipped in the sea during winter will know how cold water swimming can work wonders for the mind and body.

Adapting to the stress of cold water exposure can also reduce stress once you’re out of the water. You might notice yourself feeling calmer and more relaxed after taking up cold water swimming.

One of our favourite things about cold water swimming is the community that comes with it. When swimming in winter, you won’t get many miles on the clock. But you will get amazing memories that last a lifetime. You’ll build bonds with other cold water dippers and swimmers.

But you can’t just dive into cold water swimming. While there are many mental, physical and emotional benefits to cold water swimming, it’s not without its risks.

Book an Intro to Cold Water Swimming

The risks of cold water swimming

Learn how to stay safe when swimming in Winter

Cold water shock (CWS) is the biggest risk of cold water swimming. If you aren’t acclimatised to the water, your body can enter a state of shock when immersed in cold water that is cooler than 15°C. As your body reacts to cold water shock, your heart rate increases as your gasp reflex kicks in, breathing becomes uncontrollable and your muscles can contract and become immobile.

This all happens very quickly. Learning how to acclimatise to cold water is crucial for staying safe when swimming in the cooler months.

Cold incapacitation is another risk of cold water swimming. This happens when you get too cold while swimming. You may feel fine when you first get in the water but after a few minutes of swimming, your body will start losing heat. Your swimming power will weaken as your muscles grow tired. Cold incapacitation puts you at high risk of drowning if you are unable to swim.

Other risks of cold water exposure include cramp, hypothermia, cold water urticaria and a post-swim drop in body temperature. Those with pre-existing health conditions are also at higher risk and should seek medical advice before cold water swimming.

Book an Intro to Cold Water Swimming session so you can swim safely during the colder months