Winter bathing
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Winter swimming is the activity of swimming during the winter season, typically in outdoor locations ( open water swimming) or in unheated pools or lidos. In colder countries, it may be synonymous with ice swimming, when the water is frozen over. This requires either breaking the ice or entering where a
spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
prevents the formation of ice. It may also be simulated by a pool of water at , the temperature at which water freezes. In Nordic countries of Europe as well in Eastern Europe (e.g. Ukraine, Russia, Finland, and Baltic countries), winter swimming is a traditional cultural element and part of religious celebrations like the
Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...
in Eastern Orthodoxy. Competitions for winter swimming also exist. Many winter swimmers swim with standard
swimsuit A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or List of water sports, water sports, such as swimming, Diving (sport), diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Di ...
s rather than with wetsuits or other thermal protection. Famous ice and winter swimmers include Lynne Cox and
Lewis Gordon Pugh Lewis William Gordon Pugh, OIG, (born 5 December 1969) is a British-South African endurance swimmer and ocean advocate. Dubbed the "Sir Edmund Hillary of swimming", he is the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of th ...
. Also, many locations in North America and Europe hold polar bear plunges, commonly to celebrate
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
, although participants are not expected to swim and generally most do not swim. International winter and ice swimming competitions take place around the world with two of the larger organizing bodies being the International Ice Swimming Association and the International Winter Swimming Association. Both organizations have similar competition guidelines including water temperatures typically below , a pool often cut out of frozen bodies of water, and swimmers limited to goggles, one standard bathing suit, and one latex or silicone cap - neoprene is not allowed.


Maintaining the hole in the ice

One way that the hole is maintained at regular ice swimming places is with a pump that forces the water to circulate under the hole, preventing ice from forming. Small ice-holes can also be kept open by keeping a lid/top over the hole to prevent ice forming. Most ice swimming places also use a specific heated "carpet" going from the locker rooms to the ice-hole, both to make walking to the hole more pleasant and for safety as otherwise the water dripping from returning swimmers would freeze and create a dangerously slippery surface to walk on.


National traditions


Northern Europe

In Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
,
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
, Norway, Russia and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
the ice swimming tradition has been connected with the sauna and Banya traditions. Unlike dousing, it is not seen as an
ascetic Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
or religious ritual, but a way to cool off rapidly after staying in a sauna and as a stress relief. Ice swimming (''avantouinti'') on its own is especially popular in Estonia and Finland. There is an Avantouinti Society, and swimming holes are also maintained by other groups such as the Finnish skiing association (Suomen Latu). The Finnish Sauna Society maintains an avanto for sauna goers. There are many places to swim without sauna in Finland during winter. Helsinki has several places for avantouinti, with dressing rooms and sometimes with saunas. There is also a number of ice swimming and winter sauna locations around Tampere.


Oceania


Australia

In New South Wales, the
Bronte Splashers Winter Swimming Club Bronte may refer to: People ;Surname * Brontë family, an English literary family that included: ** Anne Brontë (1820-1849), novelist and poet ** Branwell Brontë (1817-1848), painter and poet ** Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), novelist and poe ...
claims to be the oldest Winter Swimming club in the world founded in 1921. It competes against Bondi Icebergs Winter Swimming Club, South Maroubra Dolphins Winter Swimming Club, Cronulla Polar Bears Winter Swimming Club, Maroubra Seals Winter Swimming Club, Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club, Clovelly Eskimos Winter Swimming Club, Coogee Penguins Winter Swimming Club, Wollongong Whales and Cottesloe Crabs in the Winter Swimming Association of Australia Championships. In Victoria, the
Brighton Icebergers History and activities The Brighton Icebergers or Brighton Icebergs are based at the Baths Health Club in Brighton Victoria, where they swim in the sea pool in the early morning, when the water temperature can be as low as . A larger contingen ...
and the Shrinkäge swim group swim in Port Phillip Bay, the latter at Elwood Beach in
Elwood Elwood may refer to any one of the following:: Places ;In Australia *Elwood, Victoria ;In the United States of America *Elwood, Illinois *Elwood, Indiana *Elwood, Kansas * Elwood, Missouri *Elwood, Nebraska * Elwood-Magnolia, New Jersey *Elwood, N ...


Western Europe


United Kingdom

Famous locations include the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, London, and Highgate Ponds in Hampstead. The largest fresh water pool in the UK is the Tooting Bec Lido in South West London which is home to the South London Swimming Club. The pool is in length, i.e. nearly twice as long as an Olympic pool. As the winter approaches and the water temperature drops then swimmers stay in for less and less time, swimming just one or two widths rather than several lengths. Races take place all year including on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The Middle Yeo Surf Life Saving Club hold the annual New Year's Day swim in Clevedon. It is usually held 20 minutes before high tide or if the times are not conducive to a large crowd the swim is held in Marine Lake. The Middle Yeo Surf Life Saving Club swim every weekend of the year and the forthcoming swim times are published in their alcove in Top Beach, Clevedon. The Chester Frosties are an informal Facebook group of over 1,000 swimmers who swim all year around Cheshire, Lancashire, Wirral, Merseyside and North Wales. Local specialities include tidal bore and surge swimming on the River Dee. Sheffield Outdoor Plungers are another informal Facebook group of 3,000 swimmers who swim in locations all over the Peak District and Sheffield area, and campaign for better access to waters.


Belgium

There are some clubs where people swim all year in a pool, a lake, or a river. Locations are Bruges,
Boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfi ...
, Deurne
Dendermonde Dendermonde (; french: Termonde, ) is a city in the Flemish province of East Flanders in Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-b ...
, Wachtebeek,
Theux Theux (; wa, Teu) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 11,571 inhabitants. The total area is 83.36 km², giving a population density of 139 inhabitants per km². ...
and Huy. The most famous race is across the Meuse each last Sunday of February since 1963.


Germany

The International Ice Swimming Association hosts an official ice swimming event at the Wöhrsee, a lake in Burghausen.


Switzerland

In Geneva the yearly Coupe de Noël is an event organized in December since 1934. Around 2,500 participants, many of them dressed up, swim in Lake Geneva. The Netherlands In Scheveningen there is a yearly event known as the " Nieuwjaarsduik" or New year's dive in English. In which people swim in the freezing North sea. Participants range in the thousands.


China

There are reportedly 141 winter swimming organisations across China with a membership of more than 200,000. The younger swimmers are under ten years of age and the older ones in their 80s. In Beijing, there are the winter swimming places such as Shichahai (什刹海), Yu Yuantan (玉渊潭) and Xihu swimming pool in Qinghua University, etc. In
Harbin Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest ...
, northern China, many ice swim in the Songhua River. Also
Jinan Jinan (), Postal Map Romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized as Tsinan, is the Capital (political), capital of Shandong province in East China, Eastern China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is the second-largest city i ...
is a place of annual winter swimming festival. The big event is swimming across Daming Lake about . In
Taiyuan Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
, where air temperature often goes below in winter, hundreds of men and women ice swim each day in the Fen River. In
Dalian Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on the ...
, a coastal city in northeast China, hundreds of people swim in the sea in winter. Most people choose to go to the beach at noon. Some of them are concentrated in several beaches in the city, such as Fujiazhuang beach, Xinghai Square beach and Shicao beach. At Bangchuidao Island beach, there are also some swimmers who choose to go swimming in the sea before sunrise. Jinan is also the site of annual Chinese national winter swimming festivals since 2014, as an international invitational festival (in 2019 attended by approx. 990 winter swimmers from 12 countries, still according Chinese rules) since 2016, and, from season 2019/2020, as the
International Winter Swimming Association International Winter Swimming Association (IWSA) is a non-governmental organization registered in Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ...
(IWSA) 3rd stage of World Cup already according to IWSA international rules. Besides competitions in swimming pool created in lake the main event and longest discipline of competitions is swimming 300 m (980 ft) from Huxin Island to the venue of the World Cup.


Eastern Europe and Russia

In Russia ice swimming may have been practiced since pagan times. During the times of Moscovian Russia swimming in ice holes was a popular tradition. Records are dating the tradition back to as early as 1525. It was also an important court ceremony and a folk custom in Tsardom of Russia. In Russia and other Eastern European countries where
Eastern Orthodox Christianity Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
is the prevalent religion ice swimming is connected with the celebration of the Epiphany. The Epiphany is observed on 19 January according to the Julian calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church. The day marks the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. To celebrate this, holes are cut in the ice on rivers, lakes or other bodies of water, usually in the form of a
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
or Orthodox cross. Around midnight, believers submerge themselves three times in the water to honour the
Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
, after a priest says a prayer. Ice swimming on the Epiphany is relatively new. It was practised by only a few before the October Revolution of 1917 and occurred even less frequently in the time of the Soviet Union, when Christians were
persecuted Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms ...
. However, the ritual became very popular in the 1990s since the
Dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
. In Moscow alone, 30,000 believers swam in ice holes in 37 fonts during the Epiphany of 2010. There is a popular belief that the practice erases a person's sins, but this is not endorsed by the Russian Orthodox Church. On the holiday in January 2020, 2 million people practised ice swimming in Russia for the baptism of Jesus. Ice swimming is also practised during the entire winter by Walrus Clubs, whose members are called "walruses" (russian: моржи, "morzhi"). In other Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, the Epiphany is celebrated on 6 January. There it is tradition for Orthodox priests to cast wooden crosses in the water, which are then retrieved by the believers. It is popularly believed that the person who finds the cross is freed from evil spirits. Other countries where this is done include Serbia and Montenegro.


North America

The members of Canadian and American "
polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...
clubs" go outdoor bathing or swimming in the middle of winter. In some areas, it is unusual or ceremonial enough to attract press coverage. " Polar bear plunges" are conducted as fund-raisers for charity, notably the Special Olympics, however these events don't actually involve swimming, but rather running into the water and back out again. Cosmo Kramer briefly joins a New York polar bears club in the sitcom ''
Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...
''. The Russian immigrant professor Louis Sugarman of Little Falls, NY was the first American to become a famous ice swimmer in the 1890s. He attracted worldwide attention for his daily plunge in the Mohawk River, even when the thermometer hit , earning him the nickname "the human polar bear". The oldest ice swimming club in the United States is the
Coney Island Polar Bear Club The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States, whose members regularly take polar bear plunges in the winters.Coney Island, New York, founded in 1903 by Bernarr MacFadden. The club organizes an annual polar plunge on
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
as well as regular swims in the Atlantic Ocean every Sunday from November to April.


Health risks

Winter swimming can be dangerous to people who are not used to swimming in very cold water. After immersion in cold water the
cold shock response Cold shock response is a series of neurogenic cardio-respiratory responses caused by sudden immersion in cold water. In cold water immersions, such as by falling through thin ice, cold shock response is perhaps the most common cause of death. Als ...
will occur, causing an uncontrollable gasp for air. This is followed by
hyperventilation Hyperventilation is irregular breathing that occurs when the rate or tidal volume of breathing eliminates more carbon dioxide than the body can produce. This leads to hypocapnia, a reduced concentration of carbon dioxide dissolved in the blood. ...
, a longer period of more rapid breathing. The gasp for air can cause a person to ingest water, which leads to drowning. As blood in the limbs is cooled and returns to the heart, this can cause fibrillation and consequently cardiac arrest. The cold shock response and cardiac arrest are the most common causes of death related to cold water immersion. Winter swimming is not dangerous for healthy persons, but should be avoided by individuals with heart or respiratory diseases,
high blood pressure Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...
and
arrhythmia Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults ...
, as well as children and the elderly. Through conditioning, experienced winter swimmers have a greater resistance to effects of the cold shock response. Hypothermia poses a smaller risk. According to Tucker and Dugas, it takes more than approximately 30 minutes even in water until the body temperature drops low enough for hypothermia to occur. Many people would probably be able to survive for almost an hour. There is no consensus on these figures however; according to different estimates a person can survive for 45 minutes in water, but exhaustion or unconsciousness is expected to occur within 15 minutes. Consuming
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
before winter swimming should be avoided because it speeds the onset and progression of hypothermia. Care should be taken when winter swimming in swimming pools and seas near the
polar region The polar regions, also called the frigid geographical zone, zones or polar zones, of Earth are the regions of the planet that surround its geographical poles (the North Pole, North and South Poles), lying within the polar circles. These high l ...
s. The chlorine added to water in swimming pools and the salt in seawater allow the water to remain liquid at sub-zero temperatures. Swimming in such water is significantly more challenging and dangerous. The experienced winter swimmer
Lewis Gordon Pugh Lewis William Gordon Pugh, OIG, (born 5 December 1969) is a British-South African endurance swimmer and ocean advocate. Dubbed the "Sir Edmund Hillary of swimming", he is the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of th ...
swam near the North Pole in water and suffered a frostbite injury in his fingers. It took him four months to regain sensation in his hands.


Health benefits

Although there are risks associated with the practice, scientific studies also provide some evidence for the following health benefits. When compared to a
control group In the design of experiments, hypotheses are applied to experimental units in a treatment group. In comparative experiments, members of a control group receive a standard treatment, a placebo, or no treatment at all. There may be more than one tr ...
on the
profile of mood states The Profile of Mood States (POMS) is a psychological rating scale used to assess transient, distinct mood states. This scale was developed by McNair, Droppleman, and Lorr. Advantages of using this assessment include the simplicity of administratio ...
rating scale, winter swimmers experience less stress and
fatigue Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...
and more vigor. They report to have a better memory function, better mood and feel more energetic, active and brisk. Swimmers who suffer from
rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...
,
fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition defined by the presence of chronic widespread pain, fatigue, waking unrefreshed, cognitive symptoms, lower abdominal pain or cramps, and depression. Other symptoms include insomnia and a general hyp ...
or asthma report that winter swimming relieves pain. There are indications that winter swimmers do not contract diseases as often as the general population. The incidence of infectious diseases affecting the upper respiratory tract is 40% lower among winter swimmers when compared to a control group. Short term exposure of the whole body to cold water produces oxidative stress, which makes winter swimmers develop improved antioxidative protection.


See also

*
Apetor Tor Eckhoff (22 November 1964 – 27 November 2021), also known as Apetor (), was a Norwegian YouTuber known primarily for his videos where he drank vodka while performing daring activities on frozen waters, like ice skating, swimming in ice ho ...
* Ice bath *
Boxing Day Dip The Boxing Day Dip is a charity event where many of the swimmers are in fancy dress swim in the sea on Boxing Day. There are several such dips held around Europe, but the largest is organised by the Lions Club of Sunderland, England. Participants ...
* Cold water dousing * Polar bear plunge *
Stunt swimming Stunt swimming and trick swimming is swimming beyond using the traditional strokes and is usually performed for entertainment or for publicity. Synchronized swimming was one of the stunt swimming techniques that went on to become its own recognized ...


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winter Swimming Swimming Winter sports Open water swimming Bathing Winter swimming