Cold water immersion?

[Tony]

Cold Showers going well, lasting longer on just cold water and generally having the shower a lot colder before turning it down. Swum weekly in the sea, although I have to say not for long! in the summers I'm in there for a couple hours, last time was 7 minutes
I've just ordered a swim cap as the brain freeze gets to me sometimes

 

[henchy3rd]

Ok guys I’m struggling with this one.
I’ve looked into open pond swimming & it doesn’t seem easy to get into for a very novice swimmer like me (quite understandable too).
I understand the principles behind it & the safety side of things.. but I don’t want to swim in a recreational swim bath as chlorine sets my eczema/ asthma off, I struggle to breathe because of the chlorine.
To join our two local open ponds, I have to be able to swim 400 meters before I can get in..I can manage about 50 meters I guess before I’m out off breath.
So I only wild swim in our local river in the summer when it’s shallow & safer.
I’d also love to have a dip when I’m out & about, but it’s to dangerous.
The other problem is, I live on a boat & I love my canoeing which doesn’t bode well.
Im not unfit as I go hiking in the mountains & can run steady for miles, it’s just swimming I struggle with.
I’m in a pickle.

 

[TeeDee]

Ok guys I’m struggling with this one.
I’ve looked into open pond swimming & it doesn’t seem easy to get into for a very novice swimmer like me (quite understandable too).
I understand the principles behind it & the safety side of things.. but I don’t want to swim in a recreational swim bath as chlorine sets my eczema/ asthma off, I struggle to breathe because of the chlorine.
To join our two local open ponds, I have to be able to swim 400 meters before I can get in..I can manage about 50 meters I guess before I’m out off breath.
So I only wild swim in our local river in the summer when it’s shallow & safer.
I’d also love to have a dip when I’m out & about, but it’s to dangerous.
The other problem is, I live on a boat & I love my canoeing which doesn’t bode well.
Im not unfit as I go hiking in the mountains & can run steady for miles, it’s just swimming I struggle with.
I’m in a pickle.

If i can offer my view -do you want to get good at swimming in the Cold water? Or do you want the benefits of Cold water?

I ask as I don't think they are the same.

You've already mentioned that you are not a good swimmer so this will only be worse in a Cold environment. If you DO want to be a better Cold water swimmer then you need Swimming lessons and instructions.

If you want the benefits of Cold water EXPOSURE then to be honest you don't need to move an awful lot to get the benefits related to health to come to you.

For YOU I think you need to find somewhere you can easily enter and exit the water and just expose yourself for the cold exposure - but as mentioned elsewhere - you've started at the wrong time of year to make the acclimatization as easy as it potentially could be.

Personally I would like you to see you get some swimming lessons and build off the back of a safer base.

 

[henchy3rd]

If i can offer my view -do you want to get good at swimming in the Cold water? Or do you want the benefits of Cold water?

I ask as I don't think they are the same.

You've already mentioned that you are not a good swimmer so this will only be worse in a Cold environment. If you DO want to be a better Cold water swimmer then you need Swimming lessons and instructions.

If you want the benefits of Cold water EXPOSURE then to be honest you don't need to move an awful lot to get the benefits related to health to come to you.

For YOU I think you need to find somewhere you can easily enter and exit the water and just expose yourself for the cold exposure - but as mentioned elsewhere - you've started at the wrong time of year to make the acclimatization as easy as it potentially could be.

Personally I would like you to see you get some swimming lessons and build off the back of a safer base.

I’d like to become a stronger swimmer at any time of the year, not just when the day comes when I fall in of my boat or capsize the canoe.
It’ll be for the Benefits of furthering my health & well-being & being able to control myself in a given situation.

 

[TeeDee]

I’d like to become a stronger swimmer at any time of the year, not just when the day comes when I fall in of my boat or capsize the canoe.
It’ll be for the Benefits of furthering my health & well-being & being able to control myself in a given situation.

Then you need both lessons and exposure.

You won't become a better swimmer at any point in time without the lessons.

So you may aswell start the lessons yesterday.
IMO

 

[Broch]

I’d like to become a stronger swimmer at any time of the year, not just when the day comes when I fall in of my boat or capsize the canoe.
It’ll be for the Benefits of furthering my health & well-being & being able to control myself in a given situation.

I confess, I rarely go on the water in my canoe without a full rescue buoyancy aid as being able to swim is no use if I hit my head coming out. The best thing I did was a fast water rescue course - even non-swimmers were jumping in and rushing downstream at the end of the day. 50m is more than enough to self-rescue if you've been trained.

It will be hard to get standard swimming lessons if you can't cope with chlorine but there must be a way.

 

[Jared]

Been a long time (decades) since I've been there, but Atlantic College in St Donat's Castle, Lantwit Major used to do a lot of teaching. They have an indoor and outdoor pool. Though guess both would be chlorinated.

Might need to find an open water class somewhere.

 

[TeeDee]

Could see if there is a Tri coach willing to meet up and teach you some water confidence and basic skillset.

https://www.bing.com/maps?q=triathletes%20open%20water%20swimming%20classes%20uk&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=triathletes%20open%20water%20swimming%20classes%20uk&sc=0-42&sk=&cvid=7CA06CBF518A47F68B6E6230C4E6778A

 

[TeeDee]

 

[TeeDee]

 

[Stew]

Having listened to a few podcasts with Wim Hoff and also a SUP podcast about cold water immersion from a risk point of view, I started doing a cold shower finish while leaving in my old house. Wim’s view that everyone can manage 15 seconds of cold shower and then build the time up. The SUP pod had info that after 6 (I think) dunking a there’s a noticeable change of response that lasts. As I’m trying to get into whitewater SUP and have frequent dunkings, it makes sense to train it.

When I moved house, I lost the habit. It was never everyday but it was frequent and I had the time up to a fair time. With the new house I haven’t had the right feel for the temperature to get it right - too cold at full cold! Today, I forced myself. 5 breaths, slow and steady. Not allowed to rush it. Feels great!

I now have a fridge/ freezer with built in, self filling ice machine so I might play at a mild ice bath. Perhaps build the ice up over the week and give it a try with as much as j can without the kids pinching it all!

 

[TeeDee]

I now have a fridge/ freezer with built in, self filling ice machine so I might play at a mild ice bath. Perhaps build the ice up over the week and give it a try with as much as j can without the kids pinching it all!

Off topic.

What make of fridge please? the one thing I genuinely hate running out of is Ice.

 

[Stew]

Off topic.

What make of fridge please? the one thing I genuinely hate running out of is Ice.

It’s a Samsung RS8000 of some sort ( there’s a few variations).

It’s plumbed in rather than a refillable box of water. I knew I would get annoyed at refilling so was happy to go for the extra hassle at the start.

 

[TeeDee]

It’s a Samsung RS8000 of some sort ( there’s a few variations).

It’s plumbed in rather than a refillable box of water. I knew I would get annoyed at refilling so was happy to go for the extra hassle at the start.

Cheers Stew.

 

[henchy3rd]

I’d like to become a stronger swimmer at any time of the year, not just when the day comes when I fall in of my boat or capsize the canoe.
It’ll be for the Benefits of furthering my health & well-being & being able to control myself in a given situation.

I’ve taken on board the information you guys have given me, so I’ve decided..
I’ve just had my 3rd shower. I turn it down towards the end as cold as I dare.. 15-20 secs, I swear my waters colder than a house as my water tank is submerged in the well deck of the boat).
I’m going to build up from there & start wild swimming in the late spring with a friend who’s got his gold at swimming.
I’m really looking forward to confronting my fears of swimming/ being out of my depth, but I’ve go to start somewhere.
So if you see a Michelin man bobbing around, it’s just me.

 

[TeeDee]

I’ve taken on board the information you guys have given me, so I’ve decided..
I’ve just had my 3rd shower. I turn it down towards the end as cold as I dare.. 15-20 secs, I swear my waters colder than a house as my water tank is submerged in the well deck of the boat).
I’m going to build up from there & start wild swimming in the late spring with a friend who’s got his gold at swimming.
I’m really looking forward to confronting my fears of swimming/ being out of my depth, but I’ve go to start somewhere.
So if you see a Michelin man bobbing around, it’s just me.

Great stuff Henchy - Please see if you can get some basic swimming lessons book in somewhere. Just have a ring around of Triathlete clubs and swimming schools-well worth learning better technique

 

[TeeDee]

This popped up on my SM and illustrates my last point of potentially dangerous locations.

 

[Tony]

@Tony

I Also found this book quite useful.

The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body: Amazon.co.uk: Edgley, Ross: 9780008356958: Books

Buy The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body by Edgley, Ross (ISBN: 9780008356958) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Got this, just need to read it now!

 

[Tengu]

Teedee; its blatantly not, but it looks like the quarries on Easdale.

Full of jagged slate and I suspect, rusty machinery.

If you could clear out the pointy bits they would make good swimming.

 

[TeeDee]

Teedee; its blatantly not, but it looks like the quarries on Easdale.

Full of jagged slate and I suspect, rusty machinery.

If you could clear out the pointy bits they would make good swimming.

Yep - not there.

But you are right about machinery being left in these places. Just not worth pulling them back out pre flooding.

So there are a few places like that are murky as night and tempting but best used with caution and not alone.