Journal Entry No. 2

A micro-lesson in resilience, and misquoting Keanu Reeves

July, southwest Western Australia. It has been chilly, and wetter than average. But still we swim…

Winter at Meelup

If you’re a paid subscriber, you would have seen from this newsletter that I’ve been trying to dip every day in July as one of my winter rituals. I won’t lie; I missed a few days. A couple because I went down with a cold and one other, just this week, because it was 11°C and I work in an uninsulated shed. My frozen nose didn’t fancy being frozen and wet. With so much time in the ocean getting cold and then in the shower getting warm, I’ve been asking myself a couple of earnest questions.

Why insist on swimming in the middle of winter?

It’s uncomfortable, mad, even. If there are other people on the beach watching, their incredulity as I plunge into the salty – and often murky – sea confirms my madness. But… they don’t know the secret.

Mermaids strolling into Geographe Bay like it’s the middle of summer except it’s June. Photo courtesy of Arli Black

Cold water swimming is like a big reset button. I dive in, water surges over my body and the chill compresses everything out. All that exists is cold. The day, the week, the month, is washed away. Skin tingles. I become aware of the edges of my body, the shape of my ears, the tension in my shoulders. The only way to survive¹ is to breathe; focussing on breathing helps to relax my body. I draw in a deep gasp of crisp, salty air, and exhale staleness from my lungs. Whether I bob like a blob in the foetal position or stretch out into a swim, the cold shocks me into presence. All that exists is cold…and this moment. The world gets a little bit shiny.

Why is swimming in winter water different to swimming in summer water?

I’ve written before about how much ocean swimming soothes me on the days I’m wrestling with anxiety or worry, whatever the season. And it’s true. The ocean is always there to calm and clear my mind. I think the difference with winter swimming is how the discomfort forces you to take stock of your physical self. It’s a mental cleansing plus uncomfortable reminder of the limits of your body, and a micro-lesson in resilience. Push through the pain, for the fun of it? I emerge from summer swims quietly calm and relaxed; in winter, fiercely alive.

Even the labrador thinks I’m crazy. Dip a Day, June 2024

There’s a lot of information about the benefits of cold-water immersion. While many of the articles I read noted the evidence is anecdotal or emerging, the fact is that people who swim in cold water will die on the hill that says it’s good for you. Me included. Though I will also acknowledge that “cold water” where I swim is about 17°C, while “cold water” in the UK, where a lot of the research is conducted, is around 10°C…that’s icy!

Whether it’s from the complex cake layers of being in blue space, being surrounded by your community of like-minded merfolk, and exercising, or entirely temperature related, most agree the outcome is positive. People who dive into chilly waters on a regular basis report improved mental health, a clearer mind, better moods and, sometimes, better sleeping! Some women in this study even said their symptoms of perimenopause and menopause eased with regular swimming in icy outdoor waters.

I started Wild Waters because I wanted to bring a regular writing practice back into my life. When deciding on the niche, I thought it should be a subject I can’t shut up about. Ask anyone: it’s ocean swimming. Ocean swimming in cold water is a niche within that niche. If I can indoctrinate - err - “persuade” you to grab a towel and head to the nearest outdoor water body this winter, then we’ll all be happy. And now you know the science behind it – go on, get out there! To misquote Point Break: Ocean swimming is the source. It’ll change your life, I swear to God.

Are you already a cold-water convert? Tell me about your winter swimming in the comments below!

If you want to read some of the information I came across when looking into the benefits of cold-water swimming, they’re linked at the end.

Until next time,

Stay salty.

Katie x

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References

Pound M, Massey H, Roseneil S, et al. The swimming habits of women who cold water swim. Women’s Health. 2024;20. doi:10.1177/17455057241265080

Pound M, Massey H, Roseneil S, et al. How do women feel cold water swimming affects their menstrual and perimenopausal symptoms? Post Reproductive Health. 2024;30(1):11-27. doi:10.1177/20533691241227100

BBC Reel, 2023. Is cold water swimming good for you? [video] Available at: https://bbc.com/reel/video/p0j8zdrh/is-cold-water-swimming-good-for-you-

K. Overbury, B.W. Conroy, E. Marks. Swimming in nature: A scoping review of the mental health and wellbeing benefits of open water swimming. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2023, doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102073 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494423001214)

Facebook, 2025. Video post: Are ice baths a scam? | Science with Dr. Karl. [video] Facebook. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16t7b66iZs/

1. perhaps cold-water swimming also makes you dramatic? In these winter dips I’m rarely in fear for my life, and if I am it’s more likely to be from wild, swirly water than the cold