Never Have I Ever… swam in freezing cold water on purpose until I moved to Ladysmith. When my husband and I retired we wanted a life-freshening change in this chapter of our lives, so we moved from Edmonton to Ladysmith. The first winter I dragged him down to see the local Polar Dip at Transfer Beach. It was exhilarating to see people of every age and sort, laugh and scream as they ran in and out of the cold January water. We promised ourselves that we’d do it the following year. After all, it’s probably the shortest, almost dangerous activity we’d ever do and come out alive.
Well, we have dipped every year since. It’s our celebration of being alive, healthy, and living in this beautiful environment. I started to do some research on cold water dipping and came across Wim Hof, a Dutch man who worked with scientists to assess the medical benefits of cold-water submersion. Wim Hof, aka the Iceman, is closely associated with anything on cold water submersion. He markets a regime with three-pillar program: cold therapy, breathing and commitment.
I took the short-cut and went right to the ocean. January was my one-year anniversary of dipping three times a week. I’ve experienced 20 C water throughout the summer to a decrease of 4 C at the Polar Dip. There are four of us in my group, The Bad Ass Knitting Club (No, we don’t knit; it’s a covert name because we’re a women-only group).
Wendy has not had any migraine headaches and she also sleeps better since she started dipping; Charlotte has no more pain in her back; Linda gets the cold therapy for her injuries from a car accident; and I have noticed that I have clarity of mind and better focus for cognitive skills. If you’re wondering about my husband, he has only promised me the annual Polar Dip.
You are probably saying, “I’ll never ever do that! I don’t like the cold!” I did, too. But COVID came – and stayed – and I was bored out of my mind. Dipping has added only good things to my life and, to be honest, I feel like a warrior. My core is a pillar of strength. And some days I feel like a bad ass when I realize the courage it takes to do cold water dipping.
There are a few things to keep in mind as the water temperature goes down:
- Let your common sense prevail.
- Wear neoprene boots and gloves, plus a toque and your bathing suit.
- Go with a friend to enjoy the journey and for your safety. Go rain or shine, it reflects the ups and downs of life.
- If you need a rule, stay in one minute per degree. When you get used to it, two minutes a degree. (At 0 C, two minutes.)
- It’s not an endurance test. You can get overconfident and stay in longer than necessary. Notice how long it takes you to warm up after a dip. If a 15-minute dip at 8 C took all day to shake the cold edge off, then decrease your time in the water.
- It’s up to you, but I don’t take a hot shower after a dip. I allow my body to warm me up naturally. I’ve learned to wear a few layers and vacuum the house… that little bit of activity does the trick to feeling normal again.
Lastly, here’s a tip from the “law” of looking cool: when you enter the water, make it look easy. Walk in calmly and allow the water to surround you. Breathe your way through it. Remember, you chose this. You will be fully present, right in the moment, at least for a few concentrated minutes. What can be better than that?
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