Wild swimmers across the country are bracing the UK’s cold winter in a chase to feel the benefits of ice dipping.

Unlike regular swimming, ‘wild’ swimming, also called dipping, occurs in natural bodies of water, including lakes and rivers, as well as the sea.

Les Peebles, a wild swim guide known as ‘The Dales Dipper’, has amassed a social media following by sharing his love for the sport, even in the winter.

“Many wild swimmers chase the cold.

“Many of them will carry axes in their bags in order to break the ice.” 

Les’ shares his own ice dips online to his hundreds of social media followers.

“If every swimmer was honest about it, it’s also a bit painful,” he confessed.

“Despite how many swims I’ve done, it’s never any easier. It doesn’t care, you know? Still, yes, I’m acclimatised. 

“I can experience the cold, the coldest temperatures, but it’s still very difficult if I’m on my own in particular, to get in.”

Les isn’t the only wild swimmer to agree that the cold water is beneficial.

Helena Boud, a member of the local Norwich Cow Tower Dippers, is a keen wild swimmer and echoes similar sentiments on the benefits.

“Swimming in cold water, it kind of just boosts that serotonin and focuses your mind.

“It builds resilience because your body knows it can cope with that cold water.

“So if you can manage that, potentially you can manage most things.”

Both Helena and Les say that sport has had benefits to their mental and physical health.

Research conducted by the Wild Swim Project showed that those who attended wild swimming sessions for 6 months had an increase in positive emotions.

Meanwhile negative emotions, including anxiety, decreased.

25 per cent of the swimmers saw an increase in life satisfaction and 18 per cent reported a decrease in anxiety after taking classes with the Wild Swim Project.

Alongside the trend, ‘Festive Swims’, conducted across the UK between Christmas and New Year, have become equally popular.

In Nordic culture, people view different forms of cold wild swimming as an essential part to life and wellbeing.

Traditions include cold plunges, ice dips, and saunas as an essential daily task for ensuring mental clarity and wellness. Specially made cold pools have become a cultural staple, too.

Throughout the winter, the same benefits seen within the Nordic culture are appearing be echoed in the UK wild swimming community.

“I’ve had one or two that have been a little unpleasant,” said Les. 

“Across the community, there’s a saying that we never regret a dip… I’ve never regretted it.”

Image Credit: Flickr