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Tips for Ice Swimming
During the winter there are different kinds of sports that people like to participate in. These activities include hockey, ice skating and skiing. But ice swimming is another that can be enjoyable too. This activity has been popular in Scandinavia for years, but it is becoming popular throughout the world as well. Ice swimming is refreshing and can be thrilling. But before you go out ice swimming you should follow a few considerations.
First, when you go ice swimming you should not do it immediately after you come out of a sauna or other warmer body of water. The body can be significantly impacted if it goes from one extreme to another. Of course, after you finish ice swimming it is best to head to a warmer environment.
It is important to not dive into the water for ice swimming. Freezing water temperatures can cause brain shock and possibly cause you to become unconscious. Always keep your head over the water so that this does not happen. In fact, diving into the frozen water can make you lose your orientation and make it hard to get out without hitting your head on ice.
Always go ice swimming with another person. The person should be able to get you out of the water in the case that something bad does happen.
A good place for ice swimming is one that is safe. It should be more than just a simple hole in a patch of ice. A secure ladder should be used for access to and from the ice swimming area, and a safe path for reaching regular ground is needed.
Wearing surfing boots is a great tip to follow for ice swimming. Your feet can stay warm and you can feel more comfortable when ice swimming. Surfing boots can also keep you from slipping on the water and from having you feet get cut by any loose shard of ice.
It is important to not stay in the water for too long. Fifteen minutes is the longest length of time for ice swimming to consider.
A good place to warm up after ice swimming should be near the ice swimming area. A sauna or hot tub can be good, but a warm bathtub works just as well as those options do.
Another tip for ice swimming is to look for places that offer it with larger groups. This helps so that you can get protection from others in case anything serious happens. There are many ice swimming clubs, also known as Polar Bear Clubs, that bring together all kinds of people in different parts of the world to go ice swimming together. Sometimes they’ll find a frozen lake, and in some cases a cold beach will be good enough. However, it is required to see your physician before joining a Polar Bear Club, and you’ll need to sign a release to join one.
