02/05/2024
Since I am one of the dippers in this great article and it didn't include a safety angle, aaaand there has been such an (unexpected by me) response in the way of people interested in doing winter dipping themselves, as a long-time beach lifeguard, I feel ethically responsible to share some basic points to stay safe.
Notes from this Beach Lifeguard for Winter dipping safely in The Big Lake.
1. Have an exit plan: be sure you can get out of the water within say, a minute. Be sure you have the strength and or skill needed (to keep your head above water for the duration) and for your chosen exit plan.
2. Have a warm-up plan (for when you exit the water): first stop heat loss, second start generating heat. Limit conduction, radiation, convection, and evaporation – generate heat by moving around – exercising.
3. Choose appropriate conditions (waves, weather): for you or (the weakest person in) your group’s experience level and current fitness. If you don’t know about waves and dangerous currents, don’t go in them, wait for a calm day or choose a different spot. “If you don’t know, don’t go” or wear a life jacket or go at a lifeguarded beach where someone is watching and equipped to rescue you FAST.
4. Beware cold shock response: Cold shock response is not guaranteed to happen, but it is a possibility. At its worst, physiologically, the larynx closes and muscles tense. It can cause a feeling of being unable to breathe, and panic. It’s more likely to happen if you go suddenly into water that covers your breathing holes. If you know it’s happening, it’s possible to tell yourself to relax and breathe.
Further notes on each point
1a. For the first few dips choose an easy entry and exit, keeping in mind that things are a little more difficult and frightening when you are very cold. My group started regularly with a walk-in entry that gets chest deep within 20 feet or so. Do you love jumping from a bank and swimming fifty yards to the spot you can climb out? Yeah, me too! But not for this. Also, the frigid water is adrenaline and dopamine in itself!
2a. Even if you think, ah nah I can handle some discomfort and cold, you might change your mind and want to warm the heck up quick so why not be ready?
To Limit conduction – are you standing on ice with bare feet? ahhh! conduction! Stand on a mat, or wear wool socks or neoprene booties, crocs maybe? Also hands touching cold things, I’m sure you can think up or experience more examples.
To Limit radiation – get some kind of dry layer on or around you and retain that body heat – admittedly it feels more like cold is radiating off your body after a minute or more in the water and there’s no heat to retain. But it’ll be useful once you start generating heat more later.
To Limit convection – block the wind. It’s similar to the point previous about layers, but some layers don’t block wind. Like a fuzzy blanket is good to trap heat, but wind tears right through it, but a good old windbreaker... you get it. A tarp! a ski jacket! a felted wool overcoat! a buffalo hide!
To Limit Evaporation – get dry and get the wet suit off, unless you went naked? -Then yeah, just get dry.
[My fav and most effective order to do it in is: Stand on something, stop wind, stop evaporation, and then limit radiation with soft layers. I use neoprene socks, crocs and mat, I put on a purpose-made changing robe, then dry off and take off suit with robe still on, then put on warm stuff while it’s still on. Sometimes I miss a step or parts of a step.]
Next Generate heat: run around, do some squats, do jumping jacks, take a brisk walk. This step might not be necessary if you have a sauna, hot-tub or hot bath to get into.
The least dangerous thing that can happen if you stay cold for too long/ don’t warm up quick enough is you can end up sleepy for the rest of the day. Not so dangerous but still it's a big bummer if you wanted to do anything else that day – and it doesn’t have to be that way.
3a. If you need to learn about dangerous waves and currents in the great lakes, the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project has probably the best-informed resources. Or ask me, but you’ll have to pay me, or be a good friend first hah, (or check back on this page I might have posted something about it)
4a. Cold Shock Response I’ve never had it except once, mildly, in a glacial stream after hiking all day and never having been in water withing even 20 degrees of that cold. But people have had it in 50-degree water.
Enjoy
Ashley Martin (41) of Empire Township swims in Lake Michigan earlier this month. The air temperature is 35 degrees Fahrenheit; Lake Michigan is 37 degrees.
A group--made up almost entirely of women, spanning in ages from their early 30s to upwards of 70 years old--has been meeting once or twice weekly this winter for cold-water swims, since October.
What pulls this group to keep getting into the cold water? (And how can you join them?)
To find out, read our cover story and check out the photos by Mae Stier Photography here: https://bit.ly/3SaLw0v .
