Coldest water you've ever swum in?

[HodderSeasider]

As a 17 year old, with a group including jnr Paras and Marines, I did a one month outward bound course at Eskdale, starting early in February. Every morning at 06:00, we had to jump off a jetty into the tarn breaking the ice and swim back to shore. This was bordering on torture but it did toughen us up ready for the mountain expeditions in the snow and ice.

Snap Brett, I was at Eskdale for a month in January 1969, as an 18 year old. One of the weeks we got off lightly, because the ice on the tarn was too thick, so we had a 6am cold shower instead. We were not so lucky the other 3 weeks. I remember it taking your breath away as you hit the icy cold water. If we hadn't been so fit in those days, I am sure the sudden shock would have brought on a heart attack!

 

[PETER SPRUCE 1]

If you were with your Mrs/Partner was the dog comforted first?

Dave you know the answer to that (and its missus)take care happy Xmas & new year .

 

[Pasty Muncher]

Plymouth Hoe about1962, I and a few pals went on a camping trip on our motor bikes. On the hoe is an open air pool, this was mid March, a couple of blokes were just getting out we asked them what it was like, they said ok if you keep moving so we got changed an d dived in. Jesus Christ was that bloody water cold, for the first few seconds which seemed forever, we couldn’t breathe or move. What nobody told us is it was seawater, we swam straight across got out the other side, I have never been so cold in my life. After getting dried and dressed we were still shivering and my kneecaps and elbows were blue. Never ever again. Brrrrr

The Hoe Lido is cold enough in the summer , God knows what it was like in March !!!!
I go swimming quite a lot at Gaddings Dam above Todmorden. Thought I might try it out in November without a wet suit. I remember getting in when took blokes shouted....'that bloke ain't wearing a wetsuit'. Swam around for half an hour, thought it was fresh but not too bad. Got out & started shaking uncontrollably.....I was chuffing freezing.

 

[Levi501]

Kiruna, north Sweden inside the artic circle, the guide on our 6 day dogsledd tour cut a hole in the ice so we could go for a dip after a sauna.My gentlemans sausage looked like a walnut whip when I got out and I had three Adam’s apples

Was that in the River Torne? We spent a week in äkäslompolo in Finnish Lapland during February some 20 years ago. We got a bus to Jukkasjärvi(Kiruna) a 4 hour journey through some incredible landscapes! to experience The Ice Hotel, fantastic place, that melts and is re-modelled every year. After, we sledged on the river where some German guys where skinny dipping into these holes cut out of said river, from a sauna situated in a small shack on the ice. Er I gave it a cowardly miss! Amazing place to visit mind.

 

[TOON Seasider]

Hollingworth lake near Rochdale was fkin cold even in summer but the worst ever for me was the North sea off Tynemouth New Years Day 1990

 

[Kingscoatkiwi]

Was that in the River Torne? We spent a week in äkäslompolo in Finnish Lapland during February some 20 years ago. We got a bus to Jukkasjärvi(Kiruna) a 4 hour journey through some incredible landscapes! to experience The Ice Hotel, fantastic place, that melts and is re-modelled every year. After, we sledged on the river where some German guys where skinny dipping into these holes cut out of said river, from a sauna situated in a small shack on the ice. Er I gave it a cowardly miss! Amazing place to visit mind.

It was on one of the small lakes, it was 2004, like you said some awesome country and the northern lights are amazing