“As of August, the 7th 2019 I have been swimming (swimming is a very loose term… more like standing in the ocean and floating) in the ocean daily as part of a challenge I set myself to swim every day for a whole year. This whole idea started after joining a group of my university friends on weekly morning swims and coffee in the middle of winter. At first, I thought they were crazy, the idea of waking up at 5:30 in the morning to go swim in the freezing cold ocean did not sound like a good time. But before I knew it, my arm had been twisted and I was sitting in the carpark at Sorrento beach waiting for the crew to arrive.
The air was cold, my feet were numb from the sand before I even got in the water, this was one of the craziest things I reckon I’ve done. The only way to do this was going to be sprinting straight in without giving myself time to talk myself out of it.
As soon as my body was immersed in the ocean… I felt so invigorated! So awake, so clear, like I could take on anything after doing this.
It is now something I look forward to every day. The crazier the conditions, the more I actually enjoy it. Even though nothing beats a great summers day on the beach!
Some days may be solo, some days can be up to 10 people with lots of new faces joining along the way.”
– Daniel Meaden
Looking further into the benefits of ocean swimming
Studies conducted have reported similar findings in that it;
- Unites like-minded people and is beneficial for social connectedness
- Inspires social groups/activities outside of the swimming
- Increases self-efficacy (an individual’s belief in their capacity to master a task) and resilience
- Is a great form of exercise and a perfect way to spend time in nature to ground yourself.
So what are you waiting for, give it a go! Try and go for a week straight and see how you feel.
Costello, L., McDermott, M. L., Patel, P., & Dare, J. (2019). ‘A lot better than medicine’ -Self-organised ocean swimming groups as facilitators for healthy ageing. Health & place, 60, 102212.