Another New Year swim done!

There was a mobile sauna at South Queensferry. It's very small. I don't know where people put their clothes before entering. It seemed quite cheap too. Again I wasn't tempted!

Read earlier that the people in Withenshaw were trying to rescue a 15 yr old girl who got washed off some steps. She obviously shouldn't of been on them but they were not attempting to swim.

In Oslo there are saunas all along the fjord, you can rent them by the hour, while families sauna then jump into the icy fjords, we’ve seen children as young as 5/6 do it.

Primrose53

This daft craze for “wild swimming” makes me laugh. People think it’s trendy - my old schoolfriend told me in Sept that she was just back from wild swimming. I asked where and she said “in the sea”. I said “ but that’s just swimming. Where does the “wild” come in?”

Growing up on the coast and seeing the sea from my bedroom window, myself and all the other local kids swam almost daily from Easter through to when we went back to school in Sept but we never swam in winter because we knew the dangers and our parents would never allow it. We respected the sea and tides.

After the tragedies in the past few days let’s hope the message gets through to people that it is foolhardy and unfair on the rescue services. If you want the feeling of being in icy water just take a cold shower!

Well said Primrose!

foxie48

"People should respect the sea and not see it as a place for trendy events. Likewise what is referred to as 'wild' swimming."

Gosh, keepingquiet That's a little bit harsh. I used to swim in the sea and still do if the weather is suitable and the sea is calm. I think it's the name "wild swimming" that's trendy not the activity. I've swum in the sea, lakes and rivers in different countries, it's a healthy, fun and safe activity if proper care is taken and in the past wasn't seen as the least bit "trendy". My last swim in the sea was off a lovely beach in Anglesey. Lots of families, older people like me and not the least bit trendy although the water was cold.

Yes, so do I. In the summer I went lake swimming. It was just swimming- nothing 'wild' about it.

I suppose I was getting at people who make a big thing about it as if no one else has ever done it, including a good friend who has been a swimmer all her life. Now because her daughter wanted to go 'wild' swimming it became a bit of a trendy thing.

Maybe it's just me...go swimming, we don't need to know and say how marvelous you are for doing it.

I've just been to Budleigh beach. The wild swimmers, including my elderly friend, were there enjoying their swim.
"Good on them", I thought, "keep carrying on".

Then I thought, does this sort of activity encourage more inexperienced, reckless , bathers who don't know what they're doing?
Moreover, negative memories are remarkably short lived when you've not been affected by tragedy, or even if you have. What's that expression "Get straight back on the horse"?

The Christmas/New Year events are not organised. They won't be even in the wake of these tragedies because no one wants that responsibility and who can blame them?

I guess more of the same will continue to happen, and the wild swimmers will continue as before too.

To be fair the water is flat, calm and perfect today. If icy.

I think the whole thing is potty.

This daft craze for “wild swimming” makes me laugh. People think it’s trendy - my old schoolfriend told me in Sept that she was just back from wild swimming. I asked where and she said “in the sea”. I said “ but that’s just swimming. Where does the “wild” come in?”

Growing up on the coast and seeing the sea from my bedroom window, myself and all the other local kids swam almost daily from Easter through to when we went back to school in Sept but we never swam in winter because we knew the dangers and our parents would never allow it. We respected the sea and tides.

After the tragedies in the past few days let’s hope the message gets through to people that it is foolhardy and unfair on the rescue services. If you want the feeling of being in icy water just take a cold shower!

Plus potentially risking the lives of the rescue services who are obliged to go to their aid regardless of the conditions.

JenniferEccles

Sadly a second body has been recovered from the sea off the Yorkshire coast.
A BBC reporter has said that the sea was very rough with waves crashing against the sea wall.
Bitterly cold too of course and snowing.
An RNLI spokesman said they faced horrendous conditions with 9 foot waves.

It’s utter madness for anyone to even contemplate swimming in these conditions.

Totally agree and it makes me angry that people are so reckless and stupid.

We always go and watch the 'loonydookers' at South Queensferry on New year's Day. Never felt tempted to join them though.

"People should respect the sea and not see it as a place for trendy events. Likewise what is referred to as 'wild' swimming."

Gosh, keepingquiet That's a little bit harsh. I used to swim in the sea and still do if the weather is suitable and the sea is calm. I think it's the name "wild swimming" that's trendy not the activity. I've swum in the sea, lakes and rivers in different countries, it's a healthy, fun and safe activity if proper care is taken and in the past wasn't seen as the least bit "trendy". My last swim in the sea was off a lovely beach in Anglesey. Lots of families, older people like me and not the least bit trendy although the water was cold.

People should respect the sea and not see it as a place for trendy events. Likewise what is referred to as 'wild' swimming.
People have always swam or even paddled, bathed or whatever you want to call it, in seas and rivers, lakes and pits. People have always drowned as a result.
Adults making those decisions is one thing, but when children die it is a real tragedy.
Don't expect me to give you any extra credit for your trendy hobby.

Mollygo

At least one more death through swimming in the sea in this weather and with the sea conditions!
This time in Withernsea. So others are spending time and possibly risking their lives to hunt for the missing people.
More unhappy families at the start of 2026.

But again these deaths are the result of people ignoring warnings. There will always be stupid people, who ignore all warning signs and there will always be brave altruistic people who lose their lives trying to rescue the stupid.

Sadly a second body has been recovered from the sea off the Yorkshire coast.
A BBC reporter has said that the sea was very rough with waves crashing against the sea wall.
Bitterly cold too of course and snowing.
An RNLI spokesman said they faced horrendous conditions with 9 foot waves.

It’s utter madness for anyone to even contemplate swimming in these conditions.

At least one more death through swimming in the sea in this weather and with the sea conditions!
This time in Withernsea. So others are spending time and possibly risking their lives to hunt for the missing people.
More unhappy families at the start of 2026.

winterwhite

I've always felt envious of people who live close enough to water to swim all the year round. Just this year for the first time I've thought I'm now too old.

There are outdoor swimming venues everywhere. In rivers, lakes, gravel pits, reservoirs, even the sea!!.

DD daughter lives well inland and has at various times swum in the sea, the rivers Thames and Ouse, Nene, gravel pits, if you want wild swimming somewhere near you there will be an appointment.

As to being too old, There are quite a number of people taking it up in their 70s and even 80s.

I've always felt envious of people who live close enough to water to swim all the year round. Just this year for the first time I've thought I'm now too old.

We have s local swimming pond where people can swim all the year round. It has lifeguards and you have to pay so
It is managed. I love a cold water dip - its really good for my arthritis. I do have a wetsuit I wear if I actually want to swim for more than a few minutes. Everyone who swims in the winter has to have a cold water induction. They sometimes have a mobile sauna onsite which is lovely too. I hate chlorinated indoor pools so outdoor sea/ lake swimming is perfect for me.

I was just going to mention the minutes of dip being the same as the degrees of the water.

I can't say I've ever fancied it though I can't even stand a lukewarm bath

Well done 👏🏽
I don’t like cold water swimming even when entering the sea on a hot summers day.
Have always been a bit scared of sea swimming tbh, much prefer our local indoors swimming pool.

Desdemona Sadly it's the occasional swimmers who are most at risk as they don't understand the local tides and ignore the signs which tell them not to go in the sea.

I don't live anywhere near the coast, but even if I did I would worry about swimming in the sea.

Some of our coastline is filthy, and the sea is an unpredictable force of nature - as the swimmers sadly found out on Christmas Day in Budleigh Salterton.

Daughter often wild swims and was in the sea yesterday with a group of friends,she sent a picture of them. She and her partner did ice dips and thermal springs in Iceland recently and said it felt amazing. Absolutely not for me!

My step granddaughter and her boyfriend WhatsApp us yesterday to say they were down in Dorset and had a swim in the sea. It does sound invigorating, I like thinking about it, but thinking is as far as I would get.