Cold water swimming: Bluetits club urges people to stick with it

A festive dip in the sea might just be an annual event for some people, but one club is urging you to stay with it for the rest of the year.

Starting as one woman's triathlon preparations, The Bluetits Chill Swimmers now has over 100,000 members worldwide spanning Canada to Estonia.

The free club also meet online to share thrills, safety tips and as friends.

Founder Sian Richardson, from Wales, said it was a New Year's resolution that was "surprisingly easy to keep".

"There are plenty of people I've never been able to tempt into the water, but once they've tried it they keep coming back," said Sian from St David's, Pembrokeshire.

"As soon as you experience that hit of endorphins, and the sense of achievement, it's more addictive than any drug."

The club, which started in Pembrokeshire, now has members and groups across the world.

Though Sian said it's not just the sea which gets the Bluetits going.

"Rivers, lakes, ponds… if there's a cold puddle somewhere then you can be certain that one of our members will jump in it and post the experience on social media."

According to Sian you don't have to be a strong swimmer.

"Wade up to your knees, strike out a few yards, or totally go for it depending on your ability and confidence," she said.

Catering for people of any gender and any age, Sian believes another part of the appeal is down to its inclusivity.

"With 100,000 members, trust me there isn't a body-type we haven't seen, and in the Bluetits there is absolutely no-one who's going to judge you.

"Just grab a coffee, come and sit on the sand, and if it looks like fun then run in and join us."

Though Sian cautions against trying it on your own - certainly on your first outing.

"Cold water swimming has massive health benefits, from reducing blood pressure, alleviating depression and anxiety, increasing circulation and lessening inflammation, but there are things you have to be aware of.

"My advice is to join a group when you first start open water swimming so you can learn from the people you are swimming with and also find out how to get knowledge from apps to enable you to be better informed when you venture out into the wilds."

She advises people to try it for two or three minutes on their first go and not to fear the water but to "club together in order to encourage and protect each other".

She said: "Just go online. I'm sure - certainly in Britain - there'll be a Bluetits club not far away from you."

Having stared at the Irish Sea at the bottom of her garden for years, Sian was finally encouraged to take the plunge in 2014.

"I'd just signed up for an ice triathlon and thought 'right, what better place to get in some practice?'

"But as soon as I hit the water I knew it wasn't a triathlon I'd been looking for, it was cold water swimming, so I had to run straight back in the house and post about it before I'd even towelled myself off."

From humble beginnings, the Bluetits really took off during the pandemic.

"Cold water swimming was something anyone could do, socially distanced but still feeling as though you were part of something bigger, and not just stuck on your own.

"Now, with the cost of living crisis, it's another opportunity to get involved because as long as you can afford a swimming costume you're in the club - there's really nothing more to it than that."