Ashley Stoneman and Kelsey Jessup both took part in the swim at Budleigh Salterton.
“You knew that there was a vibe that this is kind of dangerous,” Mr Stoneman said.
“Everybody was looking at each other and thinking ‘how far do we go in, how long are we going to go in for?’
“I’m sure a few people would have even looked at and thought – not today.”
Ms Jessup said they initially thought the cold temperatures would be the dangerous part of the day, but then they saw “crazy waves” as they walked along the shoreline.
“All of a sudden it was like Poseidon is having a temper tantrum here with these waves just crashing huge,” she added.