Grimsby Live reporter Coreena Ford took up sea swimming with her cousin four years ago – and is now roping in all her friends
Coreena after a perfect December swim(Image: staff photo)
The end of a working week used to sound the pub klaxon in my head, regularly seeing me pile into the pub for a few drinks. For the last four years, however, I’ve been ‘one of them’. I’m a diehard Dry Robe-wearing sea swimmer.
I’ve ditched late nights (and hangovers) for early morning drives to the coast to take a swim in the North Sea – and it is by far the best hobby I’ve ever taken up. I’ve even missed Christmas parties after seeing that a sunrise is a forecast the following morning, for a festive dip with my fellow Vitamin Sea enthusiasts.
Pre October 1 2021 I wouldn’t have been seen dead outside my house without a full face of make-up, hair-styled and in proper clothing. Now I don’t bat an eyelid at shuffling round Aldi in 12 layers of fleece tops, joggers and scuffed warm boots after a swim, with nothing on my face except a relaxed, contented grin.
As one friend recently pointed out, through sea swimming we’ve ‘found our tribe’, and discovered the perfect antidote to January blues. And that’s how it’s been for more than four years, ever since my cousin Jo cajoled me into giving it a go.
So if you’re looking for a new hobby for 2026, there really is no better time to dip your toe into the ultimate wellbeing exercise experience – especially with those glorious sunrises falling forgivingly late at this time of year.
When I first took it up in 2021 wild swimming and sea swimming was already growing in popularity but I never dreamed of doing it myself. Now the sea is full of sea botherers like me.
But during the pandemic the pastime was only really just taking off. People lucky enough to live close enough to lakes, rivers, natural plunge pools and the sea turned to dipping and swimming to keep fit and healthy, both mentally and physically. Gyms and other fitness clubs were closed during the lockdowns, but here was a way to exercise and free our minds for free, on our doorsteps.
My cousin Jo discovered her love for lake and river swimming during lockdown – and was keen to dip in the sea, and rope me in too. And I took some persuading.
I was not impressed with the 5.50am alarm to make it to the sea for a potential sunrise. And what if I got cold water shock? What if my muscles froze, I panicked and couldn’t swim? Would I get dragged out to sea? And where do I leave my stuff to change into while I’m in the sea? Where can I hide my phone and car keys?
I was absolutely positive I going to loathe the whole experience . . . but when the morning arrived I inexplicably found myself simply walking into the sea behind her, barely noticing the fact that the North Sea water was, of course, freezing cold.
Coreena warms up after a sea swim(Image: staff photo)
But I listened to her advice, making sure my breathing was under control before I started swimming, taking it slowly – and before I knew it we were swimming, laughing our heads off that I was absolutely loving it despite all my protestations. I could not stop smiling.
After two more dips that weekend I ordered a shorty wetsuit, boots, gloves, tow float and a swimming hat. (The swimming hat and tow float is important, make sure they’re colourful so you’re visible).
My infatuation with the sea and its cold, healing properties was instant. And it’s been consistent – even when swimming out of the harbour in thick fog, during a downpour on a dour morning for a birthday swim, and when the sand was covered in snow and ice in temperatures of minus 4C.
Time was, if I didn’t have a plan for my Saturday night out by Thursday I’d start to panic. Now, from Wednesday or Thursday onwards, I start checking tide times and weather forecast websites – especially surf sites which go into detail on wind speed, wind direction, swell, wave interval times, temperature, cloud cover, obsessing over anything that might affect the weekend’s swimming.
So what do I get from it? The cold water and your body’s reaction to it releases endorphins to give you a natural high that’s hard to put into words, but knowing you’re catching the best part of the day when so many others are still in bed makes me feel lucky and exhilarated. We’ve had some grotty weather of late, but some of those mornings have started with startling sunrises, giving us swimmers a day of two very different halves. And no matter how tired I feel when the early alarm goes off, it’s always worth it.
And then there’s the nature. My swim pals and I have seen all manner of murmurations of starlings and plovers, cormorants, oystercatchers and curlews whizzing over our heads, and in the summer months we’ll often see schools of dolphins whip past the bay.
And for the first time in my life last June 21 I was striding into the sea with scores of other for the summer solstice sunrise at 4.24am – a surreal, unforgettable experience.
It’s infectious too. Four friends who used to meet me as I got out of the water saying “are you mad? You’re brave”, are now part of a growing group of friends who have organically come together over the last few years, meeting up almost every weekend and on days off, weather permitting.
The benefits are endless, and start with how it does absolute wonders for the soul and your mental health. Regular swims have eased migraines, and muscular aches and pains from being sat in front of a computer all week melt away. When times are tough or you’ve had a bad day, the sea is also there to ground you. It’s always there to help you quite literally wash away your worries for a while and get your brain and body in order.
As well as boosting your mood, it’s said that cold water does wonders for your immune system and circulation too. But lose weight? Perhaps in the summer, but in winter I’ve got no chance. Sure it’s a great form of exercise – I’ve heard that you burn more calories in cold conditions – but any calories burned off are quickly replaced with big breakfasts afterwards with the girls.
A dip also gives me what I call Swim Vim. It triggers a bizarre reaction somewhere between feeling tired and at peace, yet capable of obliterating every chore on my to-do list. It’s not unheard of for me to get home from a swim, wash my car when it’s minus 4C, do all the hoovering and housework, rearrange the garage, reorganise food cupboards, mend that hole in a jumper I’ve been meaning to sort for months, and be out in town shopping within an hour.
People often say ‘I’ll give it a go when it’s warmer’, and I can’t blame them when the sea temperature is barely reaching 5C at the moment. But this time of the year is perfect if you want to see the sunrise at a relatively human hour. Come the summer, the sun is high in the sky by the time I’m skipping onto the beach. We may miss sunrises but feeling warmth on your face when you’re getting changed is a fair exchange.
So what’s the biggest benefit? Amazing winter sunrises and breathtaking, colourful skies are high up on the list, but the biggest reward has to be the friends I’ve made, all from replying to someone’s post in a Facebook group asking if anyone wanted to go swimming at 7.30am on a December morning.
Reporter Coreena Ford has swapped nights out for sunrise sea swimming(Image: Coreena Ford)
I’ve made brilliant new friendships with people I may not have known for long, but with whom I have so much in common. Some of us have been on swimming holidays abroad, and we’ll hang out together away from the water too.
We look out for each other in the water, put the world to rights, gossip and get the stress of the week off our minds, while also now sharing all the highs and lows of life.
Admittedly it’s not all hearts and flowers. Plunging into freezing waters in winter sometimes leaves me with painful tingling in my fingers and toes, and twice last winter left me with split skin on my thumbs. (Warm water in a flask to tip over extremities is a fab remedy). Your phone will also become full of 89,000 sunrise and beach photos, all identical. Yes, there can be jellyfish in the sea in summer, but I’ve only had one sting in more than four years and if you’re worried just can just wear a pair of leggings.
One of the strangest side effects is after-drop. You might feel warmer when you first get out because you no longer feel the cold of the water on your skin, but your core body temperature continues to drop, for up to 30 to 40 minutes afterwards.
While swimming, your blood pools around your core organs to keep you warm, but when you’re out and layering up your blood vessels dilate, which can make your body temperature drop further. Getting dressed quickly while sipping some warm tea and snacking on something sweet helps to stave off those ‘shivers’.
A good dip can mean a battle between your body and brain, which reaches a euphoric state just around the time when you should be getting out of the water. There’s no set time for how little or long to stay in the water, and you should never push yourself. When I feel I could stay in for much longer, that is the time to get out or risk getting the shivers. It really isn’t fun trying to get dressed when your hands won’t work.
There’s a well known acronym among swimmers – SAOR, Swim At your Own Risk. Listen to your body, take it easy and always make sure you’re aware of the conditions and can cope with them before you get in, and know your limits.
Want to give it a go too? What do you need?
Some people just wear swimming costumes or shorts. At this time of the year, I wear a shorty wetsuit, gloves and boots. The water temperature is continuing to drop around this time of the year and is at its coldest around March, April, and the windchill really does make it feel warmer in the water than out sometimes. Come the summer months I’ll be back in just a swimming costume plus gloves and boots, to keep hands and feet a little warmer.
There’s all manner of things you can buy and the market is getting bigger as its popularity rises – changing robes, towelling robes, lights, swim equipment, special dry bags to keep things dry – but you don’t need to spend a lot to get involved.
The tow float – a flotation device which increases your visibility from the shore and to other water users – is essential, however.
I’ve seen people using microfibre car washing gloves to quickly dry off before changing, and bring down washing up bowls to pour warm water in to defrost stinging toes. I take down a bottle of warm tap water to pour over lobster-red hands and feet, and a hot water bottle in a thermal shopping bag also works beautifully, keeping clothes warm until you get changed. An old bath mat to stand on keeps toes a little warmer too, but probably seems decadent to purists!
Getting dressed quickly is an art form. I have most definitely accidentally flashed a number of dog walkers when I first started swimming. Now I can get at least nine items of clothing on beneath my changing robe – note I use it for its intended use – in less than 10 minutes.
Dry Robes have been a flash point of discussion and amusingly-titled Facebook groups for some time but I love mine, bought as a Christmas present, but any warm coat will suffice. One friend used to rock up in a fluffy dressing gown beneath her biggest coat.
If you want to give it a try but have reservations, there are regular sea safety talks held by various groups, as well as online courses and information through which you can learn to read a surf forecast, about tides and make you aware of the dangers, which is a must. The RNLI’s own sea safety information is a great resource.
Buddying up is a great way forward, so maybe rope in a friend. There are plenty of Facebook groups around too, such as Cleethorpes Beach Swimming and Withernsea Mermaids & Friends and the Outdoor Swimming Society – and you can search within the groups for answers to all your questions, and more importantly tell people when you’re looking to dip, to see if anyone can join you.
Before you know it you could be forging new friendships and making regular swim plans, all from dipping your toe into a new hobby, quite literally.