How To Stay Safe When Ice Dipping

If you have been inspired by pics of people proudly wielding great chards of ice as they dunk into the water wearing little more than a bikini and a woolly hat, here are some pointers to bear in mind.

1. Never dip alone

Always have someone with you when you are planning to enter an icy body of water. Even better if they are not planning to dunk so they can help you get undressed and dressed quickly and be ready to respond quickly if something goes wrong. Be sure that this person knows of any underlying medical conditions you may have and what to do in an emergency, including details of exactly where you are.

2. Don't walk on the ice

When you are trying to assess how deep the ice is, don't walk on it. This is a sure fire way to get your feet wet or worse fall through the ice fully clothed and get cold water shock. Get yourself changed from your swim wearing thick foot and hand protection plus a swimsuit or wetsuit and then enter the water when you are fully ready to get wet. Go very slowly to start with, breaking yourself an ice channel so you can enter the water.

3. Breaking the ice

Although it makes you look hard as nails and is an incredibly empowering thing to do, using an axe to break the ice is actually not the most effective in my experience. Sorry to shatter your dreams (pun intended). If the ice is up to 3cm thick you are probably better off breaking off chunks with your (gloved) hands bit by bit. If it's thicker than that then using the blunt side of an axe can work well. I find that the sharp side just gets stuck in the ice and it's then quite dangerous trying to get it out again. And if that doesn't work I have been known to get out the large splitting maul which can get through most things. In the UK we are unlikely to ever need an ice chainsaw, unfortunately.

4. Only try this if you are WELL acclimatised to cold water

This may sound obvious but if you are breaking the ice to get into your swim spot then the water beneath is going to be somewhere between 1 and 4c. That's very cold and puts your body under extreme stress, even if you are well acclimatised to swimming in the winter. I swim every day all year round and if I'm breaking the ice to have a dunk I am in the water for a matter of seconds, rather than minutes. If you are not well acclimatised you risk getting cold water shock which in extreme cases can lead to cardiac arrest or stroke. At best you are going to be putting yourself at risk of hypothermia if you stay in for too long. This is no time for heroics - get your photo and get out.

5. Eat a little before and after

Ensuring that you are well fuelled before you get in the water will help you body to deal with the shock of extreme cold and help you to avoid feeling faint or dizzy. If you are digesting a small amount of food this also warms your body from within via a process called thermogenesis. Also make sure you have something to eat immediately when you get out of the water for the same reason. A warm drink after you get out also helps you to warm from within and can also warm your hands up if you wrap them around a steaming mug of hot chocolate!

6. Protect your body

Ice is sharp. Really sharp! When you start to break it up, whether using your hands or an axe (I find my hands are a lot more effective, although less insta-tastic) you will create shards with sharp edges like glass. Always wear thick neoprene gloves, which protect you against the cold too, and enter the water slowly, to avoid cutting bare legs and arms on floating bits of ice. Be aware of this as you leave the water too as it's not always easy to see floating shards of ice that are below the surface.

7. Only dip in places you know well

Make sure you have permission and know your swim spot extremely well before you start wading in and smashing everything up to pieces. Not everyone may share your excitement for dipping in the ice, and you may also disturb sensitive habitats and wildlife.

8. Stay within your depth

You need to have somewhere that gets gradually deeper with no steep drops where you could suddenly be out of your depth. You ideally want to break the ice to waist or chest height and dip under where you can still stand up. I like to keep my hands on the edges of the ice hole I have created for balance and security.

9. Don't go under the ice

Only dip in the hole or area where you have broken the ice and so you can see you way in and out at all times. Don't be tempted to try and swim under the ice. This is dipping not ice diving, which is a whole other world of risks and support teams!

10. Get dressed quickly and warm up slowly

As soon as you are out of the water, remove all wet kit (modesty can go out of the window at this point!), get a dry hat on, and pat yourself dry (your skin will likely feel a bit too 'stingy' to rub a towel against it). Get your core upper body dressed first, then legs, then feet. Move around gently to get the blood pumping again and have a warm drink and something to eat. Jumping into a hot shower or a hot car can cause blood vessels near the skin to open too quickly, leading to a rapid drop in blood pressure and core body temperature. This can result in fainting, shock, and an increased risk of a dangerous phenomenon known as "afterdrop". Also be really careful not to slip if the area around your swim spot is frozen and icy too. The last thing you want after surviving an ice dip is a twisted ankle!

Disclaimer: Breaking the ice for a dip is not for inexperienced wild swimmers and we do not recommend you do this unless you are experienced and confident and fully accept responsibility for your own actions.