1. Bring a friend who looks after you from shore and is the one who drives you home after the swim
2. Swim together with (at least) one other swimmer, that is, do not swim alone
3. Bring a floating object, the best is a swimming buoy. If you don’t have one, or don’t have the opportunity to buy one, you can borrow one from us for the first swims
4. Bring a warm change of clothes for afterwards. Preferably wool close to the body, and dress in layers. Bring a windproof jacket and trousers so you can keep warm when you are out of the water again. Remember a hat and mittens, and good, warm shoes
5. Make the first swim short, especially in the spring. You should be out of the water long before you feel chilled or cold
6. Take time to get used to the water before you start the swim. Splash water in your the face, “wash” the face several times, blow bubbles into the water. Relax and accept the water is cold. Get complete control of your breathing before you start the swim
7. If you struggle with keeping your head in the water because it hurts, stop, take a break and try again. Feel free to try 3-4 times, but if doesn’t stop hurting, it is currently too cold for you to swim with your face in the water. You can consider swimming with your face out of the water, but you now know that this is at the limit of what your body wants to accept this particular day, so get ready to get out of the water
8. Remember that you are doing this because it is supposed to be fun and a positive experience, swimming in cold water is not something you do to “toughen up”
9. All bodies react differently to cold water, there is no general rule on how long you can stay in the water at a given temperature When the first person in the group feels like getting out, the whole group gets out of the water.
10. It is ok to divide into different groups that go in and out of the water at different times. But try to have something in common on land both before and after. In any case, you should have full control over how many people considers going in, how many actually go in, and that all of these are out of the water before you pack up and go home
11. Bring both food and drink for after the swim
12. If you have “pushed the limit” and been in water for so long that you notice you are really chilled when getting out: Don’t drive home alone, get someone to drive you (this is one of the reasons for bringing a friend that can help, with undressing and dressing, and driving home). If you experience other physical ailments after you have returned home and feel that you are not getting warm, do not wait too long to consult the emergency room. This last point is very rarely experienced, but keep it in mind anyway so that you are mentally prepared for it if you end up in this situation.

This is a lot of “good advice”, but “rules” we have tried to practice over the last 7-8 years in the GlommaDyppen group with good experiences.

The most important thing: Enjoy your swim and enjoy the freedom of swimming outdoors!