Surviving The Chill: Cold Water Swim Gear
Photo courtesy of Helen Cogan Photography
The summer has come to an end and the air is starting to cool off. With pools being closed or hours very limited due to Covid-19, there has a been a mass movement toward the open water! In the warmer months, open water swimming is an amazing experience with low risks. As the air and water temperatures begin to drop, the experience can be just as epic but the risks start to mount.
Many people who winter swim without a wetsuit have years of training and have very limited swim times due to hypothermia. If you live in an area that has cold winters, want to extend your open water season and still get in some decent swim volumes, then you are going to need to add some special gear to help you stay warm.
This gear will help slow the onset of hypothermia but you are not immune to it or the dangers of cold water swimming just because you have the added protection. Jumping into cold water swimming without proper training or gear can be very dangerous and even fatal. It is very important to understand the impact cold water swimming has on the body. It is essential to know the signs of hypothermia and how to handle after-drop. Don’t worry you can read all about that here!
We have come up with a list of cold water gear that will allow you to extend your open water swim season through the winter. No pool, no problem just keep swimming…outside. Check out the gear below and if there is equipment that you use to help with cold water swimming, please be sure to add it in the comments so other like minded swimmers can benefit!
Photo Courtesy of Helen Cogan Photography
Warm, Dry Clothes and Towel
We know this isn’t gear that will keep you warm in the water but it is essential that once you are done swimming to get dry and warm quickly. The after-drop experience can be made significantly worse when you stand on the beach in your wet gear with the cold air and wind causing your body temperature to drop further. Have these ready for you so you can start warming up quickly! We highly recommend a swimming parka. They are very warm, easy to get on and off and are big enough for you to change under to get all your wet clothes off and your warm dry ones on! This is our favorite parka and it doesn’t break the bank!
The Head
There are a few items we recommend for your head and ears.
Ear Plugs
Exposure to wind and cold water increases your chances of getting Surfer’s Ear which is incredibly unpleasant, painful and can lead to hearing loss. We highly recommend Surf Ears as our ear plug of choice!
Neoprene Cap
A 3mm neoprene cap will give you some added cold protection for your head. It will help keep your head a bit warmer and it will help keep heat loss from your head to a minimum. There are not tons of differences between 3mm Neoprene caps so just focus on finding one that is comfortable in your price range. This is the Neoprene Cap that we like to use.
2 Swim Caps
We recommend also having 2 brightly colored silicon swim caps to really keep your head warm. The ideal head setup is ear plugs, then one silicon swim cap, then the neoprene cap, then a brightly colored silicon cap over that. If you don’t have a neoprene cap, then you can wear two caps. If you don’t have silicon caps, then latex ones will do but silicon caps are a bit thicker and will provide a bit more protection. We highly recommend that the swim cap that you wear on the outside is brightly colored so water craft and your spotters can easily see you.
Hands & Feet
When you swim in cold water, you usually lose feeling in your hands and feet first. This is normal but it can be very painful for some people. The following gear will help keep your hands and feet a bit warmer so you can last longer in the cold water.
Neoprene Socks
These are a bit lighter weight than boots and are less cumbersome. You can get 1.5mm neoprene socks and wear those under boots for additional warmth or if the water you swim in isn’t frigid these alone may suffice. You can also get thicker 3mm neoprene socks as well for a little bit more protection. You won’t need boots if you go with the 3mm neoprene socks.
Neoprene Boots
If you swim in an area that has water that drops below 40F, then neoprene socks might not be enough. In water that is that cold, you will want a bit more protection and we recommend 5mm Neoprene Boots or 7mm Neoprene Boots. You won’t find these at triathlon shops so you are going to have to look at scuba diving shops for gear of this thickness. These boots are more rigid than the socks but the protection is worth it if you hate losing feeling in your feet!
Neoprene Gloves
If you hate losing feeling in your hands, then you will definitely want these. Much like the boots and socks, the gloves come in a few different neoprene thicknesses. For cool water going with standard 1.5-2mm neoprene gloves are great. As the water gets colder or if you are very sensitive to the cold, then you may want to check out some scuba diving shops and you can get neoprene gloves that are 3mm or 5mm in thickness. These are very cumbersome much like the boots but your hands will be warm and you will still be able to swim just fine!
The Body
Keeping your vital organs warm is key when swimming in cold water. There is one main piece of equipment that does his that you probably already have…the wetsuit!
Wetsuit
A standard triathlon wetsuit will suffice for the most part in cold water swimming. You could go with 5mm or 7mm scuba diving or surfing wetsuits but we don’t necessarily recommend this. These types of wetsuits are not designed for swimming. They are incredibly bulky and do not allow for much range of motion in the shoulders which makes swimming very difficult.
There is no need to go out and buy a new wetsuit for colder water swimmer, your triathlon wetsuit will do just fine. If you do not have a wetsuit, then you should consider getting one if you want to do more than 15-20 minutes of swimming in sub 40F water temperatures or even water in the 40F-50F range. We don’t have a brand we prefer for wetsuits. The most important thing is you find one that fits your body and your budget!
We hope this cold water gear guide will help you with staying warm and safe while extending your open water season. If we have missed a piece of equipment that you find helpful or a brand that you really like, then please let us know in the comments! Remember, when venturing into the cold water or the water in general your first priority should be safety and your second priority should be having fun!