For the love of the sea: winter swimming

“You’re either a plunger or a plodder,” laughs Sarah. “Personally, I’m a bit of a slowpoke, and I have a system: I dab myself first to acclimatise, do a little jog back and forth on the sand, and then ease into the water…”

Just one of many of the islanders who ascribe to the joys of winter swimming, Sarah Jenkins has been taking the icy plunge during the coldest months for a good couple of years now. “My husband and mother-in-law converted me,” says the Brit, who makes her home in Monagrouli and swims all year round at either Alamanos or Governors’ beach. “They’ve both been winter swimming since the dawn of time, and a couple of years ago they finally convinced me of its benefits. I eased in, completely lost all sensation from toes to neck, and came out hooked!”

That first time, Sarah swam for just a few minutes. But, over the months, she’s become far braver – especially since she’s seen the benefits first-hand. “It’s a mind over matter thing,” she smiles. “Once you’re in, it’s absolutely amazing; I don’t know if it’s the adrenaline or the natural joie de vivre, but it’s completely exhilarating – a healthy drug. And also a medicine,” she adds. “The sea is like a miracle cure; there’s something special about it – it’s helped with my son’s eczema, my dog’s allergic skin reaction, and it can cure the worst hangover too! There’s something incredibly special about swimming in the sea. Especially in winter.”

Sarah is just one of many islanders who enjoys sea swimming all year round. She goes every two or three days, “whenever we can fit it into our schedule. If I haven’t been a good few times each week, I pine for it,” she admits. “I’ve even converted a good few friends to winter swimming, including one who wraps up in 15 layers every time it sinks below 20 degrees! As long as you have warm clothes and a hot drink waiting on the beach, you’ll be fine.”

Winter swimming is a rising trend all over the world. The Finns have been at it for years, jumping into icy lakes post sauna, and wild swimming in ponds and rivers is becoming a big thing in Britain. Here in Cyprus, the water may be considerably less cold, but a mid-winter dip is still a shock to the system.

“I remember winter swimming off Brighton Beach when I was younger,” recalls artist Abi Daker, who heads to Timi beach around noon nearly every day. “Here, of course, the sea is warmer, and the water much less polluted – but it can still be quite a shock. It is, though, a really is a beautiful experience.”

While Abi tends to swim alone or with immediate family – “we always have swimsuits and warm clothes in the back of car so we can jump in wherever we go” – many enjoy swimming as a group.

“We encourage each other, no matter how cold it is,” laughs 70-year-old Eleni Pishia, who has been winter swimming for over 15 years. Taking the plunge with a group of retirees in their 60s, 70s, and 80s (all carefully distanced, she notes), she swims off Governor’s Beach every day of the year. “I love winter swimming,” she reveals. “I always say it’s both my doctor and my psychologist – it heals mind, body and soul; I’ve seen it help with arthritis and all sorts of skin conditions.”

Eleni began sea swimming one autumn when she “felt a little down. So I decided to keep up my daily swim through October. Then it was November. And then December – and I was still swimming. That’s the way to do it,” she adds, “you start in the summer and just keep going…”

Of course there’s a knack to winter swimming, Eleni continues. “In winter I get in slowly slowly: first you feel the water; it’s very cold but you go in gradually. When it’s up to my chin, I jump up and down a bit, and then I swim around for 15 or 20 minutes with my friends. And we all sing…

“We sing Greek songs, folk songs, songs from our youth. It’s like being children again,” she laughs. “There we are, all in our costumes at 7.45 on a winter morning: the sunlight reflects on the water, the sound of the waves is in our ears, and we are swimming in the sea, singing the songs of our youth. Eventually, we get out and get dry, we put on warm clothes and have a hot drink, and we go back to our homes. I’ve been doing this 15 years, and there really is no better way to start your day!”

Another group have been winter swimming for even longer. The Paphos Swimmers Association meets every morning at the Mbania seafront restaurant, there to take the plunge.

“There are about 100 regular swimmers,” says Nicos Papacostas, who helps manage the group’s Facebook page, “We’re a mixture of all nationalities and ages, some younger, many older. We have a club, and it’s been going for decades.”

Many of the swimmers are also triathletes who take the plunge after a long run. “A swim is excellent for relaxing the muscles after exertion,” explains Nicos. “It’s also good for various conditions – I’ve spoken to many of the group who find winter swimming helps clear the sinuses, relieves post-surgery aches and pains, and helps with arthritis.”

While Nicos notes that some of the group “jump straight in, no matter how cold the water!”, most ease in slowly, taking their time. “The water is coldest now, in February,” he acknowledges, “so we tend to swim for 20 or 30 minutes at the most.”

Nicos also advocates a gradual adjustment to the freezing water: “You start in summer, and just keep going so you adapt to the temperature when it drops. Of course, during the winter months, you will feel the cold. But once you get used to the water it’s very refreshing.”

While the Paphos Winter Swimmers don’t tend to swim and sing, they do connect in a number of other ways, including beach clean-ups and clearing of seaweed. And, like the other winter swimmers, they share a passion for the waters; they’ve even been known to swim on Christmas Day, shucking off Father Christmas outfits to take the plunge!

“We love the sea,” says Nicos. “Summer, winter – it doesn’t matter. We are there, with the sea. And we swim.”

For more information on the Paphos Winter Swimmers Association, visit the Facebook page ‘Paphos Winter Swimmers (Βρυσουθκια Κελπετρη)’