It’s 5am. The sun hasn’t yet risen and it’s cold. Many people are still under their covers, snoozing and awaiting their alarm clocks to jolt them into consciousness, but for the first time in a long time I am awake before the dawn and scrambling around for my car keys to make it in time to catch the sunrise and brave the elements as I try the activity that seems to have taken the world by storm in the last few years: cold water - or outdoor - swimming.
Outdoor swimming is essentially swimming in an open natural body of water outside, be that at dawn, dusk and any time in between. From chilly lakeside dips to full cold-water immersion in the open sea in your skimpy swimmers or thickest winter wetsuit. And while swimming in crisp waters sounds like the last thing you’d want to be doing - especially first thing in the morning - this form of cold-water therapy has a vast number of incredible benefits that’ll make you rethink your hesitations.
According to IPRS Health, cold-water swimming can boost your immune system, give you a natural high, improve circulation, increase libido, burn calories, reduce stress, anxiety and improve mental health. And if these aren't spurring you to whip on your cozzie and dive in, perhaps the most wonderful element is it connects you with an incredible community of like-minded people.
Read more : Llandegfedd Lake now offers open water swimming and we went along to try it out
So when I discovered there was a group of swimmers called the Dawnstalkers in the nearby seaside town of Penarth - which has recently received official bathing water status - I was intrigued to dip my toe in and see how great it really was - despite being a complete wuss with the cold.
Before I took the plunge, I contacted the group’s founders 44-year-old Grant Zehetmayr and 26-year-old mindfulness coach Lene Hops, who swim in the shallow waters of Penarth beach each and every morning at dawn, to find out more about what I was getting myself into. The pair met by chance in the early hours of February last year through a friend and soon bonded over their invigorating experience of cold-water swimming.
“I didn’t expect to do it regularly,” says Lene, who hails from Germany and who was working as an au pair at the time she started. “I needed to do something for myself. And I just somehow decided to get into the sea…I thought it was going to be a one-time thing but got hooked and wanted to do it all day. Then I met Grant.
“He did it every day, and I didn't want to go on my own - my friends didn’t want to do it again - but I wanted to go in the sea regularly, so I asked if I could join him. So that just became a habit and more and more friends joined.”
Grant, who started the month before her, was partaking in Dry January and having tried outdoor swimming the previous October, he wanted to add something else onto the challenge.
”I committed to five out of seven [days] and I was getting in on my own... it was adding something that I felt quite good about than what I've taken away, which was booze at weekends. The kind of euphoria I got from alcohol, I was getting that from getting in the sea. So I continued.”
Meeting Lene and going in each day, Grant tells us, became “the tiny snowball" that grew because they committed to going in daily, getting in early, not necessarily dawn, but sunrise. He says: "By March there were maybe six of us who were quite regular. So we created a WhatsApp group, I started to post tide times and what time I was getting in and somewhere down the line we started an Instagram page.”
Now, there are over 200 people in a private Whatsapp group and nearly 9000 followers on Instagram. Lene explains the group grew because people were looking to do something for themselves at the height of lockdown and were searching for some sort of social contact.
“I’ve met so many amazing people through the sea dips,” says Lene. “That’s why I decided I’m not going home. I was only supposed to stay in Wales for a year. I’m German, so I moved to Penarth in August 2020 from Germany [for a job as an au pair] and then was supposed to go back home in August '21. I have decided not to do that and stay here. I don’t want to leave the community behind, I don't want to go back to not living at the sea anymore.”
“It’s really organic,” she says. “We were just some people going in the water. And who wants to join, they join. And who doesn't, they just don’t.”
So, I did. Asking how I should prepare for this early morning immersion, the first thing I was told was to wear what I felt comfortable in - be that a wetsuit, rash vest or swimming costume, just “do it however you feel you need to be in order to show up and have a go”.
So, the night before, I set out my swimming costume for the authentic experience. Next on the checklist, which is available on the Dawnstalkers website, is watershoes to protect your feet from the elements of stones, rocks and solid ground beneath you walking in and out of the sea. However, being someone who was not experienced in the open water swimming department, I was lacking in this area. So I sought after the next best thing: some slip on waterproof sandals.
Other item,s on the list included layers, a towel, something to stand on when you come out - “to isolate you from the floor” - a hot water bottle and hot drink, all of which I set aside, ready for my 4:45am wake up call. I was nervous.
The dip
I got to the seafront at 5.15am. The sunrise was due at 5:36am and light was peeking out over the horizon. Walking over to what is known as the ‘concrete overflow’ in Penarth, there was already one man there standing in a dry robe. Soon Grant arrived with Frankie Ingall, a teacher originally from Oxfordshire who began sea swimming two and half years ago and joined the Dawnstalkers last year.
“I’m here every morning,” Frankie, who swims throughout the year, tells me, “For me, it’s the community aspect of coming down here and being part of a community first thing before I go to work. I have quite a stressful job and I find coming here and resetting every morning before I go to work just makes me calmer, makes me happier… when it’s really cold you get a cold water buzz. But now, at this time of year when it’s not so cold it’s just calm.”
Once we set our things down next to a walkway-type structure into the sea, I saw more people were traipsing across the pebbles, complete with dry robes and bobble hats, each receiving a warm welcome with open arms. “You get to mess around with your mates and have a bit of fun before you go to work. It’s where all my friends are,” Frankie says.
Soon, the beach was filling up with people stripping down to their bikinis, costumes, trunks and watershoes - not a wetsuit in sight! - and making their way to the ocean without a moment's thought.
I was still fully clothed, reluctant to give up my duffle coat. But the sun was coming up and I would miss the experience of the sunrise in the sea if I didn’t move soon. So, with the hairs on my forearm standing to attention, I took off my layers - bar bobble hat and swimming costume, of course - and slipped on my shoes. I was ready.
By this point, Lene was here and she’d agreed to help me in, every step of the way, starting off with breathing. See, when your body meets the cold water, your initial reaction is to gasp - something called a cold shock response which can cause rapid breathing and an increased heart rate and blood pressure. To avoid this, Lene tells me to take long deep breaths in and out, to help my body acclimatise.
It all sounded easy, but doing it came next. As I reached the shoreline, my toes - my coldest feature - were the first to be subjected to the temperature. A sudden squeal erupted from my lips and step by step, it became a little easier to walk deeper into the sea.
Soon I found myself waist deep and, weirdly, I thought, not hating every second. My toes were still screaming out for heat, but my legs were perfectly content. I was confused. Had I built it up too much in my head?
“How’re you finding it?” I heard from the swimmers around me. Unsure, I responded: “Lovely.”
Getting my shoulders under was next. With Lene by my side, I counted down and slowly submerged myself. It was chilly, to say the least, but not mind-numbing. I braced myself for the onslaught of a pins and needles-type feeling to engulf my body, and force me to run out of the water. But that urge never came.
Instead, I felt proud, and happy - and in awe. Penarth has “the absolute benefit” of being host each morning to a glorious sunrise rippling over the sea, painting the sky. The only times I’d seen the sunrise was for holiday purposes, and even then I was trying to squeeze in an extra kip. It was a sight to behold - no wonder so many people come down in the morning to witness this.
“It is just something magical, really,” Lene tells me of swimming at dawn. “People want to see something new, something different and want to start their day with something amazing.” And amazing it is.
I exhaled slowly and, suddenly, I wasn’t feeling so cold. My temperature felt neutral. Was it talking to people that took my mind off the chilling feeling of such-and-such degrees? Or the stunning surroundings? Or was I actually managing this better than I expected?
Afraid I’d loose a shoe, my hat or the feeling in my arms, I didn’t try swimming but stayed sitting on the edge of the walkway, shoulders, knees and toes taking it all in and chatting with those bobbing around me.
About 10 minutes (and that’s an accurate approximation - I’m surprised as well) after we’d approached the water, I was ready to get out. With the early morning air filled with the laughter and chattering of the community who had welcomed me with such open arms, I slowly stood up, with Lene and fellow Dawnstalker, Rachel Mulqueen, by my side, and made my way to the shore. As I lifted myself out of the water, my legs and arms felt heavy, but not frozen. I’d done it and it wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was enjoyable. I was proud of myself and, quite simply, I was buzzing. Grant described it as "euphoria", and though I don’t think it was quite at that level yet, it certainly wasn’t a drop in the ocean.
As I reached for my clothes, the inevitable “after drop” started - an experience of which I had been pre-warned. According to the Outdoor Swimming Society, the ‘after drop’ is “the phenomenon of your body temperature continuing to drop even after you get out of cold water and into a warmer environment – so that you feel colder 10 or 40 minutes after you exit than you did in the water". My jaw had started chattering and my skin was covered in goosebumps and while I didn’t feel awfully cold, I was shaking. I can see why a hot water bottle, fully prepped, is a necessity as a newbie.
With my clothes ready, I quickly (as quickly as my shaking hands would let me) layered up in a jumper, scarf, hat, duffle, joggers and thick socks and made my way up to the pier, where I was met by mobile coffee shop, Stol Coffee run by Peter Skoczylas who makes his way every morning to Penarth seafront.
I had never been so glad of a warm coffee. As I drank it slowly, my body came back to normality limb by limb. Saying "goodbyes" and "thank yous" to the people who made my morning so magnificent, I made my way home to get ready for work with a smile planted, still, on my face.
While I don’t think I’ll be joining the Dawnstalkers every day for a dip in the ocean at dawn, I’m definitely going to return for another swim in future. And if swimming isn’t your thing, watching the sunrise is quite a way to start your day.
Staying safe in the water
With any sport, there are always safety considerations. But submerging yourself in freezing cold waters for wild swimming, it’s important to get clued up on the rules to ensure optimum safety at all times.
According to the IPRS Health website, here are the top tips on how to stay safe while swimming in natural waters:
1. Acclimatise
As the temperature drops, just keep swimming and your body will get used to the cold. This time of year is the perfect time to start cold water swimming. It will not be such a shock to go through the year then, as the sea temperature starts to fall.
2. Be safe
Open water can be dangerous. Only ever swim where it is safe, and make sure you can enter and exit the water quickly and easily. Never swim on your own.
3. Wear the right kit
Wear a swimming hat, or two, to help preserve body heat (we often wear woolly hats or earmuffs). You can also wear neoprene gloves, booties, balaclava or a wetsuit – whatever you feel comfortable with (although you may be ribbed by the group if you wear a wetsuit!)
4. No diving
Do not dive or jump in unless you are used to the cold water. Cold water can cause gasping of breath and cold-water shock, which can be extremely dangerous.
5. Know your limits
As the temperature drops, decrease the amount of time you spend in the water. In winter, swimmers often only swim for one or two minutes at a time. The general rule is that you can spend 1 minute per degree of water temperature in the water – obviously, you need to listen to your body too.
6. Warm up slowly
Don’t have a hot shower. Hot water can cool your core and it can be dangerous. Instead, make sure you have plenty of warm clothes, wrap up well and have a hot drink.
And finally, spend the rest of the day on a high, trying to convince your friends and family that you’re not completely nuts.
When do the Dawnstalkers meet?
Lene explains: “So we go in every morning into the sea, either at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution side, or the other side on the slip way. We are basically just turning up, and then getting into the water and watching the sunrise while in the water. We stay in as long as we want - there’s no expectations, no comparisons, everyone does what they feel comfortable with. Some people wear wetsuits, I’m still in my bikini. Just completely depends on what works for people. And then we have a bob around. Some people swim - I don't, I just go in the water. I do it for the cold because it’s certainly a way to wake yourself up. We have a chat and hang out in the sea with people and then we get out, get dressed and then have a coffee after and hang around, have a little chat before everyone goes off to work.”
How to join the Dawnstalkers
You can join them at any time, should you wish to try it out. Just check out their Instagram stories - @dawnstalkers - to find out the time of sunrise and what side they’ll be heading out on. When the sun rises, that’s when they enter the waters. If you’re a newbie, there are plenty of people around to help you get in and adjust, with their instagram stating: “Even if you hate the cold, you can do it. Promise”.
What to bring?
Bikini
Swimming costume
Rash vest
Wetsuit
Just whatever you feel most comfortable in
Water shoes for safety reasons - Penarth is a rather pebbly beach, so shoes are a must.
A towel or robe to dry yourself off
Dry clothes to change into post-swim
A hot water bottle
A hot drink
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