Sideshore Swim Club - Winter Edition ❄️🌊

Delivered in partnership with Sea Swim Devon

Cold water, warm welcomes and a brilliant way to start your Sunday!

As the temperatures drop and winter approaches, our Sideshore Swim Club is embracing the colder months and shifting its focus to winter dipping, cold-water confidence and enjoying the incredible benefits of being in the sea.

Join us every Sunday morning for a refreshing dip, a friendly atmosphere and a supportive community of like-minded sea lovers.

Whether you're an experienced winter dipper or curious about taking your first steps into colder water, our sessions are designed to help you enjoy the sea safely, confidently and at your own pace.

There's no pressure to swim distances or stay in for a set amount of time. In fact, as the water gets colder, less time in the water is often more!

What to Expect

• Weekly Sunday dips at 9am
• A relaxed, friendly and welcoming environment
• Short, supported sea dips appropriate to the conditions and your experience
• Guidance on cold-water acclimatisation, safe entry and exit, and recognising your own limits
• Qualified open-water swimming instructors and coaches
• Professional lifeguard safety cover
• Sessions run rain or shine, provided sea conditions and water quality are safe
• A brilliant community of fellow dippers who love the sea, whatever the season!

Our focus throughout winter is on enjoying the experience rather than swimming distances. We'll help you understand how colder water affects your body, recognise when it's time to get out and develop the confidence to make safe decisions.

What Makes Sideshore Winter Dip Club Different?

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the sea throughout the year, but winter dipping comes with additional risks, and safety is always our priority.

Unlike an informal dipping group or social meet-up, Sideshore Winter Dip Club is a fully organised and insured session, delivered by experienced professionals.

Every session includes:

• Full insurance cover
• Qualified open-water swimming instructors and coaches
• Qualified lifeguard cover
• A team experienced in cold-water swimming and sea safety
• Assessment of sea and weather conditions before every session
• Guidance to help you dynamically assess the conditions and make informed decisions about your dip
• Advice on recognising cold-water shock, your personal limits and safe warming-up techniques

You'll enjoy all the friendship, laughter and feel-good benefits of a community dipping group, with the added reassurance of a professionally delivered and supervised session.

Keeping Warm – What to Bring 🧤

As the sea temperature drops, preparing for your time out of the water is just as important as preparing to get in.

Getting warm, dry and dressed promptly after your dip is essential, particularly as your body temperature can continue to fall after leaving the water, a process known as afterdrop.

Please come prepared with:

• Plenty of warm, loose-fitting layers - easy to put on when your hands are cold
• A warm hat - ideally one you can put on as soon as you leave the water
• Gloves and thick socks - to help warm up your hands and feet
• A changing robe or large towel - to dry off and protect yourself from the wind
• A flask of warm drink - tea, coffee or hot chocolate is always a welcome treat!
• A hot water bottle - wrapped in a cover or towel, for gentle warmth once you're dry and dressed
• Warm, practical footwear - something easy to slip on after your dip
• A changing mat - to keep your feet off the cold ground while getting dressed

Our top tip: Have everything ready before you enter the water so you can dry off, get dressed and start warming up straight away.

Warm up gradually, avoid very hot showers or direct intense heat immediately after dipping, and never drive until you feel fully warm and well again.

If you're new to winter dipping, please let our team know. We're always happy to offer extra guidance and reassurance.

Why Join Us?

There's something pretty special about heading to the beach on a crisp winter morning, sharing a dip with friends and wrapping up afterwards with a warm drink and a good chat.

Winter dipping is about so much more than cold water. It's about connecting with nature, building confidence, embracing the changing seasons and enjoying the positive effects that spending time outdoors and being part of a community can have on your wellbeing.

Whether you're a seasoned sea dipper or giving winter dipping a go for the first time, you'll find a warm welcome waiting for you at Sideshore.

And remember, there's no competition, no pressure and definitely no prizes for staying in the longest!

Meeting Point

Please meet at 8:55am at the swim area slipway, to the right of the RNLI Lifeboat Station when looking out to sea, ready for a 9am start.

You'll spot our team on the beach in their unmistakably 'very orange' Sea Swim Devon kit!

Please arrive ready to dip, with all your warm clothing and post-dip essentials close to hand.

Cancellations

Spaces are limited, and our sessions often have a waiting list. If you can no longer attend, please cancel your place as soon as possible so we can offer it to someone else.

See You by the Sea!

Winter might bring colder water and chillier mornings, but it also brings some of the most memorable moments by the sea.

We look forward to sharing the winter season with you.

The Sideshore & Sea Swim Devon Team