On a chilly morning last December, I apprehensively went for my first winter outdoor swim. Even though I was wearing my brand-new wetsuit in the thickest possible neoprene, most of my friends and relatives were telling me I was mad. As I drove to the venue with the temperature gauge on 1°c and the murky sky starting to send down tiny snowflakes, I wondered if they were right.
My idea of the ideal winter’s day is cold temperatures and crisp sunlight. Turning up to a lake covered in a blanket of fog was a test of willpower, and the lack of protective gloves I later came to rely on made it an incredibly short dip. But it wasn’t too short to change my mindset. Instead of being put off by the winter weather, I found it peaceful and atmospheric.