Ice swimming

Ice swimming is swimming in a body of water with a frozen crust of ice, which requires cutting a hole in the ice. Stairs must be attached as a safety precaution. This may also be simulated by a pool of water at 0 °C, the temperature at which water freezes. Ice swimming is possible because the freezing of water releases heat, so that the water does not refreeze instantly.

Winter swimming is swimming in a body of water during winter. Depending on the geographical location, and the time of year, the water swum in may be at freezing temperature as in Ice swimming, or could be considerably warmer.

Health benefits and risks
Advocates of ice swimming say that it makes one feel fresh all day, improves circulation, and even that it helps build resistance to diseases related to the cold, like the flu. This is thought to relieve symptoms of arthritis, and many report it to have a strong anti-depressant effect. Ice Swimmers recommend swimming regularly (at least 2-3 times a week) for these effects.

It is common to have a sauna near such a swimming hole, and to cycle from the sauna into the water and back. It can be a shock to the body to dip into freezing water directly from a sauna. It is safer to pause when moving from the sauna to the cold water, and would-be ice swimmers should take care to check with their doctor if they have heart conditions or other ailments that might make them particularly susceptible to this type of shock. To make ice swimming more comfortable some people prefer wearing hats and insulating shoes, even gloves. This kind of protective clothing balances the temperature variations and act like a thermostat.

There are no rules for how long one should stay in the water. "Heavy users" can swim in the water for several minutes. Health benefits may be derived from as little as 20 seconds in the water. Many people visit the water twice; some take just a shorter dip. On the other hand, diving under the ice is extremely hazardous and shouldn't be done under any circumstances.

Part of the shock when done in combination with sauna is due to extreme changes of blood circulation. The sauna causes blood to rise to the surface of one's body while avanto (Finnish for a hole in the ice) causes the blood to rush towards one's heart and inside of one's body.

Maintaining the hole in the ice
One way that the hole is maintained in the frozen sea is with a pump that forces the water to circulate under the hole preventing ice from forming. Small ice-holes can also be kept open by keeping a lid over the hole to prevent ice forming.

Most swimming places also use a specific heated "carpet" going from the locker rooms to the ice-hole, both to make walking to the hole more pleasant and for safety as otherwise the water dripping from returning swimmers would freeze and create a dangerously slippy surface to walk on.

Recent interest
Ice swimming has recently become more popular in Finland. There is an Avantouinti Society, and swimming holes are also maintained by other groups such as the Finnish skiing association (Suomen Latu). The Finnish Sauna Society maintains an avanto hole for sauna goers.

Helsinki has several places for avantouinti, with dressing-rooms and sometimes with saunas. Tampere area has probably the densest ice swimming and winter sauna concentration in Finland.

Nordic countries
In Finland and Sweden the ice swimming tradition has been connected with the sauna tradition. Unlike dousing, it is not seen as an ascetic or religious ritual, but a way to cool off rapidly after staying in a sauna and as a stress relief. Finnish people swims wihtout sauna too. There is lots of places where you can swim without sauna in Finland during winter.

China
In Harbin, northern China, many ice swim in the Songhua River. It has grown in popularity since late 1940 as a winter ritual and now as an estimated 200,000 registered swimmers. The river hole is estimated to be 25m by 10m. 

Russia
There are strong traditions for ice swimming and dousing with cold water in Russia. They are done for health benefits, as a ritual of the Orthodox Church for the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, and for sports.

North America
The members of Canadian and American "polar bear clubs" go outdoor bathing or swimming in the middle of winter. In some areas it is unusual or ceremonial enough to attract press coverage. Cosmo Kramer briefly joins a New York polar bears club in the sitcom Seinfeld.

Winter swimming clubs around the world

 * Belgian club "De Dendermondse Ijsberen"
 * Central organization of Danish winter swimming clubs
 * Central site of Polish winter swimming clubs
 * Latvian winter swimming page
 * "Sun winter swimmers" from China
 * Polar Bear Club, July 1, 2003 - Hudson Bay
 * The Finnish Sauna Society
 * Coney Island Polar Bear Club The Coney Island Polar Bear Club - www.polarbearclub.org - has swum every winter sunday since 1903.
 * Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia) - Winter swimming since 1985

Zimní plavání Winterbaden Avantouinti Ziemas peldēšana Mors (człowiek) Зимнее плавание Vinterbad