Water temperature: when warm is cold

One swimmer’s warm will be another swimmer’s cold. Simon Griffiths on the danger of speaking subjectively when it comes to water temperature

On one of the many swim chat WhatsApp groups I’m in there was a discussion recently about water temperatures. It’s a common discussion on swimming WhatsApp groups. Someone posted a comment along the lines of: “Ah, 19 degrees! That’s toasty.”

My problem with such comments is that they state subjective experience as objective fact.

Here are some important things to remember about water temperature and swimming:

• The ability to tolerate cool water varies widely between swimmers.
• It is largely driven by physical factors – essentially your body size, shape, age and hormones.
• Your ability to hold your core body temperature in cool water (or lack of ability) is NOT a measure of your mental toughness or self-worth.

I know plenty of swimmers who could swim for hours in 19-degree water. I also know others who would be heading towards hypothermia after an hour or two. That is how it is.

Acclimatisation does play a role and it’s an important part of preparing for a long-distance open water challenge but there’s a reason prospective Channel swimmers put on weight. Size matters. You can’t defy the laws of physics.

On the other hand, mental toughness can get you into serious trouble. It’s not that hard to swim until you are dangerously cold.

The key is to understand your own tolerances and stay within your own limits. And if you are gifted in the cold water tolerance department, please be careful with throw-away comments about what is balmy. Your warm will be someone else’s cold.