Once I was in the water the pain almost had me quitting but I persevered and benefited Big Time! What a rush!
Both The Ambiance And The Water Begged us to Take a Swim!
I have to say that this place was magical. The combination of the waterfall, the color of the water and the fact that the bottom was fine white sand made the desire to swim overpowering!
Could you resist swimming over to these waterfalls in Faido Switzerland? I couldn't!
What an incredibly beautiful and inviting place but beware! This was not the tropics!
At What Point is Bathing Water Considered Cold?
The water that we swam in was between 10- 15°C ( 50-60°F) depending on the depth and the flow. Many people might think that that doesn't sound cold because they are mentally comparing it to air temperature. That's a big mistake because there is no comparison!
Once water is below 25°C (77°F) breathing can already be affected. It is for this reason that the officialy accepted range of water temperature for Olympic competition is 25-28°C (77-82°F). In fact, when I first took the plunge I noticed that my breathing was affected and my legs and private parts ached! Yikes! After about 5 minutes I got quite used to the temperature and was able to enjoy the water for about 15 minutes or so.
Once I was out of the water my skin had a pleasant tingling sensation for several hours and I had an overall sense of energy, alertness and well-being!
That's me, "The Old Dog" on the right with my son on the left. The water from the falls was so powerful and cold that it almost felt like we were getting hit by hail! Not shown but also brave and present was the Steemit artist and adventurer 
"Oh what a feeling, what a rush!" I shall return soon!
Facts About Cold Water Swimming. What Could happen?
- 10-15°C (50-60°F) loss of breath, cold water shock, uncontrolled gasping and hyperventilating!
- Below 4.5°C (40°F) could provoke total loss of breathing control and could be so painfully cold that it feels like your skin is burning!
- Those not used to cold water swimming will find 21°C (70°F) to feel quite cold.
- Those used to swimming in cold water might find 21°c to be quite comfortable.
- It is important to know how you respond personally to cold water!
- gradually getting acclimatized to the water by entering slowly will reduce or eliminate shock.
- Body fat in cold weather swimming is an advantage. It provides insulation thus slowing heat loss and hypothermia. It does not, however reduce the risk of shock!
When High Body Fat Saved a Life!
In March 1984 a fishing boat capsized plunging 5 fisherman into the sea off of the coast of Iceland! Gudlaugur Fridthorsson, swam for about 6 hours in 5.6°C water and was the sole survivor. What was the reason? Gudlaugur Fridthorsson was heavily over weight! He had a mind bogglingly high Body Mass Index of 30 which made his physique similar to that of a seal! His survival was so amazing that the story was made into a film entitled "The Deep".
How long would I have survived? I'm not quite in seal territory but I do need to shed some accumulated blubber!
Amazingly, despite his ordeal, Gudlaugur Fridthorsson did not suffer from any hypothermia! Photo Credit
Interesting Temperatures!
- 98.6F (37C) Normal body temperature.
- 95F(35C) The point at which hypothermia begins. That's not much of a difference is it?!
- 85F(29.4C) Surprisingly water feels pleasantly cool.
What Has Your Experience Been?
- Will you swim in a cold swimming pool?
- Have you ever been in very cold mountain water?
- Do you ever take cold showers?
I hope that you enjoyed this article about " Skin Tightening and Tingling After A Cold Water Swim."
Until next time,
Remember, if you upvote my post and leave a comment I will do my best to upvote it with some of my 41,000 plus Steem Power!