Cope Christmas day swim

buzz55

Hi all,

Would like to do something to help out the less fortunate this year, and am considering this.

However.......... I deffo need more details before pledging myself to the COLD Atlantic waters!!

Basically, how immersed do you need to get? Is it just a quick run in and back out, up to your waist type of thing or do you have to go full on head under water? (Not sure the body could cope with the shock :eek:)

Its my first year of staying in Galway over Christmas and I'd love to do something for charity.

Failing the swim attempt, does anyone know anywhere that I could do volunteer work on Christmas day? I can't stay the full day but could do a few hours.

thanks

Fuinseog

buzz55 wrote: »

Hi all,

Would like to do something to help out the less fortunate this year, and am considering this.

However.......... I deffo need more details before pledging myself to the COLD Atlantic waters!!

Basically, how immersed do you need to get? Is it just a quick run in and back out, up to your waist type of thing or do you have to go full on head under water? (Not sure the body could cope with the shock :eek:)

Its my first year of staying in Galway over Christmas and I'd love to do something for charity.

Failing the swim attempt, does anyone know anywhere that I could do volunteer work on Christmas day? I can't stay the full day but could do a few hours.

thanks

its not the artic. how cold it is depends on the day. low tide is better for you as you can gauge your depth.

JohnCleary

Group of us have been doing it for the past few years.

It's cold, yes... but not so cold that it hurts.

You can swim for as long or as little as you like... it's not a big organised thing where everyone must go in and spend so much time in the water. You just go down there on the morning and join the rest of the loonies in the water! Last year the tide was out so we ran down the beach and into the water for a quick swim. Year before that tide was in so we jumped off the tower - must check tides this year as i'd much prefer to jump in from the tower

McTigs

Tide is gonna be in this year so it's off the tower.

Tide has been out the last couple of years and it's been rubbish.... climbing down a ladder, getting just about under and back up another ladder... a bit like sheep dunking.

For the OP, there's no hard and fast rules but for you own self respect if you are going to do it:
a) Total submersion is recomended, if only for a few seconds.
b) Wearing a wetsuit is met with ridicule and rightfully so.
c) Don't fanny about half the day on the edge, just do it!

Great thing is the christmas eve hangover is gone in a matter of seconds and carniverous appetite for christmas dinner comes to the fore.

See you down there!

dafunk

Do it! It's a great laugh. I do it most (some?) years at the forty foot in Dublin and it's always packed and serious amounts of fun, everyone drinking hot brandy and jumping in. Three years ago we raised five grand for focus ireland. This year I'm doing the swim in aid of Habiltat for Humanity. Got in the sea yesterday down in silver strand to prep myself. It was brrr! Got brain freeze. You feel great afterwards though.

galvianlord

used to be fun before every one and his mother joined in...now it's a pain in the arse down there...la dee dah!

dafunk

McTigs wrote: »

Tide is gonna be in this year so it's off the tower.

Tide has been out the last couple of years and it's been rubbish.... !

That makes no sense to me. Tides are every twelve hours. You'll have two of them every Christmas day.

buzz55

"used to be fun before every one and his mother joined in...now it's a pain in the arse down there...la dee dah! "

This was one of the fears that I had - the 'outsiders/newcomers are not welcome' type of thing. Last thing I want to do is get p*s*ed off by someone on Christmas morning when I'm trying to do something nice :rolleyes:

galvianlord

oh god no, didnt mean it like that. it's all embracing and very welcoming...randomers wandering around playing accordions and harmonicas...handing out hot whiskey and hot port....all very 'nice', just a bit 'to be seen' and 'who's who' for me personally....

you have the usual hardy auld stock that are there every day there as well, they may get annoyed...but i dont know. it's more the spectators that irritate me...

go, enjoy all for a good cause etc....it's the pomposity that annoys me...

JohnCleary

galvianlord wrote: »

used to be fun before every one and his mother joined in...now it's a pain in the arse down there...la dee dah!

WTF are you on about? What is it, some sort of elitest group only thing? The point of the Christmas swim for as long as i've been doing it (10 odd years) is to raise money for charity. More people swimming = potentially more people raising money for charity.

Blackrock is a public place, anyone is entitled to go down and thankfully everyone is greeted with smiles and open arms down there on XMas morning.

If you don't like it, stay in bed.

-EDIT- Just read your above post... fair enough. I agree, there's 10-fold the number of spectators than swimmers. Last year there were 3 of us, 2 of us went in the water (the other was sick).

galvianlord

thanks JC...i think.....:D

Fuinseog

i used to do the christams swim before it became popular. go down before 11 to beat the crowds.
go down the ladder to your waist and spalsh a bit of water on your shoulders so the shock won' be too great.
do wear a hat.
if its cold it will take your breath away.
remember to keep your mouth shut when you hit the water.
there are pelnty of peopel on stand by to pulll you out.

Fuinseog

buzz55 wrote: »

"used to be fun before every one and his mother joined in...now it's a pain in the arse down there...la dee dah! "

This was one of the fears that I had - the 'outsiders/newcomers are not welcome' type of thing. Last thing I want to do is get p*s*ed off by someone on Christmas morning when I'm trying to do something nice :rolleyes:

i used to swim all year round so if i went in christmas day i could stay in longer.
90% of the peopel there christmas day are outsiders or sunshine swimmers.
its a bitch when it rainning cos they hog the shelters.

Fuinseog

galvianlord wrote: »

oh god no, didnt mean it like that. it's all embracing and very welcoming...randomers wandering around playing accordions and harmonicas...handing out hot whiskey and hot port....all very 'nice', just a bit 'to be seen' and 'who's who' for me personally....

you have the usual hardy auld stock that are there every day there as well, they may get annoyed...but i dont know. it's more the spectators that irritate me...

go, enjoy all for a good cause etc....it's the pomposity that annoys me...

the swimmers who swim there every day go at 8, 11 and 1. most avoid the mob on christmas day.
cold water is good for the circulation and does help keep colds at bay.
there is a wonderful sense of cameraderie amongts the regular swimmers. they watch out for you in the water and keep an eye on your stuff so your wallet doesn't get swiped.

buzz55

oh right, fair enough so galvianlord.

Let's be honest, there certainly won't be anything pompous or la dee dah about me if I'm wet & frozen

Any idea what sort of temps the water might be that time of year? Pardon the pun but I think I'm already getting cold feet!!

Ah no, I should be able for it, but I reckon 2 or 3 minutes of mad thrashing will be more than enough for me.

Mrs OBumble

dafunk wrote: »

That makes no sense to me. Tides are every twelve hours. You'll have two of them every Christmas day.

You'd think that Cope could ask God (or whoever!) to manipulate the laws of physics a bit so that one of them is always at, say, 11am on Christmas Day.

Rather than maybe 6am and 6pm, etc.

McTigs

dafunk wrote: »

That makes no sense to me. Tides are every twelve hours. You'll have two of them every Christmas day.

Wha?

If it's in at 4am and 4pm i'm hardly gonna rock down at 4 in the morning for the dip or just after chrismas dinner am i?

When i say it's been out for the past few years, i meant it was out between the hours of around 11am to 1pm given that's when most do it.

And as for the "i used to do it before it became a cliche" posters... lol, just lol.
I've been doing it for years and the crowds don't bother me at all as long as somebody hands me something hot when i get out.

nerophis

high tide is 1043 if tower jumping is your preferred route to shivers

Greaney

Last year I talked my son into doing the Christmas swim (I was going to... but I'm accident prone and my Mum siad "not on your nelly if you're getting married next month", long story, but for crying out loud I'm nearly 40!!)

Anyway, I went down to shake a bucket, hand out choccy's and facepaint to add to the craic, and it was mighty. A great way to start Christmas day instead of staying in your jammy's, either do the Christmas swim or walk the prom and then support the brave souls with a few bob!! A Great Galway tradition that everyone from the "die hard locals" to the "I'm just visiting Galway for the season" tourists should give a spin.... and by the way, I come from a long line of locals who've been doing it for over 30 yrs over 3 generations.... except me:(