Winter Open Water Swimming 101

A 4-Week Online Course | 2 Sessions per Week

Register Here

Format:

  • Total of 8 × 60-minute live Zoom sessions, recorded and available for replay

  • Progressive homework & real-world exposure

  • Beginner-friendly, safety-first, confidence-building

  • Optional private online community (WhatsApp)

Who This Program Is For:

  • Pool and open water swimmers wanting to start winter swimming

  • Dippers wanting to become safe swimmers

  • Anyone wanting intro-level structure, education, and community

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course guides participants from cold exposure fundamentals to confident, self-directed winter open water swimming, emphasizing:

  • Safety & risk awareness

  • Nervous system regulation

  • Gradual acclimatisation

  • Environmental and social respect

  • Sustainable, joyful practice

Cold open water swimming is treated as a relationship with cold, nature and other swimmers, not a test of toughness.

WEEK 1 — FOUNDATIONS & SAFETY

WK1 · Session 1 — Why Cold, Why Open Water, Why Now

Topics

  • Why Cold Water?

    • Physical & mental benefits of any cold exposure

    • Frequency vs intensity

  • Why open water swimming (especially in winter)?

    • Pools vs ice baths vs open water

    • Environmental and psychological factors

  • Safety & security fundamentals:

    • Your body (medical considerations & red flags)

    • Your mind (fear, ego, expectations)

    • The body of water (conditions, access, hazards)

  • What you need for winter OWS:

    • Essential vs optional equipment

    • Planning & logistics

    • Choosing locations & swim buddies

  • Location preparation:

    • Entry/exit access

    • Ice tools (pick axe, shovel, fishing scooper)

    • Standing mats, towels, changing strategy

  • Physical preparation:

    • Mobility, circulation, warmth

  • Mental preparation:

    • Managing fear, uncertainty & imagination

    • “Sea monsters”, Mother Nature & self-trust

  • Breathwork introduction:

    • Diaphragmatic breathing

    • Box breathing

    • 4-7-8

    • Physiological sigh

Q&A — 10 minutes

Homework

  • HW1: 1 × cold shower (15–60 sec) using breath control

  • HW2: Identify a potential open water spot + swim buddy/group

WK1 · Session 2 — Cold Shock, Breath & Expectations

Topics

  • Guided breathwork

  • Understanding cold water shock:

    • What happens physiologically

    • Why breath control is critical

  • Review & integration of Session 1

  • Group discussion:

    • Cold shower experiences

    • Physical sensations & emotional responses

  • Open water expectations:

    • Dipping vs swimming

    • What first winter exposure should feel like

  • Open Q&A

Homework

  • HW3: 3 × cold showers (30–60 sec) with breath

  • HW4: Visit your open water location in person

WEEK 2 — PREPARATION & FIRST OUTING

WK2 · Session 1 — Planning Your First Cold Swim

Topics

  • Breathwork & nervous system regulation

  • Cold shock review

  • Tracking sensations, mood & recovery:

    • Journaling

    • Photos / notes / community sharing

  • Planning your first cold water outing:

    • Weather & water temp

    • Entry/exit strategy

    • Time limits

  • Equipment decisions:

    • Swimsuit vs wetsuit

    • Caps, ear plugs, goggles

    • Gloves & booties

  • Clothing & footwear systems

  • Post-swim nutrition & hot drinks

  • Visualization & expectations

  • Pre / during / post exposure routine

  • Afterdrop & peripheral vasodilation:

    • What they are

    • How to reduce risk

  • Safe rewarming strategies

  • Acclimatisation basics:

    • Place, time, temperature progression

Q&A — 10 minutes

Homework

  • HW5: 2 × cold showers (45–60 sec or more)

  • HW6: Prepare your full winter swim bag

WK2 · Session 2 — Readiness & Community

Topics

  • Guided breathwork

  • Cold shock & breath integration

  • Review of Session 1 key points

  • Assessing readiness for first open water outing

  • Community matters:

    • Why winter swimmers don’t swim alone

    • Finding or building your OWS community

  • Open Q&A

Homework

  • HW7: 3 × cold showers (60 sec or more)

  • HW8: Complete your first cold open water outing

WEEK 3 — ADAPTATION & CONFIDENCE

WK3 · Session 1 — Progressing Safely

Topics

  • Breathwork

  • Cold shock & afterdrop review

  • Planning your next outings

  • Acclimatisation progression:

    • Location consistency

    • Time vs temperature

    • Air vs water considerations

  • Decision-making:

    • “How long do I actually need?”

  • Tracking mood, energy & recovery

  • Fine-tuning routines:

    • Pre-swim

    • In-water focus

    • Post-swim care

  • Equipment adjustments

  • Food & drink optimization

  • Progression speed:

    • What’s safe

    • What’s unnecessary

  • Winter swimming technique tips

Q&A — 10 minutes

Homework

  • HW9: Daily breathwork (1 min/day)

  • HW10: Daily cold showers or cold water exposure

WK3 · Session 2 — Consistency & Resilience

Topics

  • Breathwork

  • Cold shock, afterdrop & peripheral cooling

  • Review of Session 1

  • Readiness for multiple outings per week

  • Open Q&A

Homework

  • HW11: Daily breathwork (1 min/day)

  • HW12: Daily cold exposure (showers or open water)

WEEK 4 — INTEGRATION & LONG-TERM PRACTICE

WK4 · Session 1 — Making Winter Swimming a Lifestyle

Topics

  • Breathwork

  • Cold shock review

  • Planning ongoing winter swims

  • Fine-tuning your system:

    • Entry & exit

    • Time management

    • Rewarming efficiency

  • Tracking physical & emotional benefits

  • Exploring winter open water culture:

    • Polar Bear dips

    • Ice swims

    • Community challenges

  • Online & in-person resources

  • Sustainability mindset:

    • Swimming for joy, not ego

Q&A — 10 minutes

Homework

  • HW13: Daily breathwork (1 min/day)

  • HW14: Continued daily cold exposure

WK4 · Session 2 — Confident Independence

Topics

  • Breathwork

  • Cold shock, afterdrop & long-term adaptation

  • Review of Session 1

  • Assessing readiness for:

    • Independent winter swims

    • Group events

    • Seasonal challenges

  • Open Q&A

  • Course closing & next steps

Price: $95+tax / $85+tax early bird until January 1st

For any questions regarding this program, Contact Us

Copyright 2025 © The Cool AF Vegan / The Coolest Journey - divisions of 8741719 Canada Inc