With cold water athletes in heavy training for the upcoming IISA 1st European Championship to be held between February 1st – 4th 2024 in Oradea, Romania (see schedule below), there is a whole lotta acclimatization going on around the European continent.

Participating athletes come from Albania, Cyprus, Great Britain, Lithuania, Portugal, Turkey, Andorra. Czech Republic. Greece, Luxembourg, Romania, Ukraine, Armenia, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, Russia, Austria, Estonia, Iceland, Moldova, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands, Ireland, Monaco, Serbia, Belarus, Finland, Israel, Montenegro, Slovakia, Belgium, France, Italy, Isle of Man, Netherlands, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Spain, Bulgaria, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Croatia, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, Poland, and Switzerland.

Race Day 1 on February 2nd 2024

• 500m freestyle
• 50m butterfly
• 100m backstroke
• 50m breaststroke
• 4x50m mixed freestyle relay
• 500m freestyle

Race Day 2 on February 3rd 2024

• 1000m freestyle
• 100m freestyle
• 100m breaststroke
• 4x50m VIP relay

Race Day 3 on February 4th 2024

• 250m freestyle
• 50m backstroke
• 100m butterfly
• 50m freestyle
• 4x250m country relay freestyle

https://youtu.be/A1lhHv_y3zw

While among the world’s most hardened swimmers will descend upon Oradea to showcase their high degree of cold water tolerance, the rest of the open water swimming community considers water below 16°C (61°F) to be cold. But the ice swimming community is a special breed of humans. Their scale is literally off the charts. Below is one set of possibilities in describing the seven stages of cold water swimming:

First Stage of Cold Water Swimming

• Range: 10°C – 15°C (50°F – 59°F)
• Definition: Cold water
• Description: Swimmer can eventually acclimatize to perform distances up to marathon swims with adequate training. Swim failure can range from 1 km to 34 km due to a very cold internal core, indicating hypothermia.   Warm clothes and a hot drink required at finish. Depending on the distance and air temperature and wind, the claw can be experience where fingers spread apart with an inability to close them. Mild hypothermia possible and may be identified by increased shivering or vasoconstriction. Severe hypothermia includes altered cognition, unusual behavior, weakness, apathy, reduced cardiac output, and even coma.

Second Stage of Cold Water Swimming

• Range: 5°C – 10°C (41°F – 50°F)
• Definition: Very cold water and daringly uncomfortable
• Description: Significant discomfort is experienced throughout the entire swim in the arms with legs feeling heavy. A reduction in core body temperature leads to that heaviness feeling eventually diminished in the arms and legs. Fingers and toes get painful after a certain distance. Swim failure due to mild or severe hypothermia from 1 km to 10 km. Warm clothes, wool hat, gloves, and booties are required at finish with standard ice swimming rewarming procedures highly recommended.

Third Stage of Cold Water Swimming

• Range: 3°C – 5°C (37.4°F – 41°F)
• Definition: Ice cold and seriously uncomfortable 
• Description: An initial burning sensation throughout body continues with serious discomfort experienced throughout the swim with a sharp pain in the extremities, especially in the fingers and hands. Swim failure is experienced by a maximum distance of 5 km. Experienced seconds and experienced medical personnel are required with a deep knowledge of proper rewarming procedures.  Standard ice swimming rewarming procedures are required.

Fourth Stage of Cold Water Swimming

• Range: 1°C – 3°C or 33.8°F – 37.4°F)
• Definition: Extremely cold and precariously uncomfortable 
• Description: The initial and continued burning sensation and pain throughout the body continues throughout the entire swim to the point where mental facilities can become diminished quickly. Swim failure is experienced by a maximum distance of 3 km. Experienced seconds and medical staff with deep knowledge of proper rewarming procedures and acute hypothermic issues are required.

Fifth Stage of Cold Water Swimming

• Range: 0°C – 1°C (32°F – 33.8°F)
• Definition: Extraordinarily cold and unbearably uncomfortable during the entire swim
• Description: The initial and continued burning sensation and pain throughout the body and head continues throughout the entire swim to the point where vision becomes impacted and mental clarity can quickly be lost.  Hands and fingers become numb and swollen and are without feeling throughout the swim.  Breathing remains labored and heavy from start to finish.  An inability to walk normally is experienced post-swim. Swim failure is experienced by a maximum distance of 2 km. Highly experienced seconds and medical staff with deep knowledge of proper rewarming procedures and acute and long-term hypothermic issues are required.

Sixth Stage of Cold Water Swimming

• Range: -1.0°C – 0°C (30.2°F – 32°F)
• Definition: Severely cold and painfully uncomfortable during the entire swim
• Description: The initial and highly acute pain throughout the body and severely diminished mental acuity continues throughout the entire swim and in the post-swim experience.  There is a high risk of severe hypothermia and cardiac issues post-swim that must be assumed. Swim failure is experienced by a maximum distance of 2 km.  Hands, fingers, feet and toes immediately become – and remain immobile – and unable to function normally.  An intense mental focus is required to maintain breathing that remains significantly labored and extremely difficult throughout the swim.  Assume an inability to get out of the water and walk by oneself post-swim.  Highly experienced seconds and a medical emergency team with deep knowledge of proper rewarming procedures and acute and long-term hypothermic issues are absolutely required.

Seventh Stage of Cold Water Swimming

• Range: sub-1.0°C (under 30.2°F)
• Definition: Unfathomably cold and dangerously uncomfortable during the entire swim
• Description: Highly acute and continued pain is experienced throughout the body with severely diminished mental acuity throughout the swim and in the post-swim experience. Swim failure is experienced by a maximum distance of 1.6 km. There is a very high risk of hypothermia and cardiac issues remain post-swim until the swimmer has fully recovered.  Hands, fingers, feet and toes immediately become – and remain – immobile and unable to function normally.  An intense mental focus is required to maintain breathing that remains significantly labored and extremely difficult throughout the swim.  Swimmers are incapable of getting out of the water and walk by themselves post-swim.  The highest level of experienced seconds and a medical emergency team with deep knowledge of proper rewarming procedures and acute and long-term hypothermic issues are absolutely required.

For more information on the IISA 1st European Championship, visit here.

Ger Kennedy showed above in Antarctica and rewarming in a post-swim recovery room.

Top 10 Distance Ice Swimming Record List (km) per the International Ice Swimming Association

1. Krzysztof Gajewski (31, Polan) 6.00 km in 1 hour 46.16 minutes in April 2023 in 4.84°C water and 1.00° air [shown below]
2. Krzysztof Kubiak (32, Poland) 4.70 km in 1 hour 23.18 minutes in April 2022 in 3.87° water and 2.90° air
3. Paul Georgescu (42, Romania) 3.51 km in 57.56 minutes in February 2021 in 4.43° water and 15.0° air
4. Hamza Bakircioglu (45, Turkey) 3.44 km in 1 hour 8.0 minutes in February 2018 in 4.13° water and 0.00° air
5. Jack Boyle (20, Ireland) 3.32 km in 54.59 minutes in February 2016 in 4.63° water and 8.00° air
6. Carmel Collins (36, Ireland) 3.30 km in 57.45 minutes in February 2016 in 4.63° water an 8.00° air
7. Andrew Allum (40, Great Britain) 2.99 km in 47.25 minutes in February 2015 in 4.60° water and 7.00° air
8. Lisa Yamamoto (29, USA) 2.59 km in 44.38 minutes in February 2022 in 2.83° water and 2.20° air
9. Bárbara Hernández (37, Chile) 2.50 km in 45.30 minutes in February 2023 in 2.23° water and 5.00° air
10. Izabela Babica (43, Poland) 2.50 km in 48.05 minutes in March 2023 in 4.16° water and 2.37° air

© 2023 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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