Open Water Swimming News & Views

Ger Kennedy , known as Dr. Ice , was formally honored with a Guinness World Record for his achievement of the Ice Sevens . The Ice Sevens Challenge is the ice swimming equivalent of the Oceans Seven - that takes extreme to an entirely different level. To achieve the Ice Sevens, a swimmer must complete an Ice Mile under standard ice swimming rules (i.e., no wetsuit and no neoprene hat in water below 5ºC) in seven locations. The swims must be ratified or recognized by the International Ice Swimming Association . o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in Europe o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in Oceania o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in Asia o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in North America o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in Africa o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in South America o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any Polar location at 60º south or below...

History tells us that Japanese samurai, the Roman Legions, and the Spartan soldiers all underwent cold water swimming as part of their military and mental preparations. The leaders of these hardened men of earlier millenia knew that training along the seashore, in lakes, and in rivers, especially during the winter and early spring months, would increase their tolerance to cold and various hardships, making them overall better warriors. They learned to swim in all kinds of different water environments and conditions. The Japanese had specific terms for these types of swimming: shinden ryu (marathon swimming), kankai ryu (ocean swimming), suifu ryu (river swimming or rapids swimming), as well as other methods that were based on the topography and waterways (e.g., coastline or mountain areas). For example, if the samurai had to fight while wearing armor, they would study the kobori ryu (combative swimming) where the samurai would eggbeater (tread water) while keeping their upper...