Read thejournal.ie
Everyoneรขโฌโขs got their theory about how best to prepare for the plunge (usually involving tots of rum or whiskey), and the best way to regain a regular human temperature afterwards (again with the whiskey). But whatรขโฌโขs the official advice? We got on to the folks at Irish Water Safety รขโฌโ hereรขโฌโขs what they told usรขโฌยฆ
- If youรขโฌโขre organising a charity swim, make sure to give the details to your local Coast Guard unit and gardaรยญ first.
- Appoint a รขโฌหsafety officerรขโฌโข to oversee the event, and who will have the ultimate responsibility for deciding if the swim can go ahead.
- Donรขโฌโขt take a chance on running the swim if the weather deteriorates รขโฌโ defer it to a different day.
- It is a fallacy that alcohol will keep you warm when entering the water; in fact it has the reverse effect and could well kill you. IWS says it รขโฌลstrongly recommends that no alcohol be taken either before the swim or after the swimรขโฌย.
- รขโฌลMake sure you have safe access and exit points from the waterรขโฌยรขโฌยฆ In other words, donรขโฌโขt thoughtlessly throw yourself into the sea without a plan for how to get out!
- And the final word of advice: รขโฌลSwimmersรขโฌโข remaining in the water for extended periods in a gesture of bravado is not acceptable. The message is รขโฌหGet In, Get Out and Warm Upรขโฌโข.รขโฌย
Image courtesy of Tim Parkinson, CC BY 2.0
Leave a Reply