Though most who brave the cold of the sea limit their exploits to the New Year’s Dip, there’s a growing number of people who have found an ‘addiction’ to sea swimming all year round.
The Northern Dippers is a group that began in September 2021 between five keen ‘dippers’ and has now grown, with more than 80 members in its ranks.
Margaret Webb, one of those early members, says participating in the activity has provided her and many of the others with benefits to their physical and mental health.
She said: ‘There’s people who still work quite a physical job, we’ve got CEOs in the group, we’ve got care workers and they all find a benefit at whatever level, physically and emotionally.’
That emotional benefit also often comes from the overall support of the group, Margaret said that some members join with concerns about body image but that it makes a ‘huge difference’ to see people ‘of all ages, all sizes and shapes’ there.
She said: ‘Nobody ever says anything negative to anybody about what they’re looking like, the overall thing is just “are you okay?”, that’s what is behind everything really.’
Fiona Barlow, another member of Northern Dippers, echoed that sentiment, saying that getting into the sea and talking helps many of their group deal with life troubles.
She said: ‘Some people will just have a chat about what’s annoying them, we always say what goes in the sea, stays in the sea, and the vast majority will end up coming out with a smile.’
Whilst it’s possible to buy a lot of gear, with Margaret admitting that most of her recent Christmas and birthday presents have been swimming related, both women emphasised the free nature of the activity and how most people start off with just a towel and a swimming costume.
Margaret said: ‘Even if somebody comes and they say “oh I’d love to go in but I haven’t got gloves” you can bet within two minutes somebody will say they’ve got spare gloves in the car.
‘People have also given equipment they’ve not used to others, it’s just a really caring supportive group that has kind of grown from nowhere really.’
The Ramsey-based group aren’t the only sea swimmers in the island either with the ‘Manx Bluetits’ facebook group hosting more than 2,000 members.
That group is where Fiona and Margaret encourage people to start off, seeing what swims are going on around the island and having a go before enquiring about the Northern Dippers group if they find themselves frequently joining the Ramsey swim.
A wider community impact has come naturally from the group, who have been involved in projects like the renovation of Quayles Hall, with recent efforts including the idea of a changing shelter which has been taken to Ramsey Commissioners.
Though the design has yet to be confirmed, the group clarified that they do wish for any eventual shelter to have a roof to ensure proper protection from the elements, despite earlier confusion on the topic in a report featured in the Isle of Man Courier.
shelter
The swimmers say that a permanent changing shelter would not just help them but could also be used by other visitors to the beach.
Margaret said: ‘There’s so much these days about emotional wellbeing with people of all ages feeling isolated and lonely, and it could be somewhere to act as a meeting place where it’s okay to go and sit because you know people will be there.’
Fiona added: ‘Also, if you did put in more facilities and show what a fantastic beach this is, you would get more people which in turn would bring more trade into Ramsey. We’re just super grateful to the commissioners for their support in exploring this idea.’
Whilst the group are keen to encourage new swimmers, they also emphasised the importance of being responsible for yourself and looking up tips for safe sea dipping, including never going alone. The group itself often alerts the coastguard of their activities for events like their late night ‘moon swims’.
Margaret and Fiona also said that whilst their membership ranges from six year olds to those over 70, they recommend any children to only swim with an adult present.