The New Year often arrives with good intentions: get fitter, feel calmer, make time for yourself. This year, why not choose a resolution that delivers all three with Solent Sea Swimmers?
Based on the beautiful Solent coastline, Solent Sea Swimmers is a welcoming, supportive community of people who love the sea and the benefits that come from spending time in it. Open water swimming – or cold water dipping – is more than a trend. For many of us, it becomes a life-changing habit that supports both physical health and mental wellbeing.
Whether you’re a regular swimmer or completely new to cold water, joining Solent Sea Swimmers offers a positive, confidence-building way to start the year.
Why Open Water Swimming with Solent Sea Swimmers Makes a Brilliant New Year’s Resolution
1. It boosts your mood and mental wellbeing
Cold water immersion triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine – our natural “feel-good” chemicals. Many swimmers report reduced stress, improved mood, and a greater sense of calm after a dip. Starting your year with regular cold water time can help you feel more resilient and balanced, especially through the darker winter months.
2. It builds physical resilience
Swimming or dipping in open water helps improve circulation, supports the immune system, and encourages better breathing control. Over time, regular exposure to cold water can help your body adapt and feel stronger – both physically and mentally.
3. It encourages consistency, not perfection
You don’t need to swim fast, far, or for long. Even a short, safe dip counts. Open water swimming is about showing up, listening to your body, and building a routine that works for you. That makes it a realistic, sustainable resolution rather than one that fizzles out by February.
4. It connects you with nature
There’s something grounding about being in the sea, a lake, or a river. The sounds, the space, the seasons changing around you – open water swimming helps you slow down and reconnect with the natural world, something many of us crave after busy lives and screens.
5. You’ll find a supportive community
One of the greatest joys of swimming with Solent Sea Swimmers is the people. Our community is friendly, inclusive, and supportive, whether it’s your first ever dip or your hundredth swim. There’s encouragement, shared laughter, and always someone ready with a warm smile (and a flask!). At our Community Swim there are two Open Water Coaches ready to help and guide you.
Making this your New Year’s resolution means becoming part of a local community that looks out for one another and celebrates every achievement, big or small.
Dipping vs Swimming – What’s the Difference?
You don’t have to be a confident swimmer to take part.
Dipping usually means entering the water briefly, often staying in your depth, focusing on controlled breathing and cold exposure.
Swimming involves purposeful movement through the water and requires stronger swimming ability and water safety knowledge.
Both bring benefits. The key is choosing what feels right for you and progressing gradually.
Staying Safe with Solent Sea Swimmers
Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Solent Sea Swimmers, especially during the colder months.
We encourage swimming together and looking out for one another.
Know the conditions (tides, weather, water temperature)
Enter and exit the water calmly and deliberately
Keep your time in cold water short, particularly if you’re new
Warm up gradually afterwards with dry clothes and hot drinks
Listen to your body – shivering, confusion, or extreme fatigue are signs to stop.
We run a free weekly community swim, attended by two fully qualified open water coaches, so you can feel safe, supported, and confident in the water.
If you’re new, swimming with Solent Sea Swimmers gives you the reassurance of expert guidance, local knowledge, shared experience, and a calm, safety-first approach to open water.
Making It Stick: Tips for Success
Start small – one dip a week is a great beginning
Be flexible – some weeks will be colder or busier than others
Celebrate progress – consistency matters more than distance
Share the experience – swim with friends.
Focus on how it makes you feel – not how it looks
A New Year’s Resolution with Solent Sea Swimmers That Feels Good All Year
Open water swimming with Solent Sea Swimmers isn’t about extremes. It’s about courage, calm, and connection – to the sea, to nature, and to each other.
By making open water swimming or dipping with Solent Sea Swimmers your New Year’s resolution, you’re choosing to prioritise your wellbeing, enjoy the stunning Solent coastline, and start the year feeling supported, strong, and truly alive.
So this year, instead of setting a resolution you have to do… choose one you’ll actually look forward to.
Join Us
Our free weekly community swim is open to everyone and is a great way to start your open water journey or build confidence alongside others.
If you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution that supports your wellbeing, connects you with the sea, and introduces you to a friendly, supportive community, come and swim with us.
Join a Solent Sea Swimmers community swim and make open water swimming your New Year’s resolution.
We’d love to welcome you!
See you in the water with Solent Sea Swimmers 🌊
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