On the last day of February at Rainbow Haven beach in Cole Harbour, where the water temperature was a brisk 1℃ and the air was -4℃ (though it felt like -12℃ because, as any east-coaster will tell you, it’s the wind that gets ya) despite the flurries in the air and ice on the ground, over a dozen brave individuals (on this day, it was all women), donning their swimsuits, hats, gloves and neoprene socks, went for a swim.
It was one of the coldest dips ever according to Jule Shanks, one of the founders of Cold Play NS, a Facebook group with over 860 members who each share an interest in these cold water swims. And though the water was frigid, the mood on shore was anything but cold.
"We're always laughing and encouraging each other," says Shanks. "We're helping each other and normally we have a dance party afterwards to warm up but it was too cold [that day]."
For Tracy Campbell, that Feb. 28 group swim was a special one, marking her 100th consecutive dip. She says the group gave her the accountability and community she needed to complete the challenge.
“I'm consistently inconsistent,” Campbell tells The Coast over the phone, the day after her 100th plunge. “It has been a struggle my entire life; trying to do stuff that's good for me or that I want to do and sticking it through. And I just decided that this was making me feel so much better and I was going to stick to it. I have a very bad habit of putting things off right before I finish them. The last 10 days of this were a struggle. But I got up and went, and I'm actually pretty proud of myself.”
When she spoke with The Coast, Campbell was planning to take the next 48 hours off from cold dipping, but plans to get right back into it at her own pace after a short break.
The benefits
Cold exposure is not a new thing—many Nordic and Indigenous cultures have used cold exposure as a form of therapy for centuries. In sports, ice baths are a common method to treat pain and reduce inflammation in athletes.
For Shanks, and many others in the Facebook group, they learned about cold water exposure therapy through the Wim Hof Method, a technique founded by Dutch motivational speaker Wim Hof.
His methodology combines breath work and consistent, prolonged cold exposure that causes the body to release its natural endorphins. The alleged benefits include increased energy levels and improvements to overall health.
“If you keep taking deep, slow breaths, you get into this blissful state [...] It melts your troubles away instantly.
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Both Campbell and Shanks credit frequent cold exposure for alleviating pain, reducing anxiety and depression and, in Shanks’ case, overcoming addictions to cigarettes and cannabis.
Cold Water Dipping 101
In the spirit of thorough, immersive journalism, I gave it a go.
I felt confident having just watched Campbell, Shanks and the rest of the group play in the waves. They made it look fun. (Quick safety PSA: Don't ever cold dip alone, always bring a buddy or at least have someone spotting you). In I went.
My immediate response? Yeah, it’s fucking cold. Like, take-your-breath-away, oh-god-my-nipples-can-now-cut-glass-or-they-just-froze-and-fell-off-I’m-really-not-sure, really fucking cold. And I didn’t have the neoprene swim socks or gloves like the rest of them, so I quickly learned that that’s the key to staying in for longer than one minute.
But once you’re in, and you can confirm that no, your nipples did not just instantly freeze and fall off your body, and you can take a few deep breaths, it’s kind of relaxing. Delightful, even.
“After about a minute or so, if you can handle a minute, your system calms down,” says Shanks. “If you keep taking deep, slow breaths, you get into this blissful state…. It melts your troubles away instantly. Because, it's about survival out there. Right? It's like you can't think of anything else, so any other troubles are instantly gone."
They say to get the full benefits of the cold, you should stay immersed for a prolonged period of time, between three to five minutes is the “sweet spot” according to Shanks. In total, I lasted 20 seconds.
Once you're out, get dry and keep your body moving. Shanks brought warm water to pour on numb fingers, and others had hot water bottles prepped and ready to snuggle post plunge. This was clearly not their first rodeo.
@thecoasthalifax Meet some of the members of Cold Play NS - a Facebook group of people who regularly meet for cold water swims. We met with Tracy Campbell who was celebrating her 100th consecutive dip and also decided to test the waters ourselves. 🔗 Read the full piece at the link in our bio.
♬ Good Vibes (Instrumental) - Ellen Once Again
When the seasoned dippers were dry, dressed and as warm as they could get, the group made its way to the parking lot, where they lit sparklers and shared cupcakes and cookies in celebration of Campbell's 100 swims.
With spring mere weeks away, the ice will eventually thaw and the water will warm and the members of Cold Play will have to find another way to get their cold fix.
“[We] all take a break,” Shanks says with a laugh when asked about hot summer days.
“And take lots of cold showers.”
