Finally Going Ice Swimming

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Ok, so it's actually not as bad as I made it out to be. It was just a quick few minutes of cold, followed by a nice stay in sauna. I swear it was the only time that I have ever enjoyed the sauna (sorry Finland). Ice swimming has been on my bucket list because the Finns love it. They all talk about how good it is for your circulation and how rejuvenating it its. So on a nice and cold winter day, I jumped in!

The way it works is that they saw a whole in the ice, attach a ladder, and then you climb in, swim for like a second, then climb back out. I did it at the Allas Sea Pool where they use the sea water and don't heat it. So I can now say that I swam in the frozen Baltic Sea! Anyway, with Allas they always have a lifeguard on duty and they coach you through the process.

The scariest part was the ladder because it was completely frozen, it is so hard to climb down it without slipping in. But once my full body was in the water, it took my breath away because it was so cold. But it didn't hurt that bad and it wasn't terribly cold. The other part that was terrible was standing on the ice barefoot waiting in line for my turn. That burned my feet so bad. So I recommend bringing a pair of shoes to avoid that pain.

In all, ice swimming is definitely something to try in Finland and tick off the bucket list. It only lasts a few minutes and you get to run straight into the sauna after, so it is well worth it.