Extreme swimming

Locations of the Ice Sevens swims around the world, governed and ratified by the International Ice Swimming Association, the ultimate form of extreme swimming

Extreme swimming in Murmansk, Russia at the Ice Swimming World Championships. Photo by Nuala Moore of Ireland

Lewis Pugh in the Five Swims In Antarctica for 1 Reason

Lewis Pugh swimming in the Southern Ocean in Antarctica

Lewis Pugh swimming in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica

Extreme swimming or winter swimming in a pool carved out of a frozen body of water

Winter or Ice swimming by Ram Barkai in Antarctica

Zani Muller and Monika Hayes, winners of the 450m endurance swim at the 2014 International Winter Swimming Competition in Murmansk, Russia

Ice Swimming German Open poster

Christof Wandratsch featured at the Ice Swimming German Open

Ice swimming in Murmansk, Russia

verb/noun - Extreme swimming is any form of swimming that would be extreme in terms of distance, water temperature or water conditions and includes channel swimming, ice swimming or marathon swimming. It can be performed in a body of water with a frozen crust of ice, or under the hot tropical sun.

Extreme swimming may be synonymous with Winter swimming or Avantouinti or Ice swimming in colder countries. This requires either breaking the ice or entering where a spring keeps the water from freezing over. This may also be simulated by a pool of water at 0°C, the temperature at which water freezes. Ice swimmers typically dip their heads below the surface to ensure that they are completely wet, whether or not the water is over their heads. They usually do not swim beneath the ice, as it is easy to get disoriented when turning around and not be able to find one's way back to the hole. Some ice swimmers avoid this problem by swimming from one hole to another, or by swimming under the ice while tethered to the shore.

International Ice Swimming Association

The International Ice Swimming Association was founded by Ram Barkai of South Africa and conducts 600m and 1-mile swims in open bodies of water whose water temperatures are less than 5°C (41°F).

2017 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships

2017 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships sanctioned by the International Ice Swimming Association, including the ice kilometer race in Burghausen, Germany.

2017 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships sanctioned by the International Ice Swimming Association, including the ice kilometer race in Burghausen, Germany.

World Winter Swimming Championships

The World Winter Swimming Championships are also held annually in Europe where extreme swimming events attract hundreds of athletes from dozens of countries.

Open Water Swimming in Antarctica

Lynne Cox was the first human to swim in Neko Harbor and in Antarctica without a wetsuit when she swam 1.2 miles in 2°C (35°F) waters in 25 minutes in 2002
Ryan Stramrood, Ram Barkai and Kieron Palframan attempted an Ice mile in Neko Harbor in Antarctica in -1ºC (30.2ºF) waters on 4 March 2014
Andrew Chin completed a 1 km swim while Toks Viviers and Gavin Pike completed an ice mile in Paradise Harbour in Antarctica in -1ºC (30.2ºF) water also on 4 March 2014
Lewis Pugh has swum 1 km in 0°C waters off Petermann Island and 1 mile in 2°C (35°F) waters near Deception Island in 30 minutes 30 seconds, both in 2005
Ram Barkai swam 1 km at 70º south latitude, near Maitri, the Indian scientific research station in Antarctica, in Long Lake in 1°C (33.8°F) waters in 2008.
Bhakti Sharma swam 1.4 miles in 52 minutes in 1ºC water in the Southern Ocean in January 2015

Synonyms

Winter swimming, Cold-water swimming, Ice hole swimming, Ice swimming, Avantouinti, Epiphany swimming

Winter Swimming Championships