on 13/12/2022
It's a Cornish tradition as old as time... sprinting into the sea with all of your loved ones and trying not to become frozen in the proccess. But for the novices and newbies among you, you have to get to know the who's, the what's and the where's to make sure you don't break the ONE RULE of our Christmas Sea Swims.
So we've put together a guide to Christmas Sea Swims in Cornwall to help you naviagte the cool waters of a Christmas morning in the elements.
The roots of the tradition are as murky as all great legends are, with the variety of towns with their own Sea Swim Events expanding every year, it's difficult to know which Atlantic entry point is the oldest. It is, however, quite easy to tell which is the largest:
(Photo Credit: @manders1808 on Instagram)
Crooklets Beach in Bude expects over 500 people annually and can be partaken in for free as long as you are not wearing a wetsuit and sign up by 10:30 am. It also has a lovely charity connection, where you can organise for your friends and family to sponser your plunge into the cold for a good cause.
(Photo Credit: @Paul_Ramsbottom on Instagram)
Hayle Bay in New Polzeath offers a slightly different asmosphere of costume-wearing chaos. The rules to partake are fairly straightforward- (1) don't wear a wetsuit and (2) run into the sea at 11am. No need for any of the fancy signing up here, and with lovely cafes and pubs all around the Bay, this is a great option for those of you who may need some dutch courage (or pehaps just an espresso) before taking the plunge.
(Photo Credit: @zummersetbee on Instagram)
Let us know if you're noticing a pattern, Sennen Cove is the third plunge location on this list and also has a flat out ban on wetsuit wearing. Our recommendation is to come up with a pretty foolproof plan to get warm immediately after your swim because even a sneaky under-costume wetsuit would be decidedly disaproved of by locals.
Here, theres mulled wine and cider to heat up whats left of your festive spirit, and it makes our list because the location, being the most south-westernly point of the UK, makes for a good view and a great story.
(Photo Credit: @joeyannadesign on Instagram)
Okay so here's our curve-ball offering. Is it on Christmas Day? No. Does it ban westsuits? Also no.
Yes this maverick pick seems to go against the rules of the list altogether but that might be just why its the right swim for you. First of all, it is going to be far less cold, and second of all it takes place on New Years Day! Which is an equally significant time to baptise yourself in the cool of the Atlantic before you embark a new.
It will have all of the usual details seen on the rest of this list AND you can partake in it aswell as spending christmas day inside, in the warm, with your family- a win-win in our book.
The only downside is that it's without the fun of Christmas fancy dress. So if you're a halloween kid at heart this might not be the sea swim for you.
(Photo Credit: @jenminers_cornwall on Instagram)
Number 5 on our list is also a slight deviation from the norm. Consider it 'Christmas Sea Swim Light'. The perranporth dip has fancy dress, Christmas themes, more mulled drinks than you've seen in your life and takes place on Boxing Day rather than the 25th.
Arguably the best scheduling option, this swim ticks all the boxes and clashes with very little. In Perranporth you have the option to festive sea swim, have a relaxed Christmas and recover on New Year's Day. The beach itself is will be buzzing with supportive families and participants and looks gorgeous in the mornings.
Be there by 10:30 am to make sure you're involved! The swim takes place at 10:45.
(Photo Credit: @juliardevon on Instagram)
And lastly, Cadgwith Cove tops our list for Christmas Sea Swims because it is absolutely beautiful.
It isn't as large as the others on our list and it's quite a wander to get to- since it is along the southern most point of the uk- but it's gorgeous and spirited and lovely for families.
It also has the charm of a slighly later start. Cadgwith Cove kicks off around noon, meaning you have time to have a proper Christmas morning with all the family before you go.
The nearby Cadgwith Cove Inn also has all of your snack and refreshment needs covered.
And thats our list! Comment below to let us know what you think of our picks and tag us on instagram (@select_cornwall) if you decide to give any of these dips a try!
