Headline image

Blue Balls Cold Water Swimming

A ‘game changer’ for men’s mental and physical health
Have you taken the plunge yet and enjoyed the many benefits of cold water swimming?

Its popularity has soared in recent years with the creation of cold water swimming groups, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic when public pools were closed, with many choosing open water swimming as an alternative. And while women’s open water swimming groups like The Bluetits have been popular for several years, men’s open water swimming communities are attracting new participants every day.

Join Ann's Cottage and the Blue Balls at Porth Beach, Cornwall on Saturday 1st October at 10:30am to take the plunge!
We are certain you will enjoy it.

Jake Hill stood posed in his styled living room
Having experienced their own personal battles with mental health, the positive impact cold water swimming had on Tom and Ross led them to creating Blue Balls, a group specifically for men in Cornwall.

The rest as they say is history, with the group now thriving and meeting regularly at locations county-wide, from Bude to Penzance.

 

Jake Hill getting some air on his board

One of which is Blue Balls Cornwall, created by two friends, Tom and Ross, at the start of 2021. They braved the cold waters for the first time after being inspired by the positive impact local groups like Wild Swimming Cornwall and The Bluetits were having on people’s lives.

Cold water swimming is proven to relieve stress, anxiety and depression, while the chilly temperatures provide a unique environment which encourages mindfulness. It can also boost your immune system, improve circulation and burn calories, all the while giving friends a friendly platform to chat amongst themselves, which can range from personal feelings to last night’s football result. What’s not to love?!

Jake Hill off the wall on a board grab Jake Hill pulling air on big grab
Jake Hill at the top of a vert
Tom explains: “I didn’t expect all the mental benefits and it was a bit of a wow moment for me. I have a friend (Ross) who is the co-founder of Man Down which is a mental health charity and they offer support groups for men across the county to talk about life and things like that. He asked if he could come and do a swim with me and from there it just grew.”

 

He added: “I was in a bad, mental place before all of that, I’d lost my driving licence for drink driving, there were bad relationships so there were lots of reasons behind it all. But ever since cold water swimming has been a game changer for me. “That’s why we set the group up, to raise more awareness about it. We made it male specific because there are so many female groups out there which is amazing but for whatever reason the male groups just don’t exist.

“We try to encourage men to talk about their feelings and not bottle it all up. I was the stereotypical bloke who would just not talk about anything, not showing emotion, with the lads down the pub boozing. There aren’t many groups where men can spend time with each other unless it’s in a pub or in a sports environment, and even then it's your standard environment where it’s men and egos and competitiveness. So we just wanted to have a group where people can go, they can talk to each other and that’s what we’ve created.”

Jake Hill on a back arch pulling an air

 

Jake Hill getting more air time!

You might be reading this and questioning whether or not you’d feel comfortable in nothing but trunks on a cold November morning as you’re about to meet a group of strangers for the first time. Trunks are a bit of fun (and some take it as a challenge in the cold depths of winter!) but some do choose to wear wetsuits.

Tom added: “We want men to feel comfortable, of all shapes and sizes, to come into the water with us. You’ve just got to take the plunge and come down and see for yourself. We’re a really supportive group, so whether you want to wear Speedos or a wetsuit, it’s entirely up to you.”

The Blue Balls can attract up to 50 swimmers at a time in locations across Cornwall. And while they enjoy meeting up all year round, the winter months are usually the most popular to truly appreciate the ‘buzz’ that cold water swimming brings.

Tom says: “We say we’re cold water swimmers but I’m not sure how much swimming actually goes on! A lot of the time during the winter you might go in for two or three minutes because when it’s so cold you have to listen to your body.

“We’ll go in for a dip, have a chat and come back out again. There’s one guy who will stay in for 20 minutes in the middle of February. He had a motorbike accident about 15 years ago and he’s used cold water swimming as a therapy. He’s got such a strong, mental resilience from everything he’s been through that he can stick through it which is great.



“We try and encourage positive coping mechanisms for mental health. The more people talking about mental health and raising awareness the better. If you’re suffering from anxiety or just general poor mental health we want to encourage people in and to feel those benefits mentally and physically. When I go for a swim I’m feeling the benefits all day. It’s not just a quick thing, you’re buzzing all day. There’s obviously physical benefits but the mental side of it has been a game changer.”

 
 
Feeling Inspired?

Check out our Swimwear range , from speedos to wetsuits to get you out there!

Shop swimwear Today
 

Posted on:

Last Updated on

Read More Articles