Whitby Christmas Dip

Whitby cold water Christmas dip

By AK Guest

Brave swimmers face cold waters to enjoy, or endure a Christmas dip in Whitby

A Treasured Outdoor Moment - Nina Carter-Brown.

This year I spent Christmas in Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast! I grew up here and as a teenager the last thing I would have wanted to do on Christmas day (or any day, except maybe a really hot summer's day) would be to go in the sea.

However, now in my 30s and having been an outdoor swimmer for 12 years, it was the one thing I wanted to do on the 25th December 2020! It was a beautiful sunny and still day, but high tide and lunch timings meant I had to take what would be my final opportunity of the day for a daylight swim and go for a sunset dip around 3:30pm!

The sky was glowing red, the waves were big and the beach was empty except for my sister who I couldn't persuade to come in with me, but did come to support me and take some pics! And a family walking their dog who stopped and asked me if I was swimming, I said "I'm dipping! I love it!" and ran in.

As I ran out after my dip, I saw them on the steps to the beach cheering me out the water with big smiles on their faces, although I had the biggest smile! I've really treasured all the moments I've been able to be immersed in nature and swim in cold water this year and my Christmas dip really meant a lot to me!

Outdoor Swimming Swimwear and Wetsuits

  • SALE

Terrapin Natural Swimming Wetsuit [Mens] mens terrapin outdoor swimming wetsuit - action

Terrapin Natural Swimming Wetsuit [Mens]

Natural swimming position with thinner more flexible neoprene
£109.99 £139.99

  • SALE

alpkit womens terrapin wetsuit alpkit women's terrapin wetsuit

Terrapin Natural Swimming Wetsuit [Womens]

Natural swimming position with thinner more flexible neoprene
£109.99 £139.99

  • SALE

Alpkit men's Lotic outdoor swimming wetsuit alpkit - maelstron - lotic - action

Lotic Swimming Wetsuit [Mens]

Our best all-round wetsuit for outdoor swimming in open water
£139.99 £199.99

  • SALE

alpkit womens lotic wetsuit in black womens Lotic outdoor swimming wetsuit - action

Lotic Swimming Wetsuit [Womens]

Our best all-round wetsuit for outdoor swimming in open water
£139.99 £199.99

  • SALE

Silvertip Cold Water Wetsuit [Mens] Close up shot of the Alpkit Silvertip outdoor swimming wetsuit

Silvertip Cold Water Wetsuit [Mens]

Fleece-lined wetsuit for long swims and braving icy waters
£159.99 £224.99

  • SALE

Silvertip Cold Water Wetsuit [Womens] Silvertip Cold Water Wetsuit [Womens]

Silvertip Cold Water Wetsuit [Womens]

Fleece lined cold water swimming wetsuit
£159.99 £224.99

  • SALE

alpkit element wetsuit mens jacket in black front Element Wetsuit Jacket [Mens]

Element Wetsuit Jacket [Mens]

Front zip wetsuit jacket. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
£79.99 £99.99

  • SALE

alpkit element wetsuit mens vest in black front Element Wetsuit Vest [Mens]

Element Wetsuit Vest [Mens]

Front zip wetsuit vest. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
£69.99 £86.99

  • SALE

alpkit element wetsuit mens pants in black front Element Wetsuit Pants [Mens]

Element Wetsuit Pants [Mens]

Wetsuit pants. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
£79.99 £99.99

  • SALE

alpkit element wetsuit mens shorts in black front Element Wetsuit Shorts [Mens]

Element Wetsuit Shorts [Mens]

Wetsuit shorts. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
£59.99 £74.99

  • SALE

Element Wetsuit Shorts [Womens] Element Wetsuit Shorts [Womens]

Element Wetsuit Shorts [Womens]

Wetsuit shorts. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
£59.99 £74.99

  • SALE

alpkit element wetsuit womens jacket in black Element Wetsuit Jacket [Womens]

Element Wetsuit Jacket [Womens]

Front zip wetsuit jacket. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
£84.99 £99.99

Your next reads

SwimRun? What on earth is that?

Alpkit customer Alex took part in his first SwimRun event with his Alpkit Duel wetsuit. And he smashed it. He won his first SwimRun event. Here's h...
July 04, 2023

What makes the Frog Whitton the Uk's ultimate Swim-Cycle event

Have you ever had an idea that captivated you instantly? Last year at the Kendal Mountain Festival I watched the Alpkit sponsored film of Dan Duxbu...
November 12, 2019

The Slingshot

We were delighted to support this yearsOutdoor Swimming Society Adventure Series, one of which was put on byJim Whittaker of Channel Training Ltdwh...
December 03, 2014

Iconic wild swims

Author of Swimming Wild in the Lake District Suzanna Cruickshank shares her favourite iconic swimming locations. The mere use of the word ‘iconic’ ...
May 11, 2021

An ode to Outdoor Swimming

Wild swimming is a release, a distraction, an addiction, a cure. I started swimming regularly once I began working for Alpkit a few years ago, i me...
December 31, 2020

Lindsey Cole's 2019 Dart 10k outdoor swim

There wasn’t a soul in the high street as I strolled through Totnes under the soft pink hues of the morning sky early on Sunday. It was quite encha...
September 26, 2019

Trespass 92 - Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group and Spirit of Kinder

It’s well documented that the 1932 Kinder Mass Trespass was a pivotal event in the fight for responsible access to open spaces. However, 92 years o...
April 17, 2024

My favourite space is swimming in the sea

This is the story of one of our customers, Jane, who got into wild swimming during lockdown. She's taken to doing point-to-point swims and has eve...
November 04, 2022

Whitby cold water Christmas dip

A Treasured Outdoor Moment - Nina Carter-Brown. This year I spent Christmas in Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast! I grew up here and as a teenage...
January 09, 2021

Hurly Burly outdoor swimming event - The Pioneer Year report

Last weekend, I headed over to Wales to join the Outdoor Swimming Society in Barmouth for the very first Hurly Burly, where participants could choo...
October 17, 2017

Swimming 5 Lakes: An Everyday Adventure

Adventures are always more rewarding in winter. It’s so much harder to get motivated to do pretty much anything when it’s cold, and almost impossib...
February 07, 2018

Simon Griffiths on the Joy of Open Water Swimming

Simon Griffiths is the founder of Outdoor Swimmer magazine. He lives and breathes swimming. In the pool, training for triathlons and masters races....
February 10, 2023

Dawn & Chris Enjoying Year Round Swimming

Alpkit competition winners Chris & Dawn give us three very good reasons to get in the water. 
March 18, 2020

The Joys of swimming in the Autumn

This is a blog about the joys of swimming through the changing seasons, written by one of our Alpkiteers, Katie Palmer. It’s the same every year. T...
October 25, 2022

Scree to sea

Like all the best ideas, Scree to Sea was dreamt up over a pint on a warm summer evening in the Lake District. The idea was a simple one - returnin...
May 30, 2017

Hurly Burly 10k outdoor swim: The Pioneer Year

What is the Hurly Burly? In its pioneer year, that's what the Outdoor Swimming Society are trying to find out. Discover with them. Hurly Burly is t...
August 19, 2017

What to do next

You finish something that you didn't think you could finish. It takes a little while for it all to sink in. You have moments of sheer joy, relief a...
March 30, 2017

We have the right to swim

Who has the right to swim outdoors? We do. In lakes, reservoirs, rivers and streams. In waterfalls, tarns and seapools. That’s what I and many othe...
May 21, 2024

Manchester Swim / Bike / Run / Triathlon 2016

We’re really excited to be exhibiting at this years Swim / Bike / Run / Triathlon Expo at Manchester’s Event City. 1 ticket gives you access to all...
March 15, 2016

Bantham Swoosh outdoor swim 2017

Another weekend and another fun-packed event for Alpkit. With the van loaded up with Swoosh towels, we couldn’t wait to get down to the cosy little...
June 27, 2017

OSS and Alpkit Story competition

Is there a swim you want to do, a multi-sport adventure you want to embark on? Well, pitch the idea to the Outdoor Swimming Society for the OSS Alp...
March 29, 2018

With new eyes

The idea of conquering fear suggests that a fear that was once felt, irrational or not, is somehow destroyed or replaced. I'm not sure I agree base...
October 03, 2017

Chasing The Frog

‘The Frog’ seemed destined to become another running dream consigned to the ‘that would be great but I’m too busy’ bin. For the previous two years...
November 23, 2018

Project Big Swim

There's no point in hiding what #ProjectBigSwim is, so I'll tell you the tale of how the idea came about. Once I managed to let go, to deal with th...
August 22, 2017

Outdoor Swimming for Two

I’ve always had a strong affinity with water. As a youngster I was a keen club swimmer and spent many family holidays splashing around in the sea i...
April 28, 2021

From Summer Dips to Winter Plunges: Steph's Journey into Wild Swimming

I’ve been outdoor swimming for around a decade – when I lived in Canada for a few years, it was a daily occurrence during the warmer summer months ...
July 11, 2024

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

=