<\/p>\n
Ahead of the New Year\u2019s Day Swim in Salford Quays, a charity has warned that people considering taking part in festive open water swims to celebrate the start of 2026 should remain aware of the risks. <\/strong><\/p>\n Hundreds of swimmers are set to descend on Salford to mark the new year by participating in the 13th running of the cold water dip organised by Uswim.<\/a><\/p>\n The event has raised more than \u00a3150,000 for local charities over the years and has partnered with Moya Cole Hospice<\/a> and Salford Foodbank this time around.<\/p>\n But, ahead of the iconic charity swim, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has warned participants of the potential dangers posed by open water dips.<\/p>\n The lifeboat search-and-rescue charity said the effects of cold water shock, combined with weather conditions, pose a risk to anyone entering water that is 15\u00b0C or below, especially at a time of year when the average sea temperature around the UK and Ireland is 6 \u00b0C to 10\u00b0C.<\/p>\n The warning follows the disappearance of Matthew Upham, 63, and another man during a Christmas Day swim in the Devon seaside town of Budleigh Salterton.<\/p>\n Gareth Morrison, head of water safety for the RNLI, said on Tuesday: \u201cWe know this time of year many people take part in festive and New Year dips or continue to take part in regular winter swims.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, we are urging anyone entering the water to be aware of the dangers, check sea conditions carefully and to understand their own limitations.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the sea temperatures still dropping and reaching their coldest around March, the effects of cold water, combined with weather conditions and any personal health issues, should be taken seriously before venturing in.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s your first time in open water, we\u2019d recommend you speak to your GP first, particularly for those with cardiac or underlying health conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n The RNLI advised open water swimmers and participants in New Year dips to take precautions before entering the water.<\/p>\n \u201cAvoid swimming alone, consider going with others or joining a group so you can look out for each other,\u201d Mr Morrison said.<\/p>\n \u201cThink about the depth of water \u2013 wherever possible, stay in your depth.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you are going to attend a New Year dip, please ensure you go to a well-organised event which has appropriate safety cover in place.<\/p>\n \u201cAlso taking the right kit is essential.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d recommend wearing a wetsuit to keep you warm and increase your buoyancy, together with a bright swim cap and tow float to make yourself visible to others and use in an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n To mitigate the risks of open water swimming and ensure everyone has an enjoyable time, Uswim welcomes the use of skins and wetsuits, which can be hired on the day.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Uswim said: The event\u2019s safety features will include water safety crafts and qualified personnel, a small swim course to keep swimmers contained, compulsory tow floats for all swimmers, and reheat facilities on land.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are a professional swim organisation and our lovely, little charity swim has raised over \u00a3150k for local hospices, children\u2019s charities and local food banks over the years,\u201d a spokesperson for the organisation said.<\/p>\n \u201cLong may that continue.\u201d<\/p>\n More information about the annual New Year\u2019s Day Swim in Salford Quays<\/a> is availible here.<\/a><\/p>\n Related <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ahead of the New Year\u2019s Day Swim in Salford Quays, a charity has warned that people considering taking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":663998,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,35745,393,4884,2465,51245,30580,10649,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-663997","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-christmas","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-manchester","13":"tag-new-year","14":"tag-salford-quays","15":"tag-swimming","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115812450271268364","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=663997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/663998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=663997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=663997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=663997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}People taking part in an open water swim. <\/p>\n
Santa preparing to take part in Uswim\u2019s annual event. Photo Credit: Karen Quartermain (Uswim Team Leader). <\/p>\n