Why Vancouver's cold plungers swim in frigid waters all year long

Juno Parlange and Natalia Anja do a cold plunge in Lynn Canyon (Daily Hive)

It’s 6:45 am at Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver, and Natalia Anja hikes down to a secluded spot by the river with longtime friend Juno Parlange.

The members of Cold Plunge Crew step through the rocks to a sandy beach where the green water surges with spring melt. Anja and Parlange sit cross-legged on a small sandbar surrounded by trees with the rushing waterfall behind them. It’s the beginning of May, but definitely still sweater weather, especially on the shore of the icy river.

Sometimes, they come here with dozens of people for group meetups, and other times, it’s more private. Today, it’s just the two of them and me — invited to experience the magic of the cold plunges they’ve both fallen in love with.

Juno Parlange/Submitted

Parlange guides us through a meditation, encouraging us to tune into the sounds around us and think of what we’re grateful for. Then, he transitions into a gentle version of Wim Hof breathing, popularized by the Dutch cold aficionado famous for immersing himself in impossibly cold environments.

After several rounds of holding our breath for 15 seconds, it’s time to enter the water. Parlange and Anja raise their arms above their heads, saving sensitive hands for last, and calmly waded into the green water.

I try to get the shock over at once and immerse my shoulders. I try to breathe calmly despite the cold and avoid gasping — which I’m told can be the dangerous part of a cold plunge if the body involuntarily breathes in water.

Soon, my entire body and my brain feel tingly. It’s wonderfully exhilarating, if a tad strange.

Our bodies send danger signals in the first few moments of a cold plunge, Anja says. She usually settles in and calms down around the two-minute mark, but she encourages me to listen to my body’s cues and not to push it if it doesn’t feel good.

Parlange stays for a full five minutes, and before we share some goji berry tea supplied by Anja.

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“I just remembered feeling really, really in my body,” Anja says, recounting her first cold plunge. “And also realizing how I can overcome so many things that are just obstacles in my mind.”

What began as cold dips following her trail runs has now transformed, years later, into a collective with more than 100 members. The Cold Plunge Crew isn’t a business or a non-profit. Parlange and Anja characterize it as a community of people who want to better themselves. Often, group plunges are tied to charity initiatives.

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“I started coming here because I wanted to challenge my comfort zone,” Parlange said. “I feel so much energy after I go home, like I’m in between happy and excited without it being too much, and it lasts for a while.”

As for me, I feel invigorated and energized after climbing out. Starting my day immersed in a mountain-fed river in the forest certainly beats rolling out of bed and dragging myself to my desk.

If you’ve lived in Vancouver long enough, you’re bound to have run into cold plungers immersing themselves in the ocean at impossible-to-believe temperatures. I see them sometimes at English Bay, on days the wind bites through my down vest. It’s a community that’s nothing if not dedicated, and after interviewing several cold plungers and open-water swimmers these past few months, I’ve learned it’s not masochism that drives the practice, but a love for the outdoors and the rush of feel-good chemicals a cold swim can bring.

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Just keep swimming

Shareen Chin swims at Sunset Beach (Shareen Chin/Submitted)

Shareen Chin goes into the water around Vancouver for more than just a dip- she grabs her buoy and swims freestyle, not letting snow or freezing temperatures stop her.

“I swam in the summertime, and I just kept on going,” she told Daily Hive. “It’s such a beautiful way to spend my time and just be in the water.”

The 2022/23 winter was the first time the open water swimmer kept it up all year round and said doing it regularly is key to making it through the winter. Living near the ocean helps, too.

“Since I’m going so frequently, my body gets used to that very cold shock. It’s not like I’m going from 18°C down to 3°C all in one day. I’m acclimatizing to the dip in temperature.”

For Chin, the swims are a chance to stay connected to nature during a time of year when it’s all too easy to get holed up inside an apartment. One of her favourite things is to see the winter sun peek out when she’s swimming and glisten off the frost and snow on the ground.

“It’s exquisite to swim in the cold,” she said. “It’s like swimming through a painting because the water can be very calm. It’s like liquid poetry. It’s hard to explain. But it is so beautiful.”

Pandemic closures push people to the ocean

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Several of the cold-water swimmers say the community expanded in the pandemic, when gyms were shut and sunny vacations were on pause. That’s how Christine Baker got into it when pools were closed, and it didn’t feel safe to work out inside.

“It wasn’t so much about exercise for me; it was more so about the experience,” she said. “Like being in the ocean and really getting to experience it in all seasons.”

Baker’s newfound love for open-water swimming led her to become the president of the Vancouver Open Water Swim Association, a group that organizes practices and races for open-water swimmers. Though VOWSA’s season doesn’t start until the summer, some swimmers who met through the organization like to get a head start by heading to Jericho Beach while the North Shore mountains are still covered in snow.

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“I think I’m just part of nature. I’ve always loved swimming, but the pool becomes kind of boring,” Sylvie Kruchten said during a morning swim at Jericho Beach in April.

“The ocean is always different. The water is brown, it’s yellow, there’s waves. And being with friends is really a plus. It’s safe, and they encourage me.”

She swam out to a buoy and back along with about a half-dozen other women. She’s been cold swimming for about four or five years and loves the high it gives her that lasts through the day.

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What are the risks of cold plunges?

Cold plungers seem to love the euphoria and pain relief a cold dunk can bring, but scientific evidence supporting the practice’s health benefits remains scant, according to the American Heart Association.

Sudden cold immersion can be fatal in some people, as cold-water shock immobilizes muscles and prevents people from swimming.

Cold shock involves an increase in breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. People can also drown quickly if they gasp while underwater. The process makes the heart work harder, and the American Heart Association cautions that people with heart conditions or who are on beta blockers should proceed carefully.

Tips for trying your first cold plunge

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The cold plungers and swimmers are united in this advice: enter the water gradually and always listen to your body for when it’s time to get out.

Let your body acclimate before going further in. There’s no shame in keeping your hands and head (where you lose heat quickly) out of the water. Neoprene booties (the ones winter surfers in Tofino wear) can also make a difference.

The object is to avoid gasping, where you could accidentally inhale water and drown. Choose calm days over windy days where waves could splash into your mouth, and let your body settle into the cold before proceeding further.

Swimming with a buddy is better than swimming alone.

After your swim, make sure to get warm again as soon as possible. You may struggle to change, but it’s important to remove wet clothing and wear warm layers as soon as possible. Bringing a thermos of warm tea or water is also a great idea to warm up from the inside out.

And it’s never about ego. It’s about enjoyment.

As for me, I already think swimming is one of life’s greatest pleasures. I spent years lifeguarding and swimming competitively, and the tips and encouragement from the cold plungers pushed me to not be so dainty about the temperature. From glacier-fed lakes in the Rockies to the Georgia Strait on a winter day, I’m glad to say I feel equipped to do this joyful practice many more months of the year.