Avantouimari menossa uimaan hyiseen veteen 1980-luvun Suomessa
Tekoälyllä luotu kuvitus: avantouimari menossa uimaan hyiseen veteen 1980-luvun Suomessa

Ice swimming safely: how to start Finland’s iciest winter hobby

About 3 min read

Finnish tradition

From the sauna into a hole in the ice and back again – a classic of the Finnish winter. The guidelines drawn up by the former Finnish Consumer Agency together with the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation, the outdoor association Suomen Latu and the then Ministry of Education are still the basic guidance used by Finnish ice-swimming clubs and municipalities.

You’ll need

  • A buddy – never go alone
  • Neoprene swim shoes or wool socks, gloves and a beanie
  • Warm clothes and a hot drink for afterwards
  • Time: a few minutes; cost: the ice-swimming site’s fee or a club membership

Step by step

  1. Read the site’s own rules – they can vary.
  2. Warm up your muscles, for example by walking or skiing.
  3. After the sauna, let your body cool down before going into the water: a big temperature difference puts strain on the heart.
  4. Take care on the steps and the jetty – they can be slippery.
  5. Go into the water feet first. For the first few times, a quick dip is enough.
  6. Get into warm clothes straight away.

Safety

Don’t go ice swimming after drinking alcohol, or if you have a cold or a fever. If you have a heart or circulatory condition, talk to a doctor first. Don’t jump in head first and don’t dive: getting your head wet increases heat loss. Cold water can make you gasp and briefly lose control of your breathing, and it stiffens your muscles quickly. Keep an eye on children. The emergency number in Finland (and across the EU) is 112 – think in advance about how you would actually call for help from the site.

Tested by the editors: no – this article is based on official and club guidelines, not medical advice.

Alternatives

If the idea makes you nervous, start at an organised ice-swimming site with handrails on the steps and other swimmers around. Many ice-swimming clubs run taster sessions for beginners.

Finnish reality check · comment

The feeling after an ice swim is like an update you can’t roll back. That’s why you read the instructions before you get in – feet first.

Editorial comment – not a test result.

Sources

  1. Turun Avantouimarit ry (Turku ice-swimming club): safety guidelines based on the Consumer Agency’s and others’ instructions (in Finnish) (checked 14 Oct 2026)
  2. City of Savonlinna: Ice-swimming guidelines (PDF, in Finnish) (checked 14 Oct 2026)
  3. Vaasan Pingviinit ry (Vaasa ice-swimming club): Safety (in Finnish) (checked 14 Oct 2026)