84 | COLD SEA DIPS IN ANTRIM


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County Antrim’s cool Dudes take the waves


home. “While my dentist husband is a keen I


golfer, take to the sea as often as


possible. “While the higher temperatures on summer holidays are much appreciated, it is the coolest thing for me to swim in the less than ‘comfortable’ water here, which I do all year round,” Susan began swimming off Helen’s


Bay beach, then took to dipping in Ballygally. However, she was drawn back to


her own backyard and an esoteric location known as The Lane. Often swimming in the company


of curious seals, she has since been joined by a growing number of cold dippers. Susan explained how she first got


into ‘the swim’. “Thinking back, I suppose I have


THE County Antrim coast has many claims to fame, with one of the most recent being a growing interest in year-round sea swimming. Brian McCalden reports on these adventurers.


BY BRIAN McCALDEN


FROM the Atlantic waves off Portrush to the more placid waters around Belfast Lough, hundreds of people are ‘taking the waters’, uncaring about the seasonal temperature extremes. The Arcadia


Bathing Club (ABC) is


one of the longest established groups, with regular dipping taking place. ABC is busiest on Sundays, with many others just ‘spectating’ as well. The Portrush bathers gained UK-wide


notoriety when joined by comic and TV presenter John Bishop as part of his 2019 travel series. “Freezing cold, but fantastic,” said John,


the Liverpool funnyman, with one of the ABC group commenting at the time: “John got a real buzz from the experience.” Further down the Antrim coast, one regular sea swimmer,


former newspaper journalist and current radio presenter on Belfast 89FM. The Jordanstown resident splits her time between radio


the pandemic to thank for my introduction to open water swimming.


“Friends used do Bollywood at


Sangam Studio in east Belfast,


but eased is Susan Gillen, a slots, dancing with an


Indian-themed troop - including at Belfast Mela - and taking to the waves near her


during


Covid those classes were suspended. “As restrictions slowly and we were to


permitted outdoors, would


to


belly dance and dance


July/August 2026


we took the plunge!” she said, noting her first ever foray into the cold seas at Helen’s Bay was back in March 2021. “The seawater was so intensely cold at


that time of year, I felt like it was burning me! I loathe feeling cold, so having tried it once and survived, I thought, right, that’s that ticked off the bucket list, and didn’t imagine I’d put myself through the bonkers experience again. “Therefore, never did I expect that


three years later I’d be well and truly hooked on cold water swimming! I now swim in the sea at least twice a week if not more, and do it year round - yes, all through the winter months too. “I joined the ‘Commandoes’, a swim


group based at Ballygally, but of late have been doing almost all of my swimming much closer to home over at the Lane, near Jordanstown. “The Lane has now become my Shangri-La place,


- my happy


enjoy the company and


fellow sea swimming enthusiasts,


where I often camaraderie of and


also the peace and serenity of solo dips. “Sea


swimming,


for me, has been life-affirming and transformative. It’s


socialise the dancers occasionally meet


up for walks by the sea or for drum workshops at the bandstand in Ormeau Park. “One day it was suggested that we give


sea swimming a go as the activity was emerging as something of a trend - and so without giving it very much thought at all,


taught me courage, helped me feel stronger and more resilient both physically and mentally, and given me a much stronger


sense of connection to nature. “There is something magical, mystical


and spiritual about the sea that draws me back to it time and time again. “Sea swimming is free and freeing and


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