.
Having fun at the Christmas swim in Fenit in 2018. Photo by Dermot Crean
WITH just two weeks to go, Tralee Bay Swimming Club have announced details of the 68th annual Christmas Day Swim in Fenit.
Once again the collection will be in aid of RNLI Fenit Lifeboats and the swim will take place at 12noon. The swim will begin with the traditional singing of Jingle Bells and then Santa will sound the bell for the first of three dashes into the water. The winter swimmers will enjoy a longer swim.
The Fenit Christmas swim is one of the oldest in the country and is the largest in Kerry with around 800 swimmers on the day and 2,000 family members cheering them on.
Continued below…
.
It’s a great start to the festivities for the day so come along and enjoy the fun. The Lifeboat crews will be there collecting and will have loads of hot teas, coffees and soup available so please give generously.
They will also be in the water for your safety. Participants are asked to arrive early and park sensibly. Parking will be at a premium and you may have to walk a small bit. Please follow these safety guidelines;
1) Arrive in plenty of time
2) Wear your swimwear under your clothes .
3) Stay dressed and warm until the last minute .
4) It is advisable to wear footwear to avoid cutting your feet on any stones .
5) Do NOT dive directly into the water . Wet your face first and gradually lower yourself in .
6) When the swim is over , get dried off and put on layers of warm clothes and a hat as quickly as possible and get a hot drink of tea , coffee , chocolate or soup .
7) Avoid alcohol completely before the swim and afterwards for at least a half an hour until you are warm . Alcohol will interfere with the warming up process and can react badly to cold shock.
