MUST READ – A Guide to Wild Cold Plunging

What you NEED to know BEFORE you go. This guide will help you safely and efficiently experience your stone fire ice adventure. It is important to note that wild cold plunging is an advanced practice and should be preceded by at least 2 weeks of daily cold showers, previous controlled ice bath experiences or gradual acclimation with the seasons. You should not attempt cold plunging if you have a cardiovascular disease and should check with your doctor before starting this practice.

✅ PRE-PLANNING

1. Weather Check

• Check the forecast for wind speed, temperature, and potential storms to ensure safe conditions.

2. Destination:

• Coordinate with friends or your plunging community. If you don’t have one already, you can find your tribe at StoneFireIce.com

• Scout the location in advance when there’s no snow on the ground and if possible, during the off season as well.

• Choose a plunge site. While this may sound silly, changing locations and deliberating in the cold will needlessly extend your time in the elements.

• Check the water for rocks, debris, or other hazards.

3. Safety Contact:

• Inform at least one person who is not joining you exactly where you are going, how long you plan to stay, and when they should check on you if they haven’t heard back.

4. Buddy System:

• Always cold plunge with a friend or group. They don’t have to join you, just come with you.

• Even experienced swimmers can slip or face unexpected challenges.

5. Clothing:

• Choose a bathing suit that you can easily change out of.

• Bring a changing robe. (Get 10% OFF WITH CODE = STONEFIREICE at Seashell, & Vivida)

• Wearing a hat, gloves and neoprene boots or socks will make your experience more enjoyable but this is not required.

• Pack extra warm, dry clothing for after the plunge, including layers, hats, gloves, and scarves.

• Make sure all the clothing you choose is easy to put on with gloves and doesn’t require fine motor skills to put on.

6. Safety Equipment:

• Bring the necessary tools for your location, like crampons for walking on ice, an ice saw or axe if you’ll need to cut through ice.

• Bring a charged cellphone.

7. Emergency Preparedness:

• Bring a small first aid kit or have it nearby in your car and an emergency blanket in case someone experiences hypothermia.

8 Hydration and Nutrition:

• Stay hydrated before plunging to prevent dehydration, which can worsen cold stress.

• Pack a quick snack for after the plunge to restore energy.

9. Watch Your Time

• Every moment undressed or wet counts towards your total cold exposure time. The time in and out of the water as well as traveling to and from your warm destination all must be factored in.

🧊 GETTING YOUR VITAMIN ICE

1. Set Your Intention:

• Mentally prepare yourself by saying something to yourself internally or aloud like this:

“I am going to walk calmly into the water and submerge my body up to my neck for at least one minute. I am in full control of my whole self right now.”

2. Enter the Water:

• Walk deliberately into the water up to waist depth.

• Wet your face or submerge your head to activate the mammalian dive reflex, which helps calm your body. (Optional and not recommended if wind speed exceeds 10 mph)

3. Submerge Yourself:

• Take a deep breath, squat down, and allow the water to reach your neck.

• Exhale once submerged; avoid holding your breath for prolonged periods while in the water.

4. Control Your Breathing:

• Breathe deeply and slowly for 30 seconds to overcome your body’s fight-or-flight response.

• Continue this until the urge to hyperventilate has passed.

5. Be Present:

• Stay in the water for 1-5 minutes.

• Focus on the cold sensation on your skin and let your mind fully immerse in the present moment. Notice the water on your skin, your feet on the ground, your face in the sun, the wind on your skin or the smiles on your friend’s faces. Be in the moment.

6. Time Limit Awareness:

• Beginners should start with shorter durations (1 minute) and gradually increase with experience.

7. Listen to your body

• This is not a competition. If you feel like you want to get out before your friends, do so. There is no exponential benefits for staying in longer than five minutes. In fact, you can have diminishing returns on your energy levels for the rest of the day if you go for longer plunge times beyond 10 minutes even if you can handle that amount of time.

8. Exit Safely:

• Be aware of slippery surfaces and have a clear exit path.

• Exit slowly and carefully to avoid injury.

🔥 POST-PLUNGE

1. Reawaken Your Body:

• Engage in light movement for 30 seconds to a minute to help transition from the cold back to normal temperature.

2. Dressing Sequence:

• This may sound silly to plan this out in advance, but it is VERY important. Pre-plan how you will dress after the plunge, as the cold may impair your dexterity and coordination. You will be surprised how difficult it can be just to get dressed if you don’t have a plan.

• Example sequence:

1. Towel dry your body.

2. Remove wet boots or dive socks.

3. Pour warm water on your feet to relieve discomfort and wash off sand or dirt.

4. Stand on a towel, put on a changing robe, and remove wet clothing.

5. Put on dry socks.

6. Layer upper body clothing (shirts, sweaters).

7. Put on your pants and shoes last.

• The key is to review and mentally practice this sequence in advance to stay calm and efficient.

3. Warm-Up Gradually:

• Avoid jumping into hot water, as it can cause “after-drop” (when your body temperature drops further after leaving the water).

• Instead, warm up from the inside out through vigorous movement and by drinking hot fluids such as coffee, tea, or cocoa.

4. Have a warm space ready

• Leave your car running with the heat on if you’re able to park it safely nearby.

• Utilize a mobile sauna for contrast therapy

• Gather around and pre-lit fire to warm up.

5. Stretching:

• Incorporate light stretching after warming up to relieve muscle tension and improve circulation.

6. Post-Plunge Journal: (optional)

• Reflect on your experience by writing down how you felt during and after the plunge. Tracking your progress helps build mental resilience.

• Post your adventures online to document your memories and to hold yourself accountable for starting a new practice by telling others.

• Most importantly don’t forget to tag @StoneFireIce so our global community can share your adventures too🙏

7. Respect Nature

• Leave no trace—clean up after yourself to preserve the beauty of the plunge site.

🌨️ ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

1. Know the Signs of Hypothermia:

• Symptoms include uncontrollable shivering, confusion, slurred speech, and drowsiness.

• Seek medical attention immediately if prolonged symptoms occur.

2. Practice Regular Cold Exposure:

• Build your tolerance by incorporating cold showers or shorter plunges into your routine.

3. Emergency Preparedness:

• Always have a backup plan for emergencies, including nearby shelter options.

4. Ice Holes:

• If cutting a hole in the ice, do so at the edge of a lake where you can stand safely in no more than 4 feet of water, not in the middle. NEVER swim under ice.

5. Ocean & River Plunges

• Choose a location at the Ocean with a shallow sandbar that you can walk out waste deep. They tend to be good surfing locations too.

• Everyone MUST be a good ocean swimmer to participate in an Ocean plunge. If the area occasionally has rip currents or a strong current in a river, it should be avoided.

•If there are no lifeguards in your group, consider using a floatation device like a pool noodle or even a life jacket.

6. Personal Responsibility:

• Wild cold plunging is typically not sanctioned by your town or city, so you are responsible for your own safety. No one else should be held liable for your choices.

•If you are organizing a larger group, consider having participants sign a waiver acknowledging their personal responsibility to participate.

If you found this post helpful, consider saving this post to share with all new members of your club or post it in the bio and feeds of your social media pages. Thank you for reading and sharing!

Now go get your Stone, Fire, Ice! 🤙