Would you take a dip in the ocean this Christmas Day?

Winter swimming sounds daunting but Tommy Barker has been doing a seasonal swim for 30 years. He says it’s an ideal way to remember a loved one or just gather with friends.

AAARGH! You know that you are alive when you immerse yourself in the sea, a river or a lake on December 25, in and around Ireland. Even if you think the shock might kill you, the truth is cold-water swimming can be good for you… in the right measures, that is.

It’s almost like, but not quite entirely like, polar opposites. Who doesn’t warm to the thought of a soaking bath, a hot shower, or a lazy snorkel or swim session off some exotic isle, in sun-bathed waters? Answer: most of us.