New Year’s Eve in St Ives: A Proper Cornish Experience
Spending New Year’s Eve in St Ives is a unique experience! This spectacular street celebration is St Ives’ most...
by Alice Parry / Blog
Every year on Christmas day, boxing day and new years day, people voluntarily run into the Cornish sea in the heart of winter.
These brave souls freeze their baubles off to raise money for amazing charities.
These festive swimming events are organised across the region and have been a tradition in some villages and towns for over 50 years.
Prepare yourself for the adrenaline rush and bring all your family and friends because your festive icy dip in the Cornish waters will be an entertaining story worth telling, and a guaranteed holiday highlight!
Read on to find Christmas Day swims, Boxing Day swims, and New Year’s Day swims across Cornwall…
Use these quick links to jump to a specific section:
10:30 am – Register
10:45 am – Warm Up
11 am – Sea Swim
No wetsuits
Imagine over 500 people in the Atlantic Ocean with strictly no wetsuits allowed, out for a Christmas Day swim!
This year the Mike Moyle Memorial Swim organisers are aiming for the biggest turnout ever. Their target is to have 600 sponsored swimmers take the plunge.
The event raises money for the Bude Surf Life Saving Club and takes place on Crooklets Beach.
10:30 – Advised arrival
11 am – Running start
No wetsuits
Head to Sennen for your Christmas day swim in Cornwall and brave the waters at the most westerly point of the region.
As usual, there are no wetsuits allowed, with fancy dress encouraged, providing some interesting sights!
11 am – Start
No wetsuits
It all started with a dare over 20 years ago when a pub landlady offered a free pint to 5 lads if they ran into the sea in just their boxer shorts.
Seeing as the Cornish would do anything for a pint, a north coast Christmas tradition was born.
Every year a few hundred take the plunge at 11am on Christmas day.
Driftwood Spars Inn welcome swimmers afterwards with plenty of hot mulled cider to warm up.
11 am – Start
No wetsuits
Another big event with over 400 people stripping off their winter layers to charge into the icy waters on Christmas Day.
With absolutely no wetsuits allowed, head up to Polzeath and have an adrenaline filled swim with your friends and family in the Cornish sea.
Gather at the front of the Extreme Academy Surf School for this Christmas Day swim in Newquay.
After braving the Atlantic waters for an invigorating swim, warm up at the Beach Hut.
They’ll be serving their famous Xtreme hot chocolates for all the brave souls.
12pm – Start
This Christmas Day swim in Cornwall is a smaller gathering in one of the most beautiful coves in Cornwall.
Get ready to dip your toes in at midday on the Lizard Peninsula.
You can also watch the swim at Cadgwith Inn who are serving snacks and drinks from 11:30 – 14:00.
12:30 pm – Start
No wetsuits
Here we have another Cornwall Christmas day swim that began as a dare!
It is said that a local doctor made a bet with a friend that he would swim across the harbour. Since then, locals and visitors dress in their swimming costumes and raise money for Cancer Research.
Strictly no wetsuits are allowed at this charity event, so make sure you get all the sponsorship you can to make it worthwhile!
After the swim, everyone is invited back to the Fisherman’s Rest for a chat and some warmth.
11 am – Start
Another seaside village on the north coast, this Christmas day swim takes places in Porthtowan.
Everyone is welcome to join in or to speculate and free mulled rattler is usually served at the Victory Inn from 12 pm for those victorious swimmers.
10:30 – Advised arrival
11:00 am – Start
Organised by the Charleston Rowing Club for a nominated local charity
Since 1991, this event has raised and donated a grand total of £24,000 to local charities including the RNLI, Cornwall Hospice Care, Churchtown Outdoor Activity for the disabled and lots more.
So brave those icy December waters and wake yourself up from the Christmas food coma in the name of charity at this Boxing day swim in Cornwall.
10:30am – Meet
10:45am – Start
No wetsuits
The Perranporth Surf Life Saving Club stress no wetsuits allowed for this Cornish boxing day dip.
Join others in the cold Atlantic waters and warm up with some organised refreshments for a small donation.
10.30am – Warm Up
11 am – Start
People are advised to park at Poldhu and meet near the beach entrance at 10:30 AM.
Every year Ross and Natalie Hocking who run the Poldhu Beach Cafe organise a Boxing Day swim for charity.
The Cafe will be open on Boxing Day from 10-2 for hot drinks, mulled wine, mince pies and a reduced hot food menu.
So, if you want to watch people freeze their baubles off or are entertaining it yourself, all donations collected go towards the cafe’s chosen charity.
12 pm – Start
Wetsuits allowed, £1 donation to charity
Brave Boxing day swimmers flock to this well-loved beach half-naked, in fancy dress and wearing wetsuits in this popular tradition in St Ives.
For a £1 donation to charity, you, your friends and family and your dog can go for a dip in the chilly waves.
For supporters and cheerers, Porthminster Cafe will be serving festive hot chocolates and bacon butties to keep everyone warm.
12 pm – Start
Wetsuits allowed
Why not start your New Year in Cornwall with a refreshing dip at the famous Gylly Beach in Falmouth.
Join locals and visitors of all ages for this annual event and kick-start your metabolism in the chilly Cornish waters.
Be there at noon in your swimsuit or wetsuits.
1.30pm – Start
A new years swim in Newquay will be sure to clear a few foggy heads in the winter waters.
Arriving early is advised by the organisers as the quayside is usually crowded with spectators eager to watch the brave swimmers run into the sea.
The event raises money for Young Lives vs Cancer, formerly CLIC Sargent, supporting young people with cancer.
11 am – start
This new years dip is an annual date in Gorran’s village diary.
Say hello to 2023 with a refreshing sea swim and join the rest of the village celebrating the year to come.
The swim is organised by St Goran Rowing Club to raise funds for RNLI. Head to the village hall for coffee cakes and a raffle afterwards.
A few of these events are supervised by the RNLI but for those that aren’t its vital that everyone is safe and takes care of one another in the water.
Here are some tips so that you and your fellow festive swimmers are prepared.
A word of warning, these Christmas and New Year swim events are organised locally, often with next to no advertisement, so we have collected this list based on swims that have happened in the past.
We advise to get in touch with the town/village’s local community page/website to confirm the swims are going ahead this year to avoid disappointment.
Treat yourself and your loved ones to a memorable Christmas break in Cornwall this year with Carbis Bay Holidays!
The closest swim to your Carbis Bay accommodation or St Ives holiday cottage is the Porthminster Beach Boxing Day swim.
Image credit:Sasastro – CC BY 2.0
by Alice Parry / Blog
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