Into the Blue courses

Into the Blue offers courses in building a regular cold-water immersion practice to help people affected by cancer live well. We welcome three separate groups of people. Each group receives their own course.

  1. People who have received a diagnosis of cancer

  2. People who care for someone with a diagnosis of cancer

  3. Healthcare staff working with people with a diagnosis of cancer.

We want you to feel really welcome at all times, whatever you are dealing with. You are part of the Into the Blue gang from the moment you arrive.

What will I do on Into the Blue course?

Courses are eight weeks long with each session lasting an hour. Each group has up to eight people in it. 

Sessions include some welcome time together as a group, before a physical warm up and a short breathwork/mindfulness practice before time in the sea. 

We stay chest height in the water, and spend time dipping and swimming, and gradually build skills needed to safely manage immersion in cold water in all sorts of conditions. 

We aim to have a lot of fun! We also help you have the right experience for you – we recognise that everyone is dealing with different challenges. These courses are completely non-competitive, inclusive and kind.

We support each member of the group to be able to access the sea safely and grow the confidence and skills they need to continue enjoying cold water. As a separate ‘dry side’ session we teach you water safety so you can risk assess future swims for yourself.

What can I expect from taking part in Into the Blue? 

Our participants report that taking part in Into the Blue acts positively on:

Mood, anxiety, pain, sleep, confidence, isolation and body image. It helps develop identity beyond someone with cancer. 

The unique combination of regular cold-water immersion with people that just ‘get it’ acts as a powerful intervention against the impact of a cancer diagnosis.
We are very proud that the word most often used to describe Into the Blue is “transformational”.

After our course ends our ‘graduates’ join The Whole Shoal, a unique cancer specific cold water swim community. This offers the opportunity to continue to swim regularly with people who understand what it feels like to be you.

Will I need to pay? 

Our courses are always free. We fundraise and seek grant funding in order that anyone who could benefit can take part. This includes loaning kit and helping you get there.