New Year North Sea Dip Saw A Record 40,000 Dutch Participate In The Tradition

Organisers said that a record 40,000 people braved icy temperatures on the Netherlands's North Sea coast Tuesday to take a cold plunge, setting a new record for the traditional New Year's Day dip.

"There were around 10,000 swimmers in Scheveningen and a record number of 40,000 across the Netherlands," spokeswoman Jiske Barten said.

Risk of Getting Ill Increases With Swimming at Sub-tropical Beaches
Swimming at sub-tropical beaches carries an increased risk of illness, revealed a new study.

In the resort of Scheveningen, a district of The Hague and the main spot among the 102 nationwide for the growing annual event, many of the bathers wore Christmas hats and sported swimwear in the national orange colour as they ran into the sea, screaming and laughing despite the water temperature of eight degrees Celsius (46 Fahrenheit).

"The outside temperature is also around eight degrees Celsius, but with the wind chill the felt air temperature is closer to zero," Barten said.

"It's a bit crazy but it's a tradition. If you're Dutch, you have to do it at least once in your life," said Sander Veltahuizen, a 29-year-old who said he was taking the New Year cold plunge for the 11th year running.

Keep Summer Swimming and Stamina Events Safe
Whether having fun, staying in shape or pushing your physical capacity to the extreme, the summer is a great time to enjoy your physical health and move more.

Source-AFP

Research On Bacterial Swimming May Throw Light On How E.Coli Get Around
Scientists have come up with a new way to watch bacteria as they swim, which is expected to eventually help trap Escherichia coli bacteria and modify the microbes' environment without

Swimming In Troubled Waters
According to a new U.S. federal report, pollution at the nation’s 3,500 ocean, lake and bay beaches caused more than 25,000 closing or swimming advisory days last year.