A SEA of Santa’s is set to bob along the Mersea coastline, braving the chilly winter waters, for no reason other than a bit of fun and celebration.

Instead of celebrating by hanging up Christmas decorations around the pool, sending out a festive newsletter, or donning Christmassy swimsuits, this swimming group have a different way to celebrate.

30 women are enlisted to don Santa outfits and brave the cold water swimming experience, in waters likely below 8 degrees, to celebrate and acknowledge their progress this year.

Now in its third year, gaining turbulence and numbers as each year passes, the Santa Swim is an annual celebration of the progress that the Swimspirational Buddies swimming group have made this year.

Organiser Vicky Malmsjo, of Layer, is the founder of Swimspirational Open Water Coaching, which operates in Dedham and Mersea. She organised the first Santa Swim during lockdown, as a way of celebrating with her students.

Taking place only two days before the nation entered its Christmas lockdown, the first event saw a smaller group women stand a metre apart, donning Santa hats and braving the cold.

The group will warm up by singing Christmas carols and engaging in jovial activities, such as a forming a conga along the beach, to get their blood flowing, before they are handed a Santa hat and made to jump into the freezing Blackwater Estuary.

The group are also gifted plenty of prizes from local companies, which they raffle off to group members as Christmas presents, making the event a very joyous occasion.

On the Santa Swim, event organiser and founder of Swimspirational, Vicky Malmsjo said: “It is my favourite swim of the whole year.

“Its a special celebration of the achievements of my swimmers. We all get together to celebrate Christmas time and our shared passion of being outdoor swimmers.

 “It is an opportunity to look back on what we’ve achieved and celebrate. It is also a rare occasion that I get to enter the water, as I am usually teaching on the sidelines.”

The group will meet on Saturday, December 10, at 1pm on Mersea Beach.