Interesting article here on Icelandic Review, about how ReykjavÃk sea swimmers are prone to fainting, sometimes during but also often after the cold dip. Physicians encourage people to show extreme caution when swimming in the cold water, as they risk hyperthermia, unconsciousness and even swimming malfunction, causing them to loose mobility, which may lead to drowning. People must also realize that if they immediately immerse themselves in hot pots, as is common practice in Iceland, blood pressure can suddenly drop and cause them to faint.
Ãslandsbankasjósund 20. maà 2011 from Ragnar Torfi Geirsson on Vimeo.
(Video included only because it involves Icelandic sea swimmers)