Bracing start to New Year's Day for sea swimmers in St Leonards.Bracing start to New Year's Day for sea swimmers in St Leonards.
Bracing start to New Year's Day for sea swimmers in St Leonards.

St Leonards: Sea bathers take plunge on hottest New Year’s Day ever

Dozens of people plunged into the sea on New Year’s Day as temperatures climbed to record-breaking heights.

Hardy thrill-seekers braved the strong waves off St Leonards as crowds gathered on the beach on Saturday morning to watch the fun. Many bathers were not wearing wetsuits and plunged into the sea in bikinis and swimming shorts, before emerging looking as red as freshly-boiled lobsters. They warmed up afterwards by sipping hot drinks. One or two had something a little stronger to hand. Others warmed up by joining Debbie Cutting’s daily ‘beach boogie’ class near Azur Marina Pavilion.

Despite the record-breaking temperatures, the sea was still cold enough to make the traditional New Year’s Day swim a bracing prospect for many. Damien Pearse, 51, a psychologist, from West Hill, Hastings, said the icy water certainly took his breath away - but it was a “brilliant” way to start 2022.

“It was great being with such a spirited crowd on the beach,” he said. “There were dozens of people there, and the water really made you wake up to a new year. Even when I got flattened by a wave, it was great fun. Even though I woke up in the morning and thought, ‘there’s no way I’m going to do that’, when I opened the curtains and saw the sun and the warm weather I couldn’t really help but go in. It was really exhilarating and a fantastic way to start 2022.”

The Met Office said it was the hottest New Year’s Day ever, with the mercury reaching 16.2C in London before midday - beating the previous record of 15.6C more than a century ago in 1916.