The challenge encourages people to take a dip in 12 different bays during the run-up to Christmas, with each bay given a festive nickname, including the Bathing Yules, Port Soif and Cheese and Bordeaux-ho-ho.
Les Bourgs fundraising administrator Liz Stonebridge said there had been a steady trickle of hardy swimmers making their way into the water over the course of the morning.
‘I think the weather has probably put some people off today, but we’ve still had quite a few people come down.’
Kerry Marley, an all-year-round swimmer who came up with the idea for the challenge a few years ago along with her friend Dawn Sealey, said the ‘exhilarating’ feeling of sea swimming in the colder months of the year was the motivation behind the event.
‘We’ve obviously got 30 Bays in 30 Days in the summer, but we felt we needed something in winter.
‘Swimming at this time of year is a whole different buzz, and doing it support of a fantastic charity like Les Bourgs makes it even more worthwhile.’
Friends Lisa Gavey and Cathryn Aylett donned Christmas-themed hats as they completed lengths of the pools.
‘This is the fourth of fifth time we’ve done the 12 Bays,’ Mrs Gavey said.
‘This time it’s for a worthy cause, but sea swimming in general is so good for your mental health, that’s why we do it.’
Mrs Aylett added they would stay in the water for about 20 minutes at a time.
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