A smiling woman sitting in an ice bath filled with ice

Experiences

Ice Bath & Recovery

Cold plunge after a long session. Two hours of paddling does more to you than you think, and this is how the regulars keep surfing all week.

Part of our retreats and surf camps, and Kuma runs it with you. It comes a couple of hours after the morning surf, when the shoulders start to talk.

A smiling woman in an ice bath in the garden, surfboards racked behind her

A man with curly hair up to his chest in an ice bath full of ice

A woman in an ice bath beside red surfboards and green plants

A man sitting in an ice bath, looking down at the ice

How it runs

How an ice bath session goes

When in the week: On a camp, 11am on Days 2, 3 and 4, after the 7 to 9am surf. The sample retreat week keeps the same 11am slot for its three.
Getting in: Take it slowly: feet go in first, then lower yourself down to sit. Breathe slow and even. It gets easier once the opening minute is behind you.
How long: A few minutes the first time, building to ten or fifteen if it feels right. The best soreness results in one network meta-analysis came from 10 to 15 minutes in water at 11 to 15 degrees Celsius; going colder did not help soreness more.
Get out if: You feel dizzy, numb or unwell. Straight away, whatever the clock says.
Afterwards: Towel off, get into something warm and keep moving gently until the heat comes back. Have a warm drink, and leave the very hot shower for later.
Check first: Ask a doctor before trying it with a heart condition, high blood pressure or a pregnancy. Skip it with Raynaud's or poor circulation, when you feel unwell or very tired, or after alcohol. Never alone.
Why bother: Research reviews find cold water after exercise reduces muscle soreness compared with doing nothing. Nothing in that research says it makes you surf better. On a week with a surf every morning, feeling less sore is the point.
Getting one: Book a camp date or plan a retreat. The sessions come with both.

The ice bath at the house, straight after a session. Filmed at Kuma Surf. Watch: The ice bath at Kuma Surf House after a surf session

What you are recovering from

What the whitewash takes out of you

From the beach, a lesson looks like people standing up on boards. From the board, it is paddling, pushing, crouching, falling off and walking back out, over and over.

The fun hides the effort until later. Shoulders and thighs send the bill afterwards.

A woman crouches low on a green-railed board in shallow whitewash, other people and boards in the water behind — Crouched, focused, and very much using her thighs.

A woman in a palm-print rash guard stands on a cream board in whitewash, knees bent, looking at her feet — Knees bent, eyes down, legs doing the work.

A smiling woman stands on a teal board in shallow whitewash, one arm up and pointing, a man in the water behind — The fun part. The cold water is for afterwards.

The cold part

Warm sea, cold tub: the ice bath in Varkala

The water at Edava is warm all year. That is lovely for learning and does nothing to cool tired shoulders down, which is where the plunge comes in.

Camp and retreat guests get three during the week, late morning, a couple of hours after the surf, and Kuma runs each one with you.

Nobody enjoys getting in. Most people do it again anyway.

A distant surfer rides whitewater on a white board across a grey sea, two heads in the water behind — Every row of whitewater is one more paddle back out.

The warm part

Recovery that does not involve ice

Some days the right recovery is lying down. The house has hammocks, a garden and a terrace, and none of them will ask what you did today.

If your back wants more than a hammock, there is yoga on the sand and on the rooftop. For massage, ask us which places in Varkala are good.

And if the sea goes flat for a day, take the hint.