I’ve been in Finland barely 24 hours and I’m lying back, eyes closed, floating in beautifully clear water and feeling quite possibly the most relaxed I’ve ever been. No, I’m not in one of the nation’s world-renowned saunas lauded for their restorative powers; I’m actually drifting in -1C sea water. Helsinki is around 20 miles from me by land, while the Estonian capital Tallinn is roughly 50 miles across the (mostly frozen) Baltic Sea.
The reason I’m in a deeply relaxed, almost meditative, state rather than suffering from early-stage hypothermia is that I’m fully kitted out in a bright-orange neoprene survival suit. Used by the crew on ships and fishing boats in case of emergency at sea, these immersion suits are designed to maintain the wearer's body temperature and keep them buoyant for up to six hours in cold water.
