We took up sea-wading in France and found it great for health and making friends

Gabriele Avery, 67, and her partner Jean-Maurice Vaginay, 77, first took up sea wading  (longe-côte) after moving to France in 2020. The couple have never looked back.

Gabriele shares the myriad of social and physical health benefits to be gained from this aqua-aerobic activity.

"We live just 10 minutes from the ocean in Soulac-sur-Mer (Gironde). Before that, we lived near Kingston in the UK where I was a yoga teacher and complementary scientist at St George's Hospital.

I had never heard of sea-wading but when we arrived in France, Jean-Maurice's physiotherapist suggested it, so we called a woman called Valérie who organises the local club.

We were immediately hooked. It is like aquatic walking. You wade into deep water which comes up to somewhere between the navel and the armpits. You bend the front knee and push forward, and you use your arms like little pedals to move forward. The weight of the water provides resistance while supporting the joints.

When we joined the association we did medicals at the GP and bought insurance. 

Our doctor was very positive and said it would strengthen the heart. And doing it in a group is more interesting and fun than exercising alone. 

I am the only English person in the group – all the others are French but they are all ages, sizes and shapes. 

Being part of the group is a motivation to keep going and not give up.

Fitness and strength

Sea-wading has absolutely improved my fitness and strength. 

When I went in during February, the sea was only 10C but I was not too cold because of my wetsuit. A thin layer of water gets trapped between the suit and your skin and it warms up quite fast.

Each session lasts around an hour, or an hour-and-a-half. At first, I had to stop after 45 minutes and it was really hard to get out of the wetsuit. Nevertheless, I found it invigorating and life-affirming.

Jean-Maurice was on asthma medication when we arrived here, and now he does not need it at all and his lung capacity has really increased.

His heart is better too. His palpitations are much rarer these days. 

Sea-wading has also enabled us to integrate and meet new friends in Soulac and has really helped with my French. 

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Competitions

Some of the members compete against other clubs and even win medals but I just want to go at my own pace. 

We learned some basic safety rules at the beginning and obviously it is good to be able to swim, even though we do not go very deep. 

Someone in the group always checks the weather forecast and the sea conditions to make sure that it is safe. We stay in eye and voice contact just in case anything happens. This is much safer than trying it alone. 

I do not know what Jean-Maurice's physiotherapist thinks of our progress, because Jean-Maurice isn't seeing his kiné any more!"

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Benefits and how to get involved

Longe-côte was invented in Dunkirk in 2005 by rowing instructor Thomas Wallyn, who wanted an exercise that would give the whole body a workout.

It improves aerobic capacity, strength, stamina and balance. 

In winter, the cold water helps circulation and is also said to massage the body, improving the appearance of cellulite.

Before undertaking any new sporting activity it is recommended to check with your GP that it is suitable for you.

The Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre has information and advice on sea-wading (in English and in French).

Sea-wading can also be done in large lakes and rivers. It should always be practised in a properly supervised group.

You need a wetsuit, wading shoes and gloves to do it year round. This costs approximately €200 per person.