sea swim

Sea bathing is swimming in the sea or in sea water and a sea bath is a protective enclosure for sea bathing. Unlike bathing in a swimming pool, which is generally done for pleasure or exercise purposes, sea bathing was once thought to have curative or therapeutic value.

It arose from the medieval practice of visiting spas for the beneficial effects of the waters.

The practice of sea bathing dates back to the 17th century but became popular in the late 18th century. The development of the first swimsuits dates from the period as does the development of the bathing machine.

The growth in popularity of sea bathing developed from the perceived health benefits of mineral springs, such as those at Spa in Belgium, Bath in England and Aachen in Germany. Sea water was similarly believed to have medicinal benefits. The medicinal benefits of the sun were also being recognised.

In 1753, Dr. Charles Russel published "The Uses of Sea Water" recommended the use of sea water for healing various diseases, and William Buchan in his 1769 book Domestic Medicine advocating the practice. Sea bathing and sea water were advocated with winter considered to be the best time to follow the practice. Buchan's book was published until 1846 and was translated into many languages.

Sea bathing in combination with the drinking of sea water became fashionable as the cure for many and varied diseases in the 18th century. Marine hospitals opened in parts of France and England. The first French marine hospital, Petit Berck, opened in 1861.

There has been a tremendous growth in sea bathing, especially in the 20th century. However, the trend was slight reversed after melanoma was linked with excessive exposure to the sun. With Australians having the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, the "Slip, Slop, Slap" campaign was developed to encourage people to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat.

Though no longer widely considered to actually cure of disease, shades of the supposed curative properties of sea water can still be noted with the trend of bath products containing Dead Sea salt, which is claimed to provide some relief from certain skin diseases.