Meet the York woman who leads weekly dips into the Atlantic: 'Dip down to rise up'

YORK, Maine — Emily Daugherty sat on the rocks at the beach by the Stage Neck Inn on Friday, Jan. 19, and noticed a few people in the distance who were removing their warm winter clothes and wading into the icy waters of the Atlantic.

Daughtery of Massachusetts said she had been sitting on the beach at York Harbor, relaxing and enjoying the calm surf lapping the shore, because she had felt called to the site that morning. When she saw those fellow beachgoers making their way into the water, she figured out why.

For Daugherty, dipping into the ocean on a cold, gray January afternoon in Maine was not anywhere on her bucket list. But in a nod to spontaneity, and in the spirit of stretching herself in new directions, that’s exactly what she did.

Wearing thin snow pants and nothing above her waist but neoprene gloves and a bikini top, she marched into the ocean. When she got in up to her waist, she lowered herself up to her neck.

“It’s not that bad!” she called out.

Daugherty remained that way for a moment, rose, and seemed in no rush as she made her way back to dry land.

“It’s no harder to get into than it is in the summer,” she said. “I have an adrenaline rush ... I’m in a great mood right now.”

At that moment, Daugherty joined the ranks of Amy Hopkins, the owner of Saltwater Mountain Company, and her merry band of ocean dippers who wander into waters on mornings and afternoons all year long, regardless of the temperature or season.

The company aims to “empower women, support mental health, and build community – one step, one breath, and one dip at a time,” according to its website. Towards this goal, Hopkins, a registered nurse, organizes routine dips at York Harbor and other locations, as well. She holds retreats too.

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What is the inspiration behind the frigid dips?

Hopkins found inspiration to start up her company and pursue her mission during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Hopkins, a self-described “empathetic extrovert,” faced the triple hardships of losing both her parents and her business and dealing with the social-distancing isolation of the global health crisis.

On New Year’s Day in 2021, Hopkins decided she needed to try something to shake up her life and get it back on track. She and a friend went to the local beach, where she proceeded to wade into the waves and experience the icy rush of a swim in winter.

“I needed to beat the feelings I was having – to get above them,” Hopkins said.

When she emerged, she felt reborn, she said.

“The intensity of the cold was the only thing that matched the intensity of my grief,” she said. “It took me to a deep presence that I could only feel at that moment. It was quick, loud and fun, and the next day I wanted to do it again. Literally, it cleared the slate of my life.”

She still had to continue grieving the loss of her mother and father and the pandemic, unfortunately, was not going anywhere anytime soon. But her mindset had changed favorably enough to keep her moving forward with a bit more wind at her back than before.

“It increases your mood immediately,” Hopkins said. “And a nice thing about it is it lingers. You’re not going to crash.”

And, of course, the answer to keep moving forward was to keep dipping under. Hopkins started returning to the ocean, submerging herself as the elements would allow, and experiencing exhilaration each time. In time, she formed her company and started bringing others into the water with her.

Anyone can join her, she said, and anyone can approach the water according to their needs, comforts and limits.

Sunrise is her favorite time to dip, Hopkins said. Although, all times “have their beauty,” she added.

“One of my most beautiful dips was an October sunrise,” Hopkins said. “There was foliage – colorful leaves on the beach. The sunrise was fiery. I had never seen it like that. It was stunning.”

One time, Hopkins and her husband took a dip in the ocean when it was 1 degree outside.

“But there was no wind,” she added. “It was one of the most memorable, mindful, meditative experiences of my life.”

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Group's mantra is to 'dip down to rise up'

Late in the afternoon on Friday, Jan. 19, Hopkins gathered with about a dozen dippers in the 28-degree chill at York Harbor. At the moment, the group was dressed in winter garb, comfortable in coats, hats, and mittens. That would change in a moment.

“Always breathe,” Hopkins told the group. “Have a buddy.”

She offered a couple more healthy dipping pointers before asking the 11 women and two men, “Should we do it?”

Mere minutes later, Hopkins had her answer. She and the others were in the water, some up to their waists and others up to their necks, and all of them with their hands held high and dry. They stayed submerged for a few minutes, chatting and laughing and doing what most people only do on sweltering days in the summertime.

Myra Solomon of York was one of the first to step back onto the beach. As she toweled herself dry and pulled those warm winter clothes back on, she called the dip – her third – both “exhilarating and invigorating.”

“I guess there’s some science to this dipping,” she said. “I’m trying to find my way to that.”

Solomon was talking about the physical healing and emotional benefits – the very kind Hopkins experienced on that first day in 2021.

“It’s a reset each time,” Hopkins said. “That’s why it’s so addicting.”

Solomon’s teeth chattered the first time she dipped. She said she decided to take the plunge – and keep taking the plunge – because she sees value in the experience.

“It’s freezing, but there’s something to facing your fears and doing something that does not feel natural – like going into the ocean in January in Maine,” she said.

For Hopkins, a birthing nurse, leading people into the ocean for therapeutic, rejuvenating dips seems like the “next evolutionary step in my career.”

Hopkins said immersing herself in the ocean under a variety of circumstances has helped her adapt to situations back on land.

“You’re practicing to do hard things out there,” she said, gesturing away from the water and toward the dry world where we all move about our days. “That’s the best thing I’ve learned from this. I notice my reactions are different in my life.”

Hopkins said her mission is to get people into the cold water, “not for my agenda, but for theirs.” Everybody has their own reason for seeking such an experience, for “birthing” the next phase in their lives.

“Dip down to rise up,” Hopkins said. “That’s the mantra I’ve come up with.”

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York ME woman finds healing in weekly dips into the freezing Atlantic