When Ireland was shut down back in March 2020, many were mourning the loss of the usual routine of their day and week.
They were no longer able to meet up with that friend for a coffee.
Their usual walking group was done away with to maintain social distancing.
And any hopes of going to a gym and keeping fit were minimal. Many were content with the virtual workouts, but many others turned to one place.
The sea.
Open water and sea swimming rocketed in popularity in 2020, and again in 2021, with the momentum set to continue into 2022.
It's something that the Head of Participation at Swim Ireland, Ashley Hunter, is hopeful of.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, he explained that though some people are still uncomfortable, the water will always be there.
"It's still a challenge for people to go back to what people were doing before because some of the pastimes or things they were taking part in are restricted. However, we've seen the growth over the winter continue and that's a great sign.
"That's a real indication that people are committed. The summer numbers haven't dropped and the communities that were swimming over the summer have continued over the winter. That's a real sign of commitment. The water is extremely cold in the Irish Sea in the winter!
"We're hopeful that numbers will continue to grow in 2022. And Swim Ireland will provide a bunch of opportunities for that to happen, for people to engage with the water and within their own communities."
Ireland has produced some incredibly talented athletes in the past in the water, but you don't need to be an Olympian to join up with some of the programmes on offer each weekend from Swim Ireland.
Ashley explains: "During the summer, we run courses for people of all ages and abilities.
"You can only swim a little bit? We'll get you on our 'beach to buoy' programme, where you go from just walking along the edge of the water or a small dip - to swimming out to the sea, progressing each week further and further.
"Then we have water skills, where we slowly build people up until we reach the open water events at the end of the season."
A major goal for 2022 for the group is to encourage people to attend special events where the focus will be on a social gathering.
"What we're doing this year is really looking at lots of different opportunities for people to come in and try an open water swim. We have the 'beach to buoy' but also looking at what people want - for those who want to swim along the coast, we'll offer swim trails with areas of beauty.
"We have programmes such as 'yoga and dip', and 'pilates and dip' - they're hugely popular. There's even hospitality options, where people go for a swim and then grab a breakfast after or a coffee, so we've put on a few events for that called 'weekly dippers'.
"It's really simple - people sign up, go to a beach and join a few people for a dip then come out of the water for a tea or coffee afterwards. Later on in 2022 we should even have catering offered at these events."
And while enjoyment is the main goal for anyone heading for a dip, Ashley points out that Swim Ireland want to provide comfort for anyone with nerves.
"A big focus is to provide a safe space for people to swim, both supervised (so people can come and swim in a safe environment, knowing that there's someone there looking out for them) but also to make those venues safer by adding visual buoys so people have reference points when out on their own."
Which brings us nicely to one of the biggest benefits of swimming over other activities - it's incredibly affordable.
Ashley explains: "The equipment barriers are virtually non-existent. If you have a swimming suit or togs, you can get into the water.
"We would encourage them to invest in a swim float to tie to their waist- it's a visual for others and offers a bit more buoyancy if needed.
"We'd also encourage people to get themselves a brightly-coloured swim hat from a safety perspective and they're relatively cheap.
"We have a thing called the 'Me and the Water' membership. That's how we're trying to engage with people a bit more. We launched it last year and it's incredibly successful."
That isn't surprising. The rates start at €10 for a year's membership and it comes chock-a-block with benefits.
"For €10, you get an annual membership which gives them all the information you could need - where they can swim, who with, tuition, online courses, the lot" Ashley notes.
"That also links them in to a 'Swim Spot' app - where they can look up every swimming location around the coast and that gives them the detailed live information about tides, weather, the points of interest nearby, the dangerous areas, where they can get changed, everything!
"We want people to be safe, so they don't have to swim alone. There's plenty of communities dotted around the coasts - and if you get into that community, you'll see there'll always be someone there to swim with ."
- If you're on the fence about trying sea swimming this year, then take a look at meandthewater.ie, where you'll be able to dip your toe into the many offerings from Swim Ireland 2022.
