IT may have been a rather chilly Easter this year, but that certainly didn’t deter the Seabrook Seals from taking their annual dip.

The group of swimmers, who meet three or four times a week, donned bunny ears for their Easter Bunny Hop Swim.

But swimmer Emma Christison admitted they spent less time in the water than at last year’s swim. She said: “Last year we swam for one hour, 22 minutes. “This year we only managed 29 minutes because it was a lot colder.”

The event took place to mark the start of the general open water swimming season, although the Seals actually swim all through the year.

Around 30 swimmers took part in the dip – without wetsuits – which helps acclimatise them to year-round swimming.

Emma added: “It went really well. “It’s just a nice start to the season. It was a really good, fun swim and we had more people this year.”

The group, run by Dee Seabrook, has regular “fun” swims, including night swims, a Halloween Spooky Swim, complete with pumpkins, a Boxing Day Dip and New Year’s Day Dip.

But its members also take part in “serious” swims, and three teams will be swimming the Channel this year in August and September.

To find out more about the group, visit facebook.co.uk and search for Seabrook Seals or call Dee Seabrook on 07866 423127.