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I’ve been swimming both winter and summer since 1ish years old though less so post 30’s due to locale, and I’ve never had much of an issue with gasping with cold water impact, sure there is an urge but I’ve always suppressed it without issue. Yet literature is adamant you can’t ? I wonder if it’s habituation or just a biological quirk.

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TFA mentions habituation as a mitigation:

”Habituate. Five or six short cold-water dips over a couple of weeks will cut the cold shock response roughly in half, and the effect lasts for months. This is probably the single most underused safety intervention in open-water swimming.”

I've experienced a similar adaptation when experimenting with cold showers. In that sense it was somewhat of a detriment; the cold became less invigorating but just as unpleasant.

Habituation. You’re effectively trained.

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