Top Tips
Pick up knowledge to improve your outdoor swimming. Learn how to plan routes, train with others, complete events, and overcome obstacles like nerves or fitness level. Get guidance on skills like bodysurfing, underwater swimming, and adapting your stroke for rivers and seas. Experts and seasoned swimmers share their top tips so you can swim safer, stronger, and with more joy.
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Brighten up your swim training (by Dan Bullock)
Many open water swimmers complain how dull they find training. When you look at some of the training sets they…
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Take your training outside – week 3
Make the most of your outdoor swimming with our weekly training plans
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Nutty fruit cake
The second of three recovery cake recipes by Kathy Findlay
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As a 68-year-old, how can I prepare for a 1 or 2-mile swim?
Our resident Olympian answers your swimming questions
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Master the two-beat kick
The two-beat kick is the most efficient for virtually all distances and fitness levels in open water swimming, says Terry…
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Yoga and pilates – swimming’s secret weapons
Land training, and specifically yoga and pilates, can have a big impact on swim enjoyment and performance
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Tips and tricks for bilateral breathing
In open water swimming being able to breathe either side can help you with sighting (e.g. while swimming parallel to…
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How to cut 5% off your mile time
If you're training for the Henley Mile or a 1 mile Great Swim event this year, you may be wondering…
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Endless learning – lesson 2
I am feeling quite smug. I’m back in the endless pool at Tri 'N' Swim Well and I had been…
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Train like a master
Fiona Ford encourages open water swimmers to imitate masters swimmers’ training schedules
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Is there really such thing as ‘bioprene’ – and can fat make you fast?
Nutrition expert Joel Enoch weighs up the pros and cons of carrying a little extra padding…
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6 ways to put the fun back into your swimming
Dan Abel's six steps to happy swimming
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Snickers Porridge
The perfect pre-swim breakfast
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Where is the best place to find technique advice?
Our resident Olympian answers your swimming questions
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Your first swim
How to prepare for your first open water swim event
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Take your pool training outdoors
Use your local open water venue to improve your fitness and open water skills
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Embrace the medley – session 4
Add other strokes to your training will enhance your strength, fitness and swimming ability.
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How to overcome a fear of deep water
"I'm scared of swimming in open water and not being able to see the bottom"
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Refuel, Rehydrate, Rebuild
How do you keep performing well over consecutive training days and multi-race events? The key is optimal recovery
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Learning feel for the water
Improve your sensory awareness using Total Immersion techniques
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What is a mantra – and how can it help you achieve your swim goals?
Think positive words. Repeat over and over. Achieve your swim goals.
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Should open water swimmers learn how to do tumble turns?
A tumble turn, sometimes called a flip-turn, is the way competitive pool swimmers change direction when they reach a wall…
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Are you training as hard as you think you are?
As open water swimmers we know drafting saves energy, especially if you swim next to someone else’s hip or directly…
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All in the head
The importance of head position
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How to swim 100 100s
For many swimmers there's something appealing about swimming 100m 100 times in a row.
