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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What to carry in a tow float bag
Tow floats or tow bags and are now widely used by outdoor swimmers, but what do people carry in them?
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How to get the most from a swimming event
You won't regret signing up to an event, says Simon Griffiths. Here's how to make the most of the experience.
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Pool skills: underwater dolphin kick
Improve your swimming with an underwater dolphin kick, says Simon Griffiths.
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Front crawl tips: don’t get caught out by the catch
There is a lot to work on before you start thinking about the underwater phase of front crawl, says Jonathan…
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Tips for swimming underwater
Relax and take it slow: Simon Griffiths shares some tips for underwater swimming.
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Marine meditation: is freediving a natural extension of outdoor swimming?
Is freediving the preserve of the super-human or a natural extension of outdoor swimming and a gateway to a new…
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Myth busting: Can a pike bite my toes?
If you have swum in freshwater, you have swum with pike. They lurk – often unseen – in rivers, ponds,…
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How to have a happy public lane swim
Jonathan Cowie shares his advice for how to make your training sessions in public pools happy and effective.
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Understanding pool training sessions
Being able to decipher the most commonly used terms and abbreviations in a pool session will take your training to…
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Adaptive Swimmer: Sophie Etheridge
“Spring is the time of plans and projects” (Leo Tolstoy). Adaptive Swimmer: Sophie Etheridge on how to plan and train…
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How do I feel less ‘heavy’ in the water?
Swimming coach Cassie Patten answers a reader question about heaviness in the water, and improving stamina for an upcoming swimming…
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Use mindfulness to help you tackle challenges
Liz Lowe is your guide to how you can use mindfulness to help you recognise the transience of uncomfortable sensations.
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7 Reasons to stop procrastinating with open water swimming event entries
It's time to stop differing and make your event choices. Entering early benefits you and event organisers.
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Top five tips for a long-distance swim challenge
So, you’re swimming long-distance? Simon Murie shares his top five tips to help get you in the best shape possible…
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Myth busting: Can a swan break your arm?
“Sleep easy, your arms are safe.” Dan Keel, author of Swan: Portrait of a Majestic Bird: From Mythical Meanings to…
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“I survived a swan attack”
During their swim down the length of the River Thames, Henley Mermaids Laura Reineke, Joan Fennelly and Susan Barry fended…
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Training for a winter swimming event
Jonathan Cowie shares guidance for how to prepare for a winter swimming event, including cold-water acclimatization and stroke technique.
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Pre- and post-swim rituals for cold-water swimming
For a safe and enjoyable cold water swimming experience, it's helpful to establish some pre- and post-swim rituals. Jonathan Cowie…
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Why I like ‘boring’ swim training sets
If you race over longer distances, these long repetitive sessions help build the fitness you need plus teach you pace…
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Myth busting: you only get the benefits of cold water without a wetsuit
If you go for a winter dip wearing a wetsuit, will you be getting the same benefits as those swimming…
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Open water skill: Superman buoy turns
Jonathan Cowie explains the fastest and most efficient way to turn around a buoy.
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Myth busting: will I get Weil’s disease from open water swimming?
Is Weil’s disease a risk when swimming in open water? Simon Griffiths unpacks the fact from the fiction, and advises…
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Why is early morning swim training so hard?
Morning training is a fact of life for many swimmers. There are ways to make them easier.
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Top Five Dry Land Exercises
If you’re new to swimming, it’s understandable you want to get in the water as often as possible. More time…
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Yoga for open water swimmers – Part 2
Part two of a series of yoga exercises to help improve your swimming both physically and mentally