FEATURES

In-depth features that celebrate the vibrant outdoor swimming community, spotlighting extraordinary individuals and their stories.

View from the Water – Outdoor swimming communities are awesome

Originally built in the 1930s, Bude Sea Pool has been a popular swimming spot for generations and is the top…
Club of the Month – Cheddar Kingfishers

Coach Laura Nesbitt wanted to give her swimming team something to keep them motivated – what better than swimming outdoors?…
Letters – June 2017

Star letter I read last issue’s leech letter with interest – as I am an outdoor swimmer and because my…
Swim on the Wild Side: the one-day 4x4x4 European Challenge

Graeme Sutton, who runs Swim on the Wild Side, to a group of outdoor swimmers on a unique an interesting…
Overcoming addiction

In September 2014 recovering alcoholic Paul Parrish attempted to become the oldest person to complete the Arch to Arc triathlon,…
River Wye source to sea

Ian Rivers, Nicola Goodwin and Julie Hardman became the first people to swim and walk the entire length of the…
Swim London

According to the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), 22% of women and 20% of men in England are unable to swim.…
Nancy Farmer

Inspired by her wild swimming adventures, Nancy Farmer decided to immortalise her swims as drawings. She soon discovered that people…
Interview: April cover model Emily Seymour

Our April cover star is 35-year-old reader Emily Seymour. We caught up with her to find out a bit about her swimming…
Saving Lives

Andy Butterfield talks about his work as an RNLI volunteer, staying safe in the water and his enjoyment of open…
Leaping for the joy of swimming

Ella Foote meets Alexandra Heminsley, author of Leap In, an emotional account of her venture to tackle the sea, from…
The house that Rod built

Jason West tells the story of how an old swimmer’s generosity led to the formation of a vibrant swimming community…
My Swim Story – Graeme Moore

Graeme Moore suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and has had both his feet amputated. This summer he plans to complete the…
A few lessons from 2Swim4Life

This year I took part in my first ever 2Swim4Life event. I wasn’t brave (or foolhardy) enough to take on…
Loch Coruisk, Isle of Skye

Peter and Dawn Springett describe the spectacular journey to Loch Coruisk, a breathtaking outdoor swimming destination on the Isle of…
How wild swimming helped break my anxiety

When Joe Minihane admitted to issues with anxiety, he turned to Roger Deakin’s swimming classic, Waterlog, for help. So began…
Christmas Gift Wish List

If you haven’t yet decided what to put on your Christmas list, check out our selection of perfect open water…
When is a swim more than just a swim?

Image: Steve Wand Memorial Swim (c) Neil Gear Towards the end of 2015, a bunch of guys gathered at Charlton…
The David Wilkie problem

Last week, a few of the national papers picked up on a swimming related story that’s relevant to anyone who…
We’re changing, but we’re also staying the same

Image: saying goodbye to H2Open but hello to Outdoor Swimmer We are changing our name to Outdoor Swimmer and increasing…
An Impossibly Beautiful Adventure

In October 2016, Sarah Thomas made history when she swam the length of Lake Powell from Utah to Arizona. Her…
Interview: Alex Studzinski

Former German 25km champion Alex Studzinski was forced to take 2016 off swimming due to a shoulder injury. We talked…
Gone Swimming celebrates sixth year with launch of new outdoor swimming trips in North Wales

Gone Swimming is a swimming holiday and adventure company based in North Wales and entering its sixth season in 2017.…
Club of the Month – #ChesterFrosties

We have a lovely home swim spot on the River Dee, Eccleston Ferry, near Chester. You can either ‘dip in’…
Treat the options in open water swimming as a menu, not a ‘to do’ list

What do you want from open water swimming? I used to do a bit of triathlon, which is a very…