FEATURES

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

Is drafting over-rated?

Elite swimmers race in packs for a simple reason. If you swim behind and to the side of another swimmer,…
Getting off the ground

In June, I was pulled three miles into the Great Chesapeake Bay 4.4-mile sea swim for dehydration and heat exhaustion.…
River flows – and how to take advantage of them

The 2012 running of the 2.25 mile (3.6km) Hampton Court to Kingston Bridge Thames swim was held in October after…
Six things you should know about cold water swimming

Judging by the speed at which places for the 2013 Cold Water Championships have sold, cold water swimming is growing…
Nine swimming resolutions for 2013

Clichéd though it is, we couldn’t resist the temptation to offer our New Year swimming resolution tips for 2013. Pick…
What is failure in open water swimming?

In the next issue of H2Open Magazine (Feb/Mar 2012) 2008 Olympic marathon swimming bronze medallist Cassandra Patten shares the story…
The Pied Piper of Cold Water Swimming

Last Saturday South London Swimming Club hosted the bi-annual Cold Water Championships at Tooting Bec Lido. Around 600 people turned…
January 31st Resolutions

Here’s an idea we can’t claim for ourselves but overhead in a conversation: instead of New Year’s Resolutions, how about…
Why don’t triathletes like open water swimming (and what can they do about it)?

We’ve recently spent two weekends at triathlon events (the Bike and Triathlon Show in Manchester and the Triathlon Show in…
Experience and reality in open water swimming

I recently read Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. It’s a book about the way we think and I wasn’t expecting…
Don’t be intimidated by triathletes

We’ve had a few phone calls and emails recently from people who would like to explore open water swimming but…
Why swimming is like music

With running or cycling most people can improve simply by going out and doing more of the activity. Performance is…
Learning to juggle

That’s it! I give up! I can’t do it! I quit!Okay, that was a melodramatic start to my blog but…
100x100m? Yes, that does equal 10km

In an effort to get in shape for the 16km Windermere swim, Doug Miller faced a boot camp at which…
Why we care so much about introducing swimming to the River Thames in Central London

Yesterday, we at Thames Baths released two new images of what swimming in the River Thames could really be like.…
Who will qualify?

US-based swimmer and writer Elaine K. Howley has written a piece for us on the history of open water swimming…
A handful of clouds

Mike Tyson, the legendary American boxer, once said “I reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then…
How safe does it have to be before we can swim?

It’s been another frustrating weekend for open water swimmers in the UK (following, a frustrating spring and early summer). In…
Bridge over troubled water

My sixth season of open water swimming began on 30 May with the reminder that it’s always just you and…
The straw that broke the camel’s back

I have a saying, “When in doubt, tell the truth.” I usually give this advice to friends when they can’t…
I am ultra

On Saturday 25 July, I attempted my first ever ultra-marathon swim (longer than 10 kilometres). Swim for the Cure is…
Why you need to practice open water swimming skills

The team at Swim Smooth put a lot of emphasis on ‘open water skills’ and suggest that swimmers who are…
My day hosting the Bosphorus Cross Continental Swimming Race

On the 25 July 2015, I had the great honour of hosting the 27th “Samsung Bosphorus Cross Continental Swimming Race” from…
To settle or not to settle, that is the question

In life we are constantly told not to settle. Don’t marry someone whom you don’t truly love. Don’t earn a…
Enter the mental tell…

Do you have a mental tell when you’re really tired? Mine is looking down into the river, lake, ocean or…