View from the Water

Gain a fresh perspective as swimmers share their unique viewpoints and reflections on the world from the water's edge.

The great outdoors is calling

At the weekend I was in the Lake District with Outdoor Swimmer contributor Ella Foote for the Kendal Mountain Festival.…
Epic challenges and everyday adventures

One of the things I most love about being editor of Outdoor Swimmer is the fact that every day I…
Late season European swims and November issue preview

I was lucky last weekend to be invited to take part in a test run for a new swimming event…
Swimrun, driftwood and top five wild swimming accessories

Last weekend I was in the Lake District for the Breca Buttermere swimrun race. I was taking part in the…
Improve your swimming with a central snorkel

The central snorkel was developed as a training tool for swimmers. The idea is that by removing the need to…
Marathon distance swimming tips

It’s deadline week again at Outdoor Swimmer HQ as we put the finishing touches to our September issue. I’m obviously…
Bank holiday adventures, brand new issue and the final leg of Lewis Pugh’s Long Swim

If like me you may now be suffering from post-Bank Holiday blues. After a weekend of swimming adventures the nine-to-five…
View from the water – Swimrun tips for swimmers

Simon Griffiths shares a few swimrun tips for swimmers A few years ago, Ötillö was an obscure extreme adventure sport…
Getting that autumn feeling

I’ve just got back from a week of swimming and sailing with SwimTrek. It was a busman’s holiday I guess,…
What’s coming up in October and thoughts on gliding

The majority of long distance swimming events in the UK are now over for 2018. We’re already starting to receive…
New issue alert, Swim Serpentine Festival and Hever Castle

Last weekend the Outdoor Swimmer team were at Swim Serpentine and Hever Castle for what are probably our last events…
How sociable is swimming?

I was recently approached by a research student to do an interview about the social impact of outdoor swimming events.…
View from the water – Not all good things are wild and free

Simon Griffiths dissects the cost of events, and suggests an ethical way to get free entry Last year we created…
A Thames currently fit for swimming

In the August 2018 issue of Outdoor Swimmer magazine I wrote about some work we’re doing with Theo Thomas from…
Are you a plodder or an improver?

In one of my local pools, where I’ve been swimming for around 10 years, there’s a group of swimmers who…
Why swimmers are like boiled frogs

Soaking up the sun before the swim – but it wasn’t enough to keep me warm There’s a fable that…
View from the Water – Should we go Dutch?

Last summer I took part in Pampus Rondje, a swim in Amsterdam. Talking to people there, it became apparent that…
Remember, you can get too hot as well as too cold while swimming

I wrote last week about the dangers of being caught unawares by the cold when swimming outdoors (why swimmers are…
Cassie Patten’s clingfilm visualisation technique

Last weekend I went along to a SwimQuest Skills session at Hampton Lido. The session was led by Cassie Patten,…
Back to swimming foundations – and why it’s worth it for experienced swimmers

It’s very easy in swimming to accumulate distance in an effort to improve your fitness and strength without ever questioning…
View from the water – Why you should consider joining a masters swim club

At the end of October each year, hundreds of adult swimmers gather in Sheffield for the Swim England National Masters…
View from the water – wetsuit or skins?

Wetsuit or skins? Simon Griffiths believes we should swim and let swim Earlier this year we had a vigorous exchange…
How to fall in love with swimming

Is this what your local pool looks like in January? Seventeen days. That, apparently, is the time it takes most…
Flying without wings

In an article for the new issue of Outdoor Swimmer (7 Tips to Banish February Blues, Feb 2018), I suggested…
View from the Water – Terry Laughlin tribute

The death of Terry Laughlin is a sad loss to the swimming community, but his legacy will live on. By…