View from the Water

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

Where I’ll be swimming from 25 Feb to 1 March

On Thursday morning, 25 Feb, I will be getting up at a ridiculous time of day to travel across London…
Don’t “smash it”

Thanks to Fiona Ford for the idea for this post. Fiona writes swim training sessions for H2Open and also runs…
Nine New Year’s resolutions suggestions for open water swimmers

We decided it was that time of year to draw up a list of suggestions for New Year’s resolutions for…
Things fall into place

One of the pleasures of writing about open water swimming is the opportunity it gives me to meet and talk…
What goes through the mind of a cold water swimmer?

What do you think when going through a cold water swim? Is it anything like the following, or something completely…
How to use a wetsuit to become a non-wetsuit swimmer

At our H2Open Day recently the water temperature was a little over 12 degrees Centigrade. Some people swam in full wetsuits…
Beware the perils of overconfidence – and some tips on swimming straight

Having completed a reasonably large number of open water swims I believe (at least, I believed until now) that I…
Why I was happy to get stung by a jellyfish

Until this weekend, I had never been stung by a jellyfish. I’ve swum many times in water where jellyfish have…
Why open water swimmers should consider joining a masters swim club

Last weekend, hundreds of adult swimmers gathered in Sheffield for the 2015 ASA National Masters and Senior Age Group Championships.…
Kids’ goggles: Right intention, wrong approach

I stumbled across a news story the other day about a school that had banned the use of goggles during…
Watch out Tom Daley, there’s a new champion in town

It has been a weekend of frenzied competition in the world of swimming. In the FINA World Championships in Kazan,…
Could better access to open water reduce drowning deaths?

I’m writing this while waiting for a flight back from Berlin. I’ve just spent a week in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte,…
Why finding a snake in your open water swimming spot is a good thing

Last weekend I decided to take a closer look at the River Mole to see if it’s suitable for swimming.…
What open water swimming and producing a magazine have in common

While we use the word ‘solo’ to describe a marathon swim that isn’t done as part of a relay, I’ve…
Take your (open water) swims when you can

There’s a saying among swimmers that you “never regret a swim”. I don’t know if that’s an infallible truth but…
Pushing the limits

Whoever designed the British Long Distance Swimming Association’s Champion of Champions event had a twisted and sadistic sense of fun.…
The wrong message on open water swimming

The other day my kids reported that form teachers in their school had been asked to read out a letter…
Why pool swimmers fear open water – and what to do about it if you do

This weekend I was at The Swim Expo in Manchester where I made a presentation about open water swimming. It…
Train hard, but remember to have fun

It has to be said that some races are pretty serious affairs, and with good reason. As a culmination of…
You know you’ve had a good swim when…

We’re looking for your suggestions this week. It’s easy to feel smug as a swimmer as we know that not…
Dealing with goggle troubles

There aren’t many items of kit that are truly essential for open water swimming but goggles come close. You can…
Don’t be put off by your first open water swim

This is the time of year when many commercial open water venues start up for the season. If you’ve been…
What’s the point of all that swimming?

Last weekend I did a 400m freestyle race in a pool at the Gloucester Masters meet. I posted a time…
To race or not to race?

Open water swimming events give me a dilemma that never seems to come up in pool competitions: should I push…
Capturing that magic swimming feeling

Not all swims are created equal. Some days the water is light and gentle and swimming is easy. If you…