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.

How do I avoid back pain in breaststroke?

Swimming coach Cassie Patten answers a reader question about how to improve their breaststroke so it relieves pressure on their…
How to train for bodysurfing

This pool training session will put you in good stead for catching a wave in the sea.
How to swim in the sea

Jonathan's guide to how to adapt your stroke for swimming in waves and chop in the sea.
No training? No worries! Six ways to make the most of an event when you’re unfit

If you’re wavering about signing up for an event because of worries about your fitness, whether it’s your first mile…
Why do an open water event?

Do I have to be a fast swimmer? Do I need to swim front crawl? Will I get pushed under…
Training plan for your first open water mile

Take on your first open water mile with this simple 12-week training plan from Olympic open water silver medallist Keri-anne…
Adaptive swimmer: Sophie Etheridge

Hope is such a small word, but it has huge potential and infinite possibilities, says adaptive swimmer Sophie Etheridge as…
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?
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.
Pool skills: underwater dolphin kick

Improve your swimming with an underwater dolphin kick, says Simon Griffiths.
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…
Tips for swimming underwater

Relax and take it slow: Simon Griffiths shares some tips for underwater swimming.
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…
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,…
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.
Understanding pool training sessions

Being able to decipher the most commonly used terms and abbreviations in a pool session will take your training to…
Adaptive Swimmer: Sophie Etheridge

“Spring is the time of plans and projects” (Leo Tolstoy). Adaptive Swimmer: Sophie Etheridge on how to plan and train…
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…
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.
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.
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…
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…
“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…
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.
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…