Swimming abroad
April 2025,  EXPLORE,  EXTRA,  FEATURES,  View from the Water

Staying safe on swim travels

Swimming in new places may expose you to new and unknown hazards, so take extra care, says Simon Griffiths

Being an outdoor swimmer increases your scope for great experiences and adventure when travelling. You can plunge into pools in mountain streams, swim across rivers or body surf ocean waves.

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I started Outdoor Swimmer in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine) as an outlet for my passion for swimming outdoors. I've been a swimmer and outdoor swimmer for as long as I remember. Swimming has made a huge difference to my life and I want to share its joys and benefits with as many people as possible. I am also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 a Year, I provide one-to-one support to swimmers through Swim Mentoring and I'm the creator of the Renaissance Swimmer project.