Beginning Your Open Water Swimming Journey

To get started with open water swimming in the UK, find out about local swimming spots, and look online in guidebooks to help you on your way. If you've been on holiday and spent some time in the sea, then you've experienced open water swimming!

Beware the cold! A general rule of thumb is that a water temperature of over 17C is fine without a wetsuit, while a temperature under 15C requires a wetsuit for any distance. Surface water can be warm, but if you go a little deeper the temperature can quickly drop.

Here’s some more tips to get you started…

Wetsuit etiquette. Wetsuits are essential for open water swimming in the UK, but there is no need to invest in an expensive model straight away. When starting out it is better to hire and see if you really like it.

Goggles and swim hats are a must. Use your pool goggles for the open water and wear a brightly coloured swim hat so you are visible in the water.

Join a reputable club or open water swimming venue. It is vital that you get some good quality coaching, advice and guidance when you are just starting out to ensure that you are safe and confident in the open water. Don’t pressure yourself with the quality of your swim or the distance, get used to wearing your wetsuit and how it feels.

Water temperature. Early in the season the water may still be around 12-13C so you may not want to stay in long anyway, if at any point you feel that you are getting too cold, make sure you get out of the water.

With no lane to follow, swimming in a straight line can be tricky. With no lane or markings to follow you may find that you go off course, so you must lift your head out of the water to see where you are going. Pick a permanent object out of the water that you can view, which could be tree or building, to keep you on track.

Back to basics: Start in the Pool

If you haven't been swimming for some time, it can be a daunting prospect, especially in open water. One way to overcome this is starting in the pool, before hitting the open water. Drop into your local pool and pick up a timetable. If you who haven’t been in the pool since your school swimming lessons, here are a few tips:

• Use the lane ropes and pick one you think best matches your speed
• If someone is faster than you, pause at the end of a length to let them pass
• You do sweat when you swim, so keep hydrated

The better your technique, the faster you can swim. Eventually, your improved technique will lead to a better work-out, so persevere on improving your style, keep a count of your lengths and have some fun in trying to better your best distance.

If you are one of those starting your swimming journey, let us know how that is going on our social media channels. You can find lots of training tips and advice to help you on your journey here.

Good luck, and just keep swimming!