How to: Explore the open water in the UK this summer

With the right kit, planning and sense of exploration you can step out of your comfort zone, expand your swimming horizons and make awesome memories with your friends and family this summer. Read our guide to how to plan your next swimming adventure

Brought to you in partnership with Zoggs Wetsuits

We all love a day trip to beach or our favourite swim spot on a sunny day, but there’s so much potential to turn it into a full-blown adventure!

Britain is blessed with thousands of miles of coastline, rivers and lakes all calling out to be explored. Are you ready for a summer of swimming? Read on for expert guidance on how to plan your next swimming exploration, whether it be in the sea, a river or lake.

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River adventures

Surely swimming is the best way to get to know your local river, familiarising yourself with its currents, eddies, pebbly shallows and glorious deep stretches.

But rivers are of course wild bodies of water with changing currents and conditions, hidden obstructions, overhanging branches and other hazards, so be sure brush up on our outdoor swimming risk assessment guide above when planning a river swim.

Plan an A to B river swim

There’s something so intrepid about starting a river swim in one place and ending up somewhere completely different, whether it be just a few 100 meters or several miles downstream. But doing an A to B swim takes planning – plotting your route on a map, knowing your entry and exit points and wearing or packing the right kit. 

For editor Ella Foote, an A to B route in her local river is one of her favourite ways to swim: 

“I often choose a river as they are also less likely to be impacted by subtle weather changes and conditions, unlike the sea or a large lake,” Ella says. “Journey swimming is a day out, it is a chance to swim distance in small, achievable chunks with breaks for rest and lunch – at a good waterside pub! They are best suited to long spells of calm, dry, warm weather but if you plan and prepare for the forecast, you can often keep swimming in rain and shine.”

Ella’s top tips for planning an A to B river swim:

• Plan a route. Rivers near railways are brilliant. You can park downstream, get the train upstream and swim back to the start. The River Thames is a good example. 

• Set a distance. I like 5K, doing 3k, then lunch and then 2k. For longer swims I break up a 10k by doing 3k, 4k, 3k with decent meal breaks and rest. 

• Understand the conditions – weather, tide, currents etc. Learn about what you might encounter along your route. 

• Understand your route, where will you get in and out? What other water users will be present? Is it permissible route? What will you do in an emergency? 

• Make a kit list. As well as the usual swimwear, you will need aquatic shoes, suncream, first aid kit, hydration, tow float. A wetsuit is another obvious inclusion – we like Zoggs Explorer Ultra for its open water specific design.

• Gather some pals, plan together, swim together. 

• Plan your stops. Pubs and cafes not too far from the water make excellent places for lunch and rest. Avoid alcohol when swimming. 

• Set a date. Look for gaps in the forecast that offer settled, calm conditions.

Take part in a river swim event

With iconic events like the Dart 10K, Bantham Swoosh and Swim Serpentine, there are so many exciting opportunities to challenge yourself to an organized river swim where you get to meet new people and soak up the festival atmosphere after you’ve completed your challenge.

River swim events are also ideal for event first-timers as the swims often go with the current or rising tide, making it feel much easier than swimming the same distance in a lake or pool.

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Head to the coast

Is there anywhere freer for swimming than in the sea? Britain’s 7,000+ miles of breathtaking coastline is yours to explore. It affords new views of crags, cliffs, caves and coves, immersive swimming and wilderness. The sea has given the Outdoor Swimmer team some of our most exhilarating, fun and joyful swimming experiences.

How to plan a sea swim

The sea is much more accessible than inland waters, but it’s much more dangerous, too. Navigating currents, tides and weather as well as sea-faring traffic means that you need to plan your swim carefully. Here, endurance swimmer Rowan Clarke shares her guidance for planning a sea swim…

Start with local knowledge: Find a beach, cove or bay on the map and then Google ‘can I swim at…’ Chances are, your search will return advice from local swimmers, swim guides or organisations.

Research tides, currents and weather conditions: Use apps like Magic Seaweed or Windy to find out the conditions and tide times. Onshore winds (blowing from onto the shore) makes choppy, unpredictable waves that break early. Offshore winds (from land towards the sea) can make clean, well-shaped waves that break later.

Plan exit points: It’s always safer to hug the coastline than head out into open sea. If you’re swimming along the coastline, plan points that you can get out if you need to.

Take provisions: Always use a tow float – unless you have a kayaker or paddleboarder accompanying you. A tow float makes you visible, and it means you take snacks, water, a whistle and a mobile phone.

Don’t go alone: Swim with others. If you’re planning a longer sea swim, a capable paddleboarder or kayaker can offer excellent safety support as well as carrying supplies.

Tell the beach lifeguard or coastguard: If you’re swimming at a lifeguarded beach, tell the lifeguards where you’re planning to swim and for how long. It doesn’t matter that you’re swimming beyond the red and yellow flags – the lifeguard will be able to keep an eye on you. If you’re swimming a longer distance and away from beaches, let the local coastguard know. This saves them trying to rescue you when well-meaning members of the public spot you from the coast path and call it in!

If you get into trouble: Stay calm, turn onto your back, spread out your arms and legs and float. You can hug your tow float if you have one. If you have a whistle, blow it for attention. If you have a mobile phone, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.

If you get caught in a rip tide: Rips are strong currents running out to sea at one to five miles-per-hour, making them impossible to out swim. You can often spot them as a channel of churning water on a beach, around a groyne or pier, or at the mouth of a river.  If you feel yourself being dragged out by a rip, don’t try to swim against it. Instead, swim parallel to the shore.

How to adapt your stroke for the sea – Rowan’s top tips

Sea swimming can be a bumpy rollercoaster of fun, depending on how choppy the water is. It’s really helpful to be able to breathe to either side – if you have waves coming at you from the right, you can choose to only breathe on the left or vice-versa.

The key is to not fight the waves. Try to relax your body as much as possible, concentrating on rotating to breathe and getting a strong pull under the water. This is where a wetsuit, like Zoggs Explorer Ultra, can help – the buoyancy your wetsuit provides will assist you with keeping a hydrodynamic position in the water, helping you to maintain an efficient stroke. 

Sighting is also tricky because the sea lacks any objects to sight. This is where that bilateral breathing comes into use – if you’re swimming parallel to the shore, sight by looking at the shoreline every time you breathe to that side.

Read more advice on how to adapt your stroke to swimming in the sea.

Take on a coastal challenge

Why not crank your coastal exploring up a notch by setting yourself a challenge – perhaps swimming in all the tidal pools along the southwest coast? Or signing up for a sea event like the Scilly Swim or the Bournemouth Pier 2 Pier? 

One of our readers, Liz Stonebridge, established a fantastic challenge on her home island of Guernsey, called 30 Bays in 30 Days. The challenge takes place every summer, inviting swimmers to swim at least 30 strokes in 30 bays around the island during the month of July. We love hearing about unique challenges like this! If you feel inspired, why not create your own?

Rowan’s guide to how to pack for your sea adventure

Leave your dry kit in your car and either take your keys with you in your tow float, or use a lock box that you attach to your car. 

Kit:

• Swimwear
• Goggles with polarized lenses
• Zoggs Explorer Ultra wetsuit
• Anti-chafing lube
• Sea-friendly, waterproof sunscreen
• Tow float
• Mobile phone (in a waterproof bag)
• Snacks like jelly sweets
• Sports-cap drinks bottle containing water, squash or an energy drink
• Towels
• Hard-soled lightweight trainers or water shoes if you want to explore rocks, caves and rockpools
• Changing robe and warm layers for afterwards

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The allure of lakes

From the immense beauty of the Lake District and crystal-clear llyns of the Snowdonia to the mighty lochs of Scotland, Britain is blessed with some of the most spectacular lakes in the world. And let’s not forget the burgeoning number of open water lake venues that have opened up in recent years, which you can discover through the NOWCA network.

While lakes can look very calm on the surface, they are still wild bodies of water that should be treated with as much vigilance as swimming in rivers and the sea. Remember:

• If you’re swimming in an unsupervised lake, look for signs warning about sudden drop-offs, strong currents, or other dangers. 
• Ensure the water looks clean, and you know how to recognise blue-green algae. 
• Take care to enter the lake slowly; there could be sharp or slippery rocks, and the water could get very deep after just a few steps. 
• Be vigilant if other activities are going on, e.g., fishing, sailing, paddle-boarding etc. These may be visible to you, but not the other way around, so having the right kit is vital, to ensure you can be seen.

Find a lake venue

The advantages of a swimming lake venue are that all water sports will have their own designated areas, a life-guard will be on hand, and water quality and weather conditions are continually monitored for safety. Find an open water venue near you on the NOWCA Wild App.

Go swim-hiking in lake country

Blessed with wild fells and majestic lakes, the Lake District is prime swim-hiking country. With the right kit – a pair of swim-hiking shoes, a bright coloured swim cap and a tow float that can carry your dry kit, you can plan a whole day of adventuring in and out of the water.

Here, author and swim guide Pete Kelley shares his favourite swim-hikes in the Lake District.

Snowdonia is another jewel of Britain for its lakes and wild uplands. Read Emma Simpson’s top 6 wild swim-hikes in Eryri National Park.

Sign up for a lake event

If you’re keen to on lake swimming but would prefer to do it as part of an organised event with support and specific routes, there are lots of fantastic swim events over the summer, including the Great North Swim, the Big Bala Swim and Go Swim Loch Lomond.

Lake swim events often have challenges for all abilities, are more accessible and usually happen to be in stunning locations, so are ideal planning a weekend break of holiday around the event.

And let’s not forget the incredible festival atmosphere of lake swim events, where you get to meet so many like-minded people, make incredible memories and celebrate your awesome achievement with new friends.

We hope our guide has inspired you to take the plunge on a more adventurous swim this summer. If you’re looking for a wetsuit to help support you on your swims, find out more about the Zoggs Explorer range.