• TRENDING •

SWIM WITH SPONGEBOB Swim England has launched an

YOUR SWIM SPOTS

Thank you to all the readers who shared photos of their venues, swim spots and communities. They couldn’t all make the cover, but here are a selection of our favs!

Welcome to the December issue…

Welcome to our last issue of 2025. This

MORE THAN A SWIM

“You will find marathon swimmers alongside first-time dippers,

View from the water

Is it better to swim wild and free or pay to use a venue?

HOLDING WATER

Rowan Clarke finds out how swim venues have become key to outdoor swimming.

SWIM PEOPLE

SWIMTERVIEW • GIRLY DIPS NOWCA • SWIM HISTORY

GIRLY DIPS – Joyful community

After a big swim event Lowri Jones felt a gap in her swim routine and longed for a group to swim with. When there wasn’t a community she could join, she decided to set up her own. Here she shares more about her story of the growing Girly Dips group

LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE

Rowan Clarke finds out how cold water can pours warmth into a marriage – and into our living rooms via Jules & Greg’s Wild Swim .

THE AMOSKEAG BROWNIES

Manchester New Hampshire’s Winter Swimmers

SPECIAL VENUES

Access to safe and natural water is what makes a swimming venue special for Jharna Kumawat, from savouring local favourites to finding spots while travelling

Wild Sub10 Club has landed.

When the water slips below 10°C, something magical

COACH

WILD & RECREATION • POOL & TECHNIQUE • YOGA • CHALLENGE & ENDURANCE

WILD & RECREATION

Rest, reflect and reset

Sensory swimming

This is what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste at the water’s edge this month

TRAINING POOL & TECHNIQUE

Healing shoulders in the water: a guide to pool-based rehabilitation

CHALLENGE AND ENDURANCE

Simon Griffiths shares some thoughts on swimming, training and life

Festive fitness

Staying swim fit over the holidays The festive

Shouldering on… continuing our two-part dive into shoulder mobility

Liz is a personal trainer, group fitness instructor

HEALTH

HEALTHY EATING • WHAT’S UP DOC • I SURVIVED •

Healthy meals

Chef and Food Writer, Claire Thomson shares healthy meals for longer swims from her new book, One Pan Beans . Each month Claire shares a recipe that will keep you full and satisfied for all kinds of swims. You can also follow Claire on Instagram, where she is known as @5oclockapron

SWIM STORIES

Each month, we celebrate how swimming shapes the

I survived: ANA LITTLE-SAÑA

In July, US marathon swimmer Ana Little-Saña took

DON’T LET YOUR SWIMMING GOGGLES GO MOULDY!

Mould isn’t just unsightly, it might be doing you harm says Simon Griffiths

GEAR

POOL TRAINING KIT • GOGGLES • HEADPHONES • KIT WE LOVE

TRAINING SWIMWEAR

Compressive support, hydrodynamic fits and durable fabrics: we review some of the best women’s swimsuits for pool training

HEADPHONES

Four of the best waterproof bone-conduction headphones for your swims

POOL GOGGLES

Whether you’re looking for comfortable goggles for regular training sessions or the latest smart technology, we’ve reviewed a pair for you

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN MEN’S TRAINING SWIMWEAR

Streamlining is key to efficient swimming, so it makes sense to wear a costume that supports that – unless you feel uncomfortable doing so, says Simon Griffiths

Men’s swimwear

ORCA Core Square Leg, £29.95 This wide-sided brief

KIT WE LOVE

ARCTIC ECO-SNO THERMAL BASE LAYER LEGGINGS SEAMLESS 2.0,

Swimming from Denmark to Germany

Marjan Brouwer from the Netherlands took part in the 2025 edition of Fördercrossing, a 3km swim from Sønderhavn to Glücksburg

Strength, spirit and swearing!

When Sophie Etheridge met Sophie Durlacher at her local swimming spot, little did they know it would lead to taking on Swim Serpentine

WHAT’S BETTER, SWIMMING 30KM IN A RIVER OR 30KM IN THE SEA?

Ben Lane did some thinking and devised a plan to swim and compare 30km by river and 30km by sea. As always in life, not everything went to plan or, indeed, swimmingly!

Let’s swim!

UK AND INTERNATIONAL EVENT LISTINGS

EXPLORE

SWIMTREK OMAN • IBERIA

ARABIAN ADVENTURE SWIM-TREKKING IN OMAN

Ella Foote joined SwimTrek in the Middle East and enjoyed so much more than she ever imagined…

A MIDLIFE SWIM THROUGH IBERIA

After receiving a ‘Death Calendar’ Mike Bright and his partner Em decided ˆ to embrace life and head on a swimming adventure

SWIM LIFE

ENVIRONMENT • WATCH, READ, LISTEN • SWIMTERPRIZE

ENVIRONMENT

AN UNLIKELY HERO

THE RIVERS TRUST

SWIM STORIES

CHAMPION OF THE WATERWAYS

Ellie Green

Watch Read Listen

Winter: The Story of a Season VAL MCDERMID

SEAFLOWERS

From barely being able to swim distance to annually swimming the Bantham Swoosh, Suzy Greenwood now hosts a retreat around the iconic swim

HILARY TOPPER

Author, podcaster and endurance athlete Hilary Topper started running when she was 48 and did her first triathlon in 2014. Her second book, Unlocking the Triathlon: The Beginner’s Guide to Competing in a Triathlon is out now. Here she tells us more