GREAT CRESTED GREBE

Editor’s letter

Why do we swim? It's a big question – especially now

Reader Photo Contest

Whether wild swimming, dipping in an urban lido, or

OPEN WATER NEWS ROUND-UP

The Ilkley Clean River Group are set to launch a ‘How-To’

THE LIDO LADIES

Swim buddies Jessica Walker and Nicola Foster - aka the ‘Lido Ladies of south London’ - received national media coverage last year as a result of their campaign to get more women swimming outdoors. They now hope to travel the UK to further spread their message and to engage with lido communities across the country, sharing their stories along the way

Write in… Have your say

Jim Grey, 86 this year, repeated his 2020 achievement

# SWIMWILDANDFREE

Share your photos on Instagram with the hashtag #swimwildandfree

AQUA SPHERE WETSUIT BUNDLE WORTH £300

We have one super prize bundle of a Pursuit V3 wetsuit

Sarah Thomas

AMID THE UNCERTAINTY OF EVER-CHANGING COVID MEASURES, FINDING A NEW ROUTINE TO FOCUS ON CAN BE HELPFUL

Your venue needs you

EMMA PUSIL, CO-AUTHOR OF THE LIDO GUIDE, UPDATES US ON THE UNCERTAIN REALITY LIDOS AND OUTDOOR VENUES NOW FACE

View from the water

SIMON GRIFFITHS LOOKS AT THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE TAKE UP OUTDOOR SWIMMING

Patron Page

Thank you to the following individuals who have joined the Outdoor Swimmer Family as Patrons and Super Patrons

THE BEST WAY OUT IS ALWAYS THROUGH

Pete Kelly takes to the water for the sake of sanity

Out of the darkness

How swimming helps Alan Holmes cope with the loss of his daughter to cancer

The Swimmers

Inspired by swimmers taking to the water in all weather, all year round, photographer Justine Desmond discovered a community of all sorts of bodies and backgrounds

Reclaimed by nature

Cal Flyn’s new book explores abandoned places, ghost towns, exclusion zones, no man’s lands, postindustrial hinterlands and what happens when nature reclaims its place. Ella Foote finds out more...

Power and water

Contrary to the enduring myth, Africans have always been expert swimmers.

COACH CASSIE

Olympic medallist Cassie Patten answers your swimming questions

My swim story

In the first in a new series, double world champion and Olympic silver medallist Keri-anne Payne tells the story of her journey from South Africa to the Beijing Olympics and beyond

MUSCLE RELAXATION

Learn how to relax and free yourself of tension

Why you should... OWN YOUR PAIN

How can changing your relationship with pain open you up to new experiences? Jonathan Cowie talks to writer Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

HOW TO...

Buying the right wetsuit based on your swimming goals, ability and budget may not only save you money in the long run, but also help to support good swim technique, prevent injury and improve performance. So what makes a really good wetsuit and what is right for you? Angus Greenwood of Yonda explains how to choose a wetsuit based on budget and performance

OUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH SWIMMING AND TRAVEL

Over time some experiences tend to lose their appeal.

Dipping in Dartmoor

Liz Lowe plunges into some of Dartmoor’s pools and rivers, soaking up the history and folklore of this fascinating region

Keeping the open water romance alive

SwimTrek founder Simon Murie chooses his favourite romantic swim spots