Outdoor Swimmer

Welcome to the January and February issue...

At its simplest, swimming is an act of freedom. A body moving through water, held and carried, asking for very little in return. Yet when we talk about the Right to Swim, we are also talking about access, safety, permission, and who gets to feel they...

Welcome to the December issue...

Welcome to our last issue of 2025. This issue is a celebration of our swim venues, swim spots, pools and communities. Thank you to everyone who submitted a photo for our December cover search. We have pulled together a selection of our favourites on...

Welcome to the November issue...

What once felt like the season of retreat has become a season of gathering. Across the UK, more lidos and lakes are staying open than ever before. Swimmers arrive in woolly hats and change-robes, sharing flasks of tea and the kind of smiles that only...

Welcome to the October issue...

Welcome to the 100th issue of Outdoor Swimmer magazine. If you are a subscriber, you may have found a golden ticket in your issue – have a good flick through to see if it is you! It is such an honour and a joy to edit this magazine each month, to meet...

CARTOONIST – MALCOLM LAVERTY (STAN)

Welcome to the July & August issue...

Inever planned to have a career shaped by the water that involved a swimsuit almost daily. I never take a day of it for granted and while it sounds ideal, it can still be hard work and stressful, despite the blending of hobby, passion and work. While I...

Welcome to the June issue...

There was a time, not that long ago, where event swimming was the only safe or realistic way to be able to swim in a certain location or complete a certain distance. Open, wild or outdoor swimming locations seemed limited, or we were told unsafe for...

Welcome to the May issue...

Many readers will know that as well as my role at Outdoor Swimmer magazine, I also teach young swimmers, coach open water swimmers and guide swimming outdoors in wild and wonderful places. Most days I get to slip into my swimsuit at some point and I...

Welcome to the April issue...

One of the many reasons I love outdoor swimming is the people I get to meet, swim alongside and learn from. Over the years, no matter where I go in the UK or worldwide, there has been a swimmer or swimming group to join in the water. The generosity...

Welcome

This month’s theme is all about swimming politics, which may surprise some of you as you like to swim to escape that sort of thing! While we don’t often wade into political conversations here at Outdoor Swimmer, politics do influence our swimming! In...

HELLO!

With our changing climate and seemingly now very wet autumn and winters, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be guaranteed some serious winter swimming in the UK. As I write this in mid-October the air temperature outside is currently 22ºC and I...

HELLO!

Sometimes it’s much easier to give out advice than follow it ourselves. I am sure many of you have offered words of wisdom to new swimmers but as you become more experienced and seasoned in the water, it’s easy to become blasé about some of the...