Swim in open water
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Swimming in a lake, river or the sea is a completely different experience from following a black line in a pool. You notice the water, the weather and the light in a way you never do indoors.
ModerateUnder £100 / $130An afternoonOutdoorsWith othersSummer for a first swim
Someone who has done it
How to start
- Read the Outdoor Swimming Society's getting started advice for the kind of water you have in mind.
- Choose a supervised venue or lifeguarded beach and go with someone who has swum there before.
- Get in slowly, stay close to the shore and keep your first swim short.
Where to go
We opened this link on 6 October 2026 and found it to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. The hard part of a day out is the timing: the right season, tickets and getting there. The plan watches the calendar for you.
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