In 2009 I entered a swimming event called the GREAT NORTH SWIM.

I had no real open water swimming experience. Certainly not since I had been at school had I swum for more than a mile but here I was presented with the challenge of not only swimming a mile but in Windermere - no lines to follow, I wouldn't be able to even see the bottom but (big advantage) no chlorine!

I wasn't particularly daunted by the challenge, I had hired a wetsuit from the Great Swim people on the basis I could buy it if I liked the sport. I didn't swim in the suit until a week prior to the event and this was at our local open air swimming pool. This wasn't a huge mistake but it wouldn't be what I would advise aspiring open water swimmers to do now. I had done a fair bit of training whilst on holiday, swimming in the sea but that was the Med and Windermere would pose a different challenge - water temp of between 16 & 18 degrees.

All I can say is that I completed the swim on Saturday, 12th September doing a mile breast stroke. Yes, breast stroke, I couldn't swim front crawl for more than 10 metres at that time but I was so thrilled by completing the Great North Swim that that day I signed up for the Great East Swim to be held two weeks later. When I arrived at Alton Water in Suffolk on 26th September I realised that Open Water Swimming was something pretty special. I had felt so good after the swim in Windermere, I think exalted best describes my feelings and as I walked towards the water in Suffolk I noticed that everyone who had completed the swim must have felt the same because everyone had a huge smile on their faces.

I have been open water swimming ever since, I have become both a Level 2 Swimming Teacher and a Level 2 Open Water Swimming Coach. I have swum in the sea, rivers and lakes and completed an ocean swim in Australia around Wedding Cake Island off Coogee Beach.

As a coach I see a lot of people who raise questions about how to take part in open water swimming, they ask about goggles, wet suits and where to swim. So I thought it would be useful to write an introduction to open water swimming based on my experiences.

Whilst the questions I am asked are mostly on kit and location I believe that there are five areas you should consider before you go open water swimming, of which kit and location are just two. The five are:

• Fitness
• Swimming Skills
• Type of Water
• Location
• Equipment

Your safety is built into the five areas and this should be your predominant area of concern. I believe strongly in having a safe environment when swimming but this doesn’t mean that I can eliminate all the risks because as far as swimming is concerned that just can’t be done. So it’s important to understand the risks in swimming, this doesn't mean that people shouldn't swim but it does mean you should have ample opportunity to get out from any situation safely.

When planning any swim you should be able to answer the question: Should I do this? With a simple Yes or No. I don’t believe that there is any middle ground. Water is unforgiving it can be your best support but it can also be your worst enemy. Learn to read the situation, plan your swim and create a “water friendly mind”, by which I mean learn to be comfortable in the water.

The level of physical fitness you require for swimming depends upon what type of open water swimming you want to do. But I must stress that this has little to do with your shape and weight and more to do with your attitude and aerobic fitness.

If you are into plunging and kicking about in small wild pools such as you find at Three Shires Head, near the source of the River Dane, high levels of fitness may not be required. But if you plan on swimming the Dart 10k your fitness and stamina will need to be good. But where ever you swim the fitter you are the more you will enjoy your swimming.

The mind also has to be in the right place, this isn't about mental stability or depression but it is about having a water friendly mind, that is, I have to be comfortable staring into the murky depths of a lake or river. I have to know that the water will support me and is my friend. Saying that, I also have to recognise my limitations and understand when not to get into the water.

Recognise what swimming skills you have and how relevant they are to what you are about to do. It might not be particularly relevant to your sea swim that you can swim 50m in 35 seconds in an indoor pool but it might be important that you can float for 5 minutes or more. I am always amazed at how many swimmers can’t float whilst stationary.

Whenever you set out on a swim, whether it be an organised event or a solo trip you always get the feeling "why am I doing this?" For some reason swimming can produce quite negative feelings when you start out. I suppose it's because it's cold, wet and unfamiliar. This feeling can produce a rigidity in your swimming that makes you think that you are not fit enough - just remember you are warming up and within 100 yards you will be fine.

When you set off on your very first open water swim you may well get a feeling of panic and start to hyperventilate. At this point it is important to stay calm and take your time because it is generally at this point that most people give up. People seem to get into difficulty close to the start and I often see people coming off the water at events unable to swim because they find the environment so alien.

If you are planning on taking part in any open water swimming event - triathlon or similar - you’ll be told in the pre-race briefing that if in trouble in the water to float on your back and raise your hand. It is the standard “help me” sign.

Floating is the single most important basic skill in your swimming and if you can’t float whilst stationery you must learn. Your wet suit will have buoyancy built in, which will help you, but to be really confident in open water you must be able to float without your suit, it’s all about developing your relationship with the water, all about developing that water friendly mind.

Swimmers ask about swimming breast stroke or back stroke in open water. The general rule is that you should swim on your front, it may seem obvious but this helps you see where you are going.

Swimming on your back can be mistaken for a signal for help but you will also bump into other swimmers. Bumping is a recipe for disaster, other swimmers will get upset if you collide or accidentally hit them with your arm our leg. You have to to respect other swimmers space. Organised events should tell you at the safety briefing not to swim on your back unless you are in trouble and need help.

This means a choice between breaststroke and front crawl. I spent my first year swimming breaststroke and whilst it helped my initial confidence it was very inefficient and it was difficult in a wetsuit.

You are looking to become super efficient with your open water swimming and the best stroke for this is front crawl. So practice your front crawl, keep streamlined and reduce your pace, it isn't always a race.

We can swim in rivers, we can swim in the sea. As long as the water is deep enough and long enough we can swim but every stretch of water is different and they all require a different approach.

It’s always magical to swim in a remote water but always speak with swimmers who know the water and if you are a stranger to the area then take a walk around where you want to swim. You’re looking for whether you can get in and out easily and if you get into trouble can you get out part way, if you can’t then maybe you need a mate in a kayak.

If you are swimming in the sea or in a tidal river you will need to pay attention to the tides. All tidal information is available on the internet. A good site is the BBC Weather site, click HERE. If you type in the nearest coastal town to your swim the site will give you a range of Tidal Centres and you can then select the one closest to your swim and you can look up the Tide Table.

Water quality is always at the top of people’s agenda. If you are river swimming then be careful after a bout of heavy rain, there will be all sorts of contraries in the run off. You also need to be aware if there is a sewage discharge close to the route you plan on swimming. Despite Water Companies claiming they take care with their discharge into rivers, believe me they don't.

I have found that when swimming on my own or in a very small group there generally aren't any tummy problems after the swim but if I take part in a large open water event there will be swimmers who have problems. I always imagine that if you have a group of 200 swimmers a significant number will have tummy problems going into the swim and shouldn't be in the water. So, if in a river, swim at the back and always swim at the edge of the pod - never swim in the middle.

I always take a can or two of full fat coke to drink afterwards, they say this is a cure all for tummy problems post swim. I can’t say whether or not this has any basis in fact or whether it’s one of those open water swimming myths but I have never had any problems following a swim.

Access to good swimming sites has become a problem. Nowadays access is severely limited, so beware and if you can, seek permission.

There are three main pieces of kit that will underpin your swimming and these are: your wetsuit, your goggles and your hat. You might include ear plugs within this “must have list” if you get water in your ears.

I swim in a full length Orca wetsuit. It has buoyancy built into the back of the upper legs making it easier to forego the leg kick. The suit has good visibility as on my shoulder & arm the suit has green flashes.

Under my wetsuit I always wear a rash vest with a high neck. This helps prevent the suit rubbing on my neck. I also put vaseline on my neck and whilst people say this degrades the wetsuit material I have never experienced a problem with any of my suits over the last 12 years. One thing I have learnt about neck chafing is to never let someone else do up your neck fitting. They always think it has to be as tight as possible and high up. Just do it yourself and make sure it’s comfortable.

I have a swim hat that is brightly coloured. Your hat colour is important, don’t wear dark colours, you must stand out. This will enable you to be seen when you are in the water.

The goggles I wear are Speedo’s Biofuse Rift Mask Goggle. I find that the one piece design keeps the goggle in place and the soft seal fits perfectly around my face preventing water from penetrating.

If I am river swimming I wear shoes. These are Vivo barefoot swim-run shoes. They are quite buoyant and drain well and make it easy if I have to walk across a section of my swim.

I wear earplugs and these are SurfEars. SurfEars are designed so that you can hear whilst swimming and when I first wore them I was amazed at how clear the sound was - a great benefit if you are in an event and a kayaker is trying to give you instructions. The other advantage to SurfEars is that they tie to your goggle strap or fix around your neck

Optional items of kit you can include to help keep you warm: a neoprene hat but as these are mostly black you will have to wear a bright coloured hat on top, neoprene boots and gloves. These are down to personal choice and how well you combat the cold. It really is down to you.

You can also use other kit such as tow floats. I personally don’t have a tow float but I do have a ruck raft which is a type of tow float that can take a large rucksack. I use this if I am swimming and I have to run or walk back to the start. This allows me to carry running or walking kit in a dry state plus food and hot drinks.

If I am not using my RuckRaft I wear a watertight case around my waist. This allows me to carry my mobile phone and car keys.

Following your swim it is important to have dry, warm clothing to change into. Your core temperature will have dropped no matter the air temperature and you have to raise this back up. Do not hang around in just your wetsuit even with sunshine there will probably be a wind that will be quite chilly.

Remember to take along a warm drink and something to eat afterwards, it all helps to get your body temperature back up to where it should be.

After your swim, when you get home, don’t forget to thoroughly rinse your wetsuit and wash all your kit.

Follow the simple guidelines and use common sense on fitness, skills, water, location and kit and you will have the time of your life.

For more information contact Tim on either 07855 766 954 or tim@becomegood.co.uk

Live as if you are to die tomorrow and learn as if you are to live forever. (mahatma ghandi)