THE DIP SPECIAL | Your front crawl masterclass | Take part in our survey

Published: Sat, 01/20/24

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Dear fellow swimmers,

We want to help you make the most of outdoor swimming through publishing useful, entertaining, relevant and interesting content. Each year or so, we like to check in with you and ask your feedback on how we’re doing. We’d therefore be grateful if you could take a few minutes to respond to our reader survey.

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Moving on, this week’s newsletter is a special edition dedicated to helping you improve your front crawl including land-based exercises to increase strength and mobility, our guide to bilateral breathing, how to perfect your catch and our pick of the best open water goggles.

Save this one if you’re planning to take part in an event this summer!

TRAINING SESSIONS

Land exercises to improve your front crawl

This land exercise routine will help you increase shoulder strength and mobility, boost core strength, improve rotation and help prevent injury. By Vivienne Rickman.

TECHNIQUE

How to achieve a seamless front crawl stroke

Are dead spots slowing you down? Swimming coaches Tracey Baumann and Emma Levy explain how to achieve a seamless front crawl stroke.

OUTDOOR SWIMMER EXTRA

Your winter freestyle refresher: part three

Simon Griffiths has the third part of our guide to reviewing and refreshing your front crawl stroke this winter – this time, we’re focusing on arms. (Premium content)

LEVEL WATER'S 24HR RELAY CHALLENGE

Introducing Level Water's 24hr Swim Relay swims – at six glorious locations!

An outdoor, team swimming event you can do with your friends, share cake at AND raise money to teach disabled children to swim?! Say no more.

Introducing Level Water's 24hr Swim Relays at six incredibly beautiful lakes across the UK. Described as ‘A swimming festival. Glastonbury, but with swimming instead of bands’, join them in 2024 and be part of this glorious community.

YOUR FRONT CRAWL MASTERCLASS

HOW TO PERFECT THE CATCH

There’s more to swimming fast than having a perfect catch but it’s worth working on. Read on for drills to help you improve.

IS BILATERAL BREATHING NECESSARY

Our top tips for improving your bilateral breathing – and why you shouldn’t worry if you struggle with it.

HOW TO USE A PULL BUOY

Pull buoys can help with coordination and arms-only training, and can also make for a very relaxing, even meditative swim. Here's our guide to using one.

BEST OPEN WATER GOGGLES

Polarising lenses, anti-fog protection or a cushioned fit: whatever your priority when choosing a new pair of goggles, we’ve got you covered.

Outdoor Swimmer – the magazine for adventurous swimmers

Expand your swimming horizons and achieve your swimming dreams.

BROWSE RECENT ISSUES

FEB 2024 - THE PROTEST ISSUE

Vote with your feet: how swimming can bring along political change
Meet the team behind the world’s first biodegradable wetsuit
Nurture nature: the swimmers giving back to their swim spots
OSS’s Inland Access Group shines a light on the legalities of swimming so you can dip with confidence

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WIN GREAT PRIZES

Win two entries to the Great North SwimRun 2024!

We’ve partnered with the Great North SwimRun to offer you the chance to win two entries for the short distance (12.6km) for you and your friend on 8 June 2024.

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Two lucky readers can win a White Water Robe

To celebrate the launch of their latest, most innovative designs last month, we are giving away a White Water Robe of your choice to two lucky readers!

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WIN a Great North Swim Weekend Break

Win one of two weekends away, staying in the luxury Classic Lodges of the Lakeside Hotel & Spa – and taking part in a distance of your choice at the Great North Swim.

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WIN a SwimTrek x YogaSwim trip to the Lake Trip

Return to nature for this YogaSwim experience, a blend of freshwater lake and tarn swims, as well as restorative yoga sessions in Cumbria’s iconic Lake District!

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(Sponsored content)

EVENTS COMING SOON

ULTRASWIM 33.3 #3 CROATIA (33.3km over 4 days)
17-20 May | Stari Grad, Croatia
Find out more...

GAELFORCE GREAT RIVER SWIM (5.8km, 3.1km, 800m)

18 May | Lanesborough, Co. Longford, Ireland
Find out more...

GREATER MANCHESTER SWIM! (500m, 1 mile, 3 miles)

18 May | Dock 9, Salford Quays
Find out more...

BEST Fest 2024 (7 swims over 7 days: 5k, 1.9/3.8k, 1.5k, 2.5k, 3k, 7/10k and 4x500m)
25 May | Colonia Sant Jordi, Mallorca, Spain
Find out more...

Great North Swim (250m, half male, 1 mile, 2 miles, 5km, 10km)

7-9 June | Windermere, Lake District
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24-hr Swim Relays (24hr challenge)

8 June | Shepperton

15 June | Clevedon

22 June | Bedford
Find out more...

Find an event on our website. To promote your event here, please email stuart@outdoorswimmer.com.

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

The Finally, another reminder about taking part in our survey. As a thank you for your time, we will enter your name into a prize draw for a chance to win a copy of my book, Swim Wild & Free, a copy of How to Wild Swim by our editor, Ella Foote, a couple of tow floats and some neoprene accessories.

Happy swimming!

Simon Griffiths

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