Dear fellow swimmers

Will urban swimming boost wild swimming or suffocate it?

There's a powerful movement towards swimmable cities. Our editor, Ella, recently attended an inspiring conference on the topic in Rotterdam. 

Making our city waterways clean and inviting enough for swimming is a wonderful ambition.

But inner city swimming areas tend to be regulated and tightly controlled. Is this a necessary step to great acceptance of swimming or a threat to those of us who prefer our swimming wild and free?

👉 Read our thoughts on this topic and join the debate.

Also this week in The Dip, I spoke to team behind Otion Paddles, and discovered there is a lot more to developing a new piece of kit than I thought. Meanwhile, we review the best sunscreens for swimmers, and give tips on how to get your face in the water when swimming outdoors. 

Happy swimming!
 

Simon Griffiths

Founder, Outdoor Swimmer magazine

PS. Thanks to this week's newsletter sponsor Aspire. To put your brand in front of 40,000 swimmers, please email stuart@outdoorswimmer.com

(Sponsored content)

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We are looking for individuals to join Aspire Relay Channel swim teams and take on the 22-mile swim in 2026. 

At Aspire, we are as passionate about swimming as you are and will be with you all the way, from sign up to feeling the sand between your toes on a French beach. Dive in and help support people paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury. 

For further details email our event co-ordinator, Andrew. 

RECOMMENDED FROM OUR WEBSITE THIS WEEK

GEAR

The best sunscreen for swimming
What’s the best sunscreen for outdoor swimmers? We put ten sun lotions, mineral sunscreens and zinc sun sticks to the test.

Read more...

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY*

So, you want to be a swim guide?

Guiding swimmers, around the world or locally, sounds like a dream job, but what does it take to be a swim guide? Ella Foote shares what it is like when swimwear is your workwear.

Read on Outdoor Swimmer Extra

Read on Pocketmags

PLUS

• GEAR: The Otion Story - how to develop a new swimming product 
• READERS' SWIMS: My NOWCA journey from Swim Coach to Course Leader
• COACH: How do I get my face in the water?
   

*All premium content on our website is published in Outdoor Swimmer magazine in print. Print subscribers also get free digital access to all our back issues via Pocketmags. 

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