Dear fellow swimmers
What makes a swimmable city?
We had a lovely time at Swim Serpentine last weekend, in Central London. The crowds and buzz at the event demonstrated the massive demand for open water
swimming in the capital.
Swimming in the controlled and closely supervised environment of an event is great and we'd love to see more of it, but many swimmers want more. They envisage a future with a wide range of swimming options in London, from floating pools in the Thames, life-guarded lakes and beaches, and freer access to London's rivers and
other water bodies for those who prefer a less structured approach.
Like cycling 30 years ago?
When I moved to London in the 1990s, cycling in the city was a minority – and dangerous – pursuit. Why couldn't London be more like
Amsterdam, we wondered. Today, London is full of cyclists, which I find amazing (but some people now complain that cyclists are a menace). The barriers to cycling seemed immense, but change happened.
Likewise, the barriers to swimming are huge – from pollution, to strong tidal currents and resistance from authorities due to safety concerns. Yet cyclists
made change happen. Can swimmers do the same? It might take another 25 years, but why not pursue the dream?
Right direction
The London Assembly made an important step forward last Friday with the launch of their report
Swimmable rivers: Towards clean and healthy waterways in London. I was lucky enough to be at the event. You can find out more about that here:
👉 Swimmable rivers
Meanwhile, the 100th edition of Outdoor Swimmer magazine will be arriving with subscribers today. We're super proud and I hope you enjoy it. Look out for an email from us next week for how to get a copy if you're
not a subscriber – or get the digital edition now.
And don't forget, we've got our Swim Through Winter with Outdoor Swimmer course starting soon. It's going to be informative and fun – but places are limited.
👉 Swim Through Winter - Reserve my spot
Also in this week's Dip, our pick of the best changing robes, the tale of the campaigning mermaid and where are you on your outdoor swimming mastery journey?
