Wild Swimming Resources
When you are dipping your toes into the world of outdoor swimming there are plenty of questions that spring to mind from where to swim, what kit to wear and how to swim safely. There are a whole host of valuable online resources that you can access and here is our round up of some of our favourites…
Safety & Rescue
RNLI
The website has info on which beaches are lifeguarded and a host of important safety advice covering topics like float to live and cold water shock.
Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK)
A national charity focused on water safety education, lifesaving training, drowning‑prevention and campaigns. They run major national initiatives such as Drowning Prevention Week, Don’t Drink and Drown, and Summer Water Safety. Check them out for invaluable safety information.
National Water Safety Forum (NWSF)
A UK‑wide coalition coordinating national drowning‑prevention strategy and public safety messaging. They lead the UK’s Respect the Water campaign and publish national water‑incident data.
Swim England – Open Water Safety
Swim England has some great articles for safe outdoor swimming, including cold‑water acclimatisation, venue standards, and risk‑awareness messaging as well as kit advice and training tips - like how to swim in a straight line in open water!
Windy.com
Very useful site for checking weather and wind before a swim.
Surfline
You may not be a surfer but this site can be especially useful for sea swimmers assessing wave conditions.
Tidetimes.co.uk
Tide times and heights from over 700 UK locations to help you plan your sea swim trips
Community & Swim Spots
Outdoor Swimming Society (OSS)
A wonderful hub for outdoor swimmers with wide ranging info including how to access to open water, water safety, adventure inspiration and kit reviews. They are passionate about championing access to inland waters and supporting the global community of outdoor swimmers. A great resource!
NOWCA
This site offers a network of safe, supported open‑water swimming venues across the UK, focused on accessibility, safety and community participation.
Beyond Swim
Beyond Swim is an open water swimming venue accreditation programme, managed in partnership by Triathlon England, Swim England, Swim Wales and Welsh Triathlon, with safety expertise provided by Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK). These organisations have combined their expertise and safety guidance to create a list of safe outdoor swim venues across the UK.
Right to Roam
Campaigning for expanded access to blue spaces, including rivers and lakes. They work alongside OSS, British Canoeing, National Trust and others to push for responsible public access to green and blue spaces
Bluetits Chill Swimmers
A very popular UK‑wide (and global) community promoting inclusive cold‑water swimming with strong messaging around safety, acclimatisation and buddy systems. Great if you want to swim in a group and meet new people as they have ‘flocks’ all around the country. The also have various swim challenges if you like that extra bit of motivation.
Water Quality
Surfers Against Sewage
A marine conservation and campaigning charity, championing better water quality in our seas, rivers and lakes. They have an app where you can check the sewage and pollution levels across the UK – very handy indeed to help you make informed decisions in both sea water and inland waters.
The Rivers Trust
A national charity that provides guidance on river health, pollution risks, and safe access to freshwater environments. Their work directly supports safer wild swimming by improving water quality and public awareness
Got your safety and swim spot sorted? Check out our wild swimming guides for expert information and guides to help you choose the right kit.