Hertfordshire’s open water community
Swim free.
Swim strong.
Swim distance.
Bringing together open water and distance swimmers from across Hertfordshire – all clubs, all abilities, all welcome.
100+
swimmers, coaches & supporters
Clubs
Swim England affiliated clubs welcome
Coaches
Swim England qualified coaches
2019
National
bronze medal
Event news
2026 Open Water Race Day
We are excited to announce our first Open Water Race Day will be held on Sunday 31 May 2026.
Entries open on 8 May 2026.
What we stand for
Built on shared values
Our aim is to build an open water community for all club swimmers across Hertfordshire, giving swimmers the opportunity to experience distance and open water swimming to boost their passion for the sport.
Swimmer first
Every swimmer’s safety, enjoyment, and personal growth is our top priority – always.
Inclusivity
We celebrate different abilities, paces, and events. There is no “one size fits all” in open water.
Knowledge sharing
We freely pass on experience, skills and knowledge to build a stronger swimming community for the long term.
Our vision
A future where every swimming club
naturally incorporates open water
into their programme.
Our mission
To inspire and support more swimmers to embrace open water and distance swimming across Hertfordshire and beyond.
Educate and support
We educate coaches, parents, and clubs on the physical and mental benefits of open water swimming.
Foster competition
Healthy, respectful competition between swimmers from all clubs at Regional and National Championships.
Celebrate achievement
We encourage every swimmer to experience the deep sense of accomplishment that distance swimming brings — regardless of pace.
Our story
Rooted in the water
Open water swimming has been part of Hertfordshire’s swimming culture for years. We’ve been well represented at Regional and National Championships and that fire only keeps growing.
It’s a side of swimming which often ignites a swimmer’s spirit and provides opportunities to visit beautiful places and share experiences with peers.
- William Fawcett – Bronze, Swim England Open Water Nationals 2019
- Two relay teams successfully completed the English Channel
- Prisha Tapre – Solo English Channel in under 12 hours
- Jeffrey Gill – Winter Swimming Champion Oulo 2026
- Felipe Irvine – BLDSA Windermere Junior Champ 2025
JEREMY IRVINE, Coach
Watford Swimming Club • Channel Swimmer
I never imagined where my passion for swimming would take me. What began as helping out poolside as a swim dad eventually led me to qualify as a coach.
Swimming Windermere and the English Channel brought an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and the strength to tackle anything.
Since then, I’ve been passionate about sharing those same transformative experiences with others, guiding and preparing them for their own swimming challenges.
Ready to swim open water?
Join swimmers from clubs across Hertfordshire. All abilities welcome – the water is waiting.