Open Water Swimming Development

Open Water Swimming Development

Swim England London manages the swimmer development pathway in the London region, part of the wider Swim England Talent pathway.

There are a number of annual programmes that are run as part of the overall Swim England Development plan for aquatics.

Regional Development Programme

Within Open Water Swimming we run a one-day development camp covering the following:

• In the open water setting, swimmers will develop the basics of pack swimming, sighting and course navigation, negotiating turn buoys, mass starts and finishes
• Workshops will be delivered for swimmers on the technical aspects of the programme

The overall structure of the Swim England National Talent Programme is based on the Optimum Athlete Development Framework (OADF). More information can be found on the Aquatics GB portal, Off The Blocks.

Open Water Development Day 2026

For Age Group swimmers keen to get some experience in open water and/or to hone race skills, the London Region Open Water Swimming team will be hosting a Development Day at Luxborough Lakes, Chigwell, on Sunday June 7th 2026.

Information and Registration

Please direct enquiries to David Skinner.

Regional Coaching Roles with Swim England London

Swim England London run a number of development opportunities for those looking to start a career in coaching or who are looking to upskill. Details can be found in the Coach Development section of the Competitive Swimming area of our website.

Those wishing to gain their Open Water Coaching qualification to be able to coach within this swimming discipline can do so through the Institute of Swimming.

Swim England also offer an SEQ Level 2 Outdoor Swimming Leader qualification for those wanting to develop the skills to confidently risk assess, prepare and lead effective outdoor swimming sessions. Anyone wishing to learn more can do so through the Institute of Swimming.

Swim England London support a number of athlete development programmes each year which require the engagement of London swim coaches. If you have interest in supporting the region’s open water coaching team please contact James Warrener, the Swim England London Regional Aquatics Development Officer.

Team manager roles with Swim England London

We also have a number of Team Manager roles for all of our development programmes. Please contact James Warrener if you are interested in supporting our open water agenda as a team manager.

Become an open water swimming official

Open water swimming is becoming increasingly popular and like any other aquatics discipline, we need officials to ensure our events run smoothly. If you would like to support the London Region open water swimming community by training to become official, you can start this process by enrolling in one of the following four online, interactive, Zoom webinars covering the theory side of open water officiating. These sessions are hosted by Swim England Open Water Technical Officials Representative, Paul Kendall. 

• Sunday 19 April 2026: 09:00 – 12:00
• Thursday 14 May 2026: 09:00 – 12:00
• Thursday 14 May 2026: 18:00 – 21:00
• Saturday 30 May 2026: 09:00 – 12:00  

You can enrol in one of these sessions by contacting Paul Kendall directly at [email protected]. You will need to be at least 16 years of age and a member of Swim England to enrol. To become a qualified official you will also need to complete practical training at a suitable open water event, eg Regional Championship events – the London Region will be hosting its regional championship event at the Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre, London E14, on July 5th. 

There is no fee for participating in one of these four online theory sessions, but there is a fee for the final licence qualification on completion of both the theory and practical elements of the training.    

Alternatively, if you are just keen to learn more about becoming an open water official, please contact David Skinner [email protected]