Swim Smooth Ltd

What does it really take to swim the English Channel? 🌊🇬🇧🇫🇷

There is no simple entry form or guaranteed start date. You book a pilot boat years ahead, qualify in cold water, travel to Dover and then wait for the weather, tides and moon to give you a chance.

When I crossed in 2011, I waited nearly three and a half weeks before getting the call. The conditions were among the toughest of that season, with only two of around 20 starters reaching France that day.

In this week’s blog, we explain how Channel swimming actually works, from pilots and qualifying swims to tidal windows, spring and neap tides, and why the famous 21-mile crossing is rarely only 21 miles.

Read the full story at blog.swimsmooth.com.

NothingGreatIsEasy

🫧“Breathe… bubble, bubble… breathe.”

We’ve been repeating those four simple words to swimmers for more than 20 years.

Not because they’re catchy, but because they work.

A controlled exhalation is one of the quickest ways to reduce tension in the water. Instead of holding your breath between strokes, let the air leave steadily beneath the surface. Your next breath becomes easier, your stroke becomes smoother, and your body starts to settle into a rhythm.

The interesting thing is that the same principle often applies outside the pool.

When life feels rushed, our breathing becomes rushed too. We tense up without even realising it.

For the next 60 minutes, give yourself permission to focus on just one thing: the next length, the next stroke, the next relaxed exhalation.

Breathe… bubble, bubble… breathe.

Sometimes the greatest value of a swim isn’t simply the fitness you build. It’s the chance to slow your breathing, quiet the mental chatter, and leave the pool feeling just a little lighter than when you arrived.

Simple. Logical. Effective.

Just as it should be.

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There comes a point in almost every good session where your pace starts to drift. I’m feeling it all to readily at the moment, building back from a bout of sickness.

Your stroke feels heavier. The clock isn’t quite saying what it was twenty minutes ago. Every part of you wants to convince yourself that today’s just “not your day.”

Ironically, that’s often the most valuable part of the session.

Fitness isn’t built only by swimming at your target pace. It’s built by staying composed when you can’t. By keeping your technique together. By making good decisions when you’re tired. By refusing to let one difficult length become an excuse to abandon the rest.

Not every session will produce personal bests.

But almost every session can strengthen your resilience.

If today isn’t the day to swim faster, make it the day you finish better.

Because long-term improvement belongs to the swimmers who keep showing up, keep adjusting, and keep moving forward even when the pace isn’t what they hoped for.

Finish the session. Your future self will thank you.

Triathlon MastersSwimming OpenWaterSwimming ConsistencyWins

Ok, so I couldn’t quite make the tune 🎵 work today for “6 (not 3!) is the Magic Number” but you get the point!

🤨Dreading getting back into the water? You’re not alone.

One of the biggest myths in swimming is that you need to feel motivated before you come back.

In reality, motivation usually arrives after you’ve taken that first step through the pool doors.

Whether you’ve been away for two weeks, two months, or even two years, the hardest part isn’t the swimming itself. It’s overcoming the little voice that keeps saying, “Maybe next week…”

If last week’s blog was about being kind to yourself after a setback, this week’s is about what comes next.

Don’t judge yourself on your first swim back.

Don’t expect to feel amazing straight away.

Just give yourself permission to start.

Over the years, we’ve found that for many swimmers, six swims is the tipping point. That’s when the water starts to feel familiar again, confidence returns, and the enjoyment begins to outweigh the effort.

So here’s a challenge.

Forget about getting fit.

Forget about swimming fast.

Just aim for six swims and see what happens.

The water has a remarkable way of welcoming you back.

👉 Read today’s full blog via the link in my bio.

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Do not mourn the fitness you’ve lost.

Begin.

The water owes you nothing, and your body remembers more than you think.

One easy swim.
Then another.
Then another.

Do not rush the process or try to reclaim everything at once.

Strength returns.
Rhythm returns.
Confidence returns.

Not through intensity, but through repetition.

The only way back is forward.

Quietly. Patiently. One stroke at a time.

Consistency SwimmingMotivation

A simple truth: you don’t have to be where you were. You only have to start where you are.

Lessons From Mallorca – Part Two is now live.

Over two weeks, we coached 24 swimmers from around the world. Different ages. Different goals. Different abilities.

Yet none of them left with the same advice.

That’s because our philosophy has always been simple: coach the swimmer, not the stroke.

Whether it was improving rhythm, building confidence in open water, refining pacing or eliminating an overglide, every swimmer left with a personalised roadmap for improvement. The results have already been remarkable, including one swimmer who has since taken 25 minutes off her 1500m long-course time.

That’s what makes a Swim Smooth Experience different. We don’t just take you swimming—we help you become a better swimmer.

Our final Swim Smooth Experience of 2026 takes place in Crete, Greece (27 September – 3 October), and we now have just two places remaining.

The link to the full blog and camp details is in my bio.

Coaching the swimmer, not the stroke…

📚 Lessons From Mallorca – Part Two Twenty-Four Swimmers. Twenty-Four Different Solutions. One Coaching Philosophy.

🎵 It’s cold outside, there’s no kind of atmosphere… 🎵

Fortunately, that’s where the similarities with Red Dwarf end. 😄

While Perth’s winter mornings might be a little chilly, there’s plenty of atmosphere at our early morning squad sessions — great company, plenty of laughs, expert coaching, and the satisfaction of starting your day with a swim under your belt.

Whether you’re training for an event, looking to improve your technique, or simply want to enjoy swimming with a friendly and welcoming group, we’d love to see you on pool deck.

Come and join us. We can’t promise a spaceship, but we can promise a much better crew. 🚀🏊‍♂️

StartYourDayRight

“Well, I just never stop showing up!” says 90yr old Barrie when asked about his secret to longevity

10 Best Fests. My best performances yet. At 47 years old.

I’ve just returned from another incredible week in Mallorca, competing across six days of open water racing alongside 580 swimmers from around the world.

The week included:
🏊 5km point-to-point
🏊 3.8km Ironman distance
🏊 1.5km sprint
🏊 2.5km “Tell Me Your Time”
🏊 3km Volcano Swim
🏊 10km endurance challenge
🏊 4x500m relay

What surprised me most wasn’t the results themselves, but the lessons each race delivered.

🔹 In the 5km, I swam towards the wrong finish line after missing a last-minute course change. A reminder that experience never replaces paying attention.

🔹 In the 3.8km, I emptied the tank racing 18-year-old Irish marathon swimming star Brian Welsh. I finished second, but learned that sometimes your best race isn’t necessarily your best result.

🔹 In the 1.5km, I spent over a kilometre hanging onto the feet of former Olympian Alberto Bertini. If you want to improve, find swimmers who are slightly better than you and try to stay with them.

🔹 In the windy 2.5km event, I adapted my stroke to suit the conditions rather than fighting them. Open water rewards adaptability.

🔹 In the Volcano Swim, I practised drafting for 3km straight. Drafting isn’t cheating—it’s a skill worth mastering.

🔹 In the 10km, I realised I’d spent far too much energy worrying about my rivals. Most of the time, they’re hurting just as much as you are.

The biggest lesson?

After ten years of racing these events, I still came away learning something new.

That’s one of the reasons I love open water swimming so much. The moment you think you’ve got it all figured out is usually the moment the water teaches you otherwise.

Part One of my Mallorca reflections is now live on the blog. Part Two next week will focus on the Swim Smooth Experience Camps and why a dedicated week of swimming can transform your progress.

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