GONE FOR A SWIM

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GONE FOR A SWIM Southend based private swimming lessons and open water coaching for all abilities.
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02/10/2026

When the โ€œperfectly plannedโ€ shot was absolutely NOT planned ๐Ÿ˜‚

One of my favourite memories from Mathraki this summer. The guests genuinely thought Iโ€™d set this up for a photoโ€ฆ meanwhile George had other ideas. ๐Ÿšค๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿคญ

Couldnโ€™t have planned it better if I tried! ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ท

02/10/2026

When the โ€œperfectly plannedโ€ shot was absolutely NOT planned ๐Ÿ˜‚

One of my favourite memories from Mathraki this summer. The guests genuinely thought Iโ€™d set this up for a photoโ€ฆ meanwhile George had other ideas. ๐Ÿ˜‚

Couldnโ€™t have planned it better if I tried! ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ท

Today I went to the beachโ€ฆ and didnโ€™t swim.It was a friendโ€™s birthday, the sun was shining, there was cake on offer and ...
29/09/2026

Today I went to the beachโ€ฆ and didnโ€™t swim.

It was a friendโ€™s birthday, the sun was shining, there was cake on offer and plenty of lovely people heading into the water.

But I just didnโ€™t want to get wet.

After a manic summer working at the beach, followed pretty much immediately by 3 weeks in Mathraki working with SwimQuest Swimming Holidays, I think Iโ€™m feeling a little bitโ€ฆ watered out. ๐Ÿ˜‚

So instead, I ate birthday cake (delicious ๐Ÿ˜‹ thanks Heidi Bastow), caught up with swimmers I havenโ€™t seen for a while, sat on the beach with the sun on my face and watched everyone else enjoy the water.

And it was perfect. ๐Ÿฉต

Sometimes I think when swimming becomes such a big part of your life, there can be this feeling that if youโ€™re at the beach, you should get in.

But today I didnโ€™t need to.

I was perfectly happy just being beside it. ๐Ÿ’—๐ŸŒŠ
GONE FOR A SWIMโ€ฆ without actually going for a swim! ๐Ÿ˜„

Itโ€™s been a busy summer at GONE FOR A SWIM! ๐ŸŒŠOver the last couple of months, more than 300 people have joined me at the ...
02/09/2026

Itโ€™s been a busy summer at GONE FOR A SWIM! ๐ŸŒŠ

Over the last couple of months, more than 300 people have joined me at the beach for a GONE FOR A SWIM session โ€“ some booked directly and others joining sessions provided through funding from Active Thames.

That number is lovely to see, but what matters most to me is what those 300+ people have taken away from their time in and around the water.

Because every session I run has safety at its heart.

Whether itโ€™s children learning how to enjoy the sea safely, someone taking their first steps into open water, building confidence in deeper water, or becoming more comfortable with local conditions, tides and changing environments โ€“ I want people to leave the beach with more knowledge, more confidence and a better understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

This summer, with the help of my brilliant coaches, weโ€™ve run:

๐Ÿ’ฆ Child Sea Safety
๐ŸŠ Intro to Open Water
๐Ÿšถ Mulberry Harbour Walk & Dip
๐ŸŒŠ Low Tide Ray Walk & Dip
๐ŸŠโ€โ™€๏ธ 1-to-1 and group sessions focusing on technique and confidence
๐Ÿ’™ Deep Water Confidence
๐Ÿง˜โ€โ™€๏ธYogaSwim

There have been lots of smiles, plenty of challenges overcome, moments to slow down and enjoy being by the sea, and some brilliant conversations about tides, conditions, cold water, personal limits and making good decisions around the sea.

300+ people with a little more knowledge about water safety feels like a pretty good way to spend a summer.

And weโ€™re not quite finishedโ€ฆ

As the seasons begin to change, Winter Dipping Workshops return at the end of September, helping people prepare for colder water and enjoy their dips with the knowledge and confidence to do it safely.

Thank you to everyone who has joined me this summer, to the coaches who have helped me deliver some of these sessions, and to Active Thames for making some of them possible through funding. ๐ŸŒŠ๐Ÿ’™

Enjoy the water. Respect the water. Know how to stay safe in it.

โ˜€๏ธ What a fantastic weekend! ๐ŸŒŠThe sunshine certainly helped, but it was even better seeing over 50 people join us across...
03/08/2026

โ˜€๏ธ What a fantastic weekend! ๐ŸŒŠ

The sunshine certainly helped, but it was even better seeing over 50 people join us across our sessions!

This weekend included:
๐ŸŒŠ Child Sea Safety
๐Ÿšถ Mulberry Harbour Walk & Dips
๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง Private Family Sea Safety
๐ŸŠโ€โ™€๏ธ 1:1 Sea Swimming sessions, helping people build confidence and improve their technique

It's been a brilliant start to August, and we love seeing so many people enjoying the sea safely while growing in confidence. ๐Ÿซถ

We're back this week with more Child Sea Safety sessions and YogaSwim, so we can't wait to welcome even more of you.

โœจ We also have some exciting news...

Thanks to additional funding from Active Thames, we'll soon be releasing more fully funded sessions to help even more people experience the benefits of being in and around the water. ๐ŸŽ‰

Keep an eye on our pageโ€”we'll be announcing when all bookings open very soon!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us this weekend. We can't wait to see you again soon! ๐Ÿ’™

๐ŸŒž Mulberry Harbour Walk + Dip ๐Ÿšถโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐ŸŠโ€โ™€๏ธWe've had a few cancellations, so we now have a limited number of FREE spaces avai...
30/07/2026

๐ŸŒž Mulberry Harbour Walk + Dip ๐Ÿšถโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐ŸŠโ€โ™€๏ธ

We've had a few cancellations, so we now have a limited number of FREE spaces available on tomorrow morning's session!

๐Ÿ—“ Saturday 1 August
๐Ÿ•— 8:00am
๐Ÿ’ท FREE

Come and enjoy a refreshing morning walk, followed by a dip at Mulberry Harbour.

๐Ÿ“ฉ Drop us a message to book your place โ€“ spaces are limited!

Keep an eye on this page too... more dates coming soon! ๐Ÿ™Œ

SAVS

๐ŸŒŠ Additional Child Sea Safety Sessions are now available!Help your child build confidence and learn essential sea safety...
25/07/2026

๐ŸŒŠ Additional Child Sea Safety Sessions are now available!

Help your child build confidence and learn essential sea safety skills in a fun, supportive environment.

During the session, children will learn about:

๐Ÿ’ฆ Tides and currents
๐ŸŠโ€โ™€๏ธ Safe swimming techniques
โš ๏ธ Recognising potential hazards
๐Ÿ›Ÿ What to do in an emergency

๐Ÿ“… Wednesday 5 August โ€“ 3:30pm
๐Ÿ“… Wednesday 12 August โ€“ 11:00am

๐Ÿ’™ ยฃ10 per child (one accompanying adult free)

Suitable for aged 5+

Spaces are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

โžก๏ธhttps://goneforaswim.co.uk/book-online

Today's news on the heartbreaking tragedy at West Mersea yesterday has affected so many of us. My thoughts are with the ...
23/07/2026

Today's news on the heartbreaking tragedy at West Mersea yesterday has affected so many of us. My thoughts are with the families, friends and everyone involved. ๐Ÿ’™

As a volunteer with RNLI Southend Lifeboat and as a local swimming teacher and open water coach, these tragic incidents are a stark reminder of why water safety education matters so much. ๐Ÿ›Ÿ

Since April, my Southend RNLI Water Safety colleagues and I have delivered lifesaving water safety talks to more than 2,500 local children. Next weekend I'll be starting my annual child sea safety sessions, funded by Active Thames, because every child deserves the knowledge and confidence to enjoy our coastline safely. ๐Ÿ’ฆ

The reality is that many visitors to Southend and other coastal towns have little or no experience of the sea. If you haven't grown up around the coast, it's easy to underestimate how quickly conditions can change. Tides, currents, drop-offs and cold water don't discriminate.

Anyone can drown. No one should.

That's why I'm asking local businesses to help. ๐Ÿ™

If you own or manage a cafรฉ, pub, restaurant, hotel, kiosk, AirBnB, beach hut rental, shop or any business close to the seafront, please consider signing up to become a FREE RNLI Water Safety Ambassador. By displaying simple water safety information where thousands of people may see it, you could help someone make a safer decision before they reach the beach.

Education saves lives. Awareness saves lives. Conversations save lives.

If you'd like to find out more about becoming an RNLI Water Safety Ambassador, please comment below or send me a message and I'll point you in the right direction.

Let's work together to make our coastline a safer place for everyone. ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŠ

RNLI

What an inspiring afternoon in the sea with 12 incredible ladies from Women in Tri.๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธWomen in Tri is an amazin...
18/07/2026

What an inspiring afternoon in the sea with 12 incredible ladies from Women in Tri.๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ

Women in Tri is an amazing charity that works to break down barriers and help more women across the UK discover swimming, cycling, running and triathlon. Their work is opening doors for so many women who may never have thought these sports were for them. ๐Ÿ™Œ

Today, for many of the group, it was their very first experience swimming in tidal water. They all arrived with one key thing in commonโ€”they wanted to feel more confident in the sea.

And they all left with exactly that. ๐Ÿฅณ

Throughout the session we covered sea safety, understanding tides and conditions, confidence-building techniques, efficient swimming skills and plenty of practical tips to make sea swimming feel less daunting and more enjoyable. ๐Ÿฉต

What I loved most was hearing everyone's individual stories. Hearing the different reasons for starting triathlon, and the journey and challenges they'd overcome to get here. It was a privilege to be part of that. ๐Ÿซถ

Thank you to everyone who came along with such enthusiasm and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. You should all be incredibly proud of yourselves.

And a huge thank you to Women in Tri for the amazing work you do. It was a real privilege to be involved with today's session.

https://www.womenintriuk.org/

๐ŸŒŠ๐ŸŠโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ’™

Sometimes it's nice to hand over all responsibility and simply enjoy the moment.Tonight I joined the Thames Estuary Man ...
15/07/2026

Sometimes it's nice to hand over all responsibility and simply enjoy the moment.

Tonight I joined the Thames Estuary Man for a sunset walk beneath Southend Pier.

I've swum under the pier many times, walked along it countless times, and spent plenty of hours working at either end of it with the RNLI. But somehow, I'd never actually been beneath it before!

It gave me a completely different perspective on somewhere I know so well.

It was a beautiful evening, even better shared with good friends. These long summer days in my hometown really are hard to beat. ๐ŸŒ…๐Ÿ’™

Address

Southend-on-Sea
SS25LX

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm
Sunday 9am - 2pm

Telephone

+447968160055

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