A pull buoy is a figure-of-eight foam float that you grip between your upper thighs so your legs stay up without kicking. That leaves your arms, shoulders and back to do all the work. To use it well, squeeze it high between your thighs, keep your legs still and together, and swim with the same
Pull Buoy Swimming: How to Use It and Train Smarter Read More »
Most pool swimmers do best with a compact microfibre towel, and cold-water swimmers need something warmer on top. The gap between a good and a bad choice shows up fast: a soggy cotton towel that still smells damp by your next session, or a tiny travel towel that leaves you shivering on a windy lakeshore.
Swimmer Towel: 10 Best Options for Pool and Open Water in 2026 Read More »
No, you cannot swim in Cardiff Bay’s open water. Cardiff Harbour Authority bans swimming and jumping into the Bay and its rivers because of deep water, currents and the risk of drowning. The good news is that you still have safe ways to swim right on the waterfront. If you want lengths or family fun,
Swimming in Cardiff Bay: Rules, Pools and Safe Options Read More »
Every good swim starts with the same core kit: a well-fitting swimsuit, goggles, a towel and poolside flip-flops cover the pool, while open water adds a high-visibility cap, a tow float and, for weaker swimmers, a properly fitted lifejacket. Training aids such as a kickboard and pull buoy are useful extras once you want to
Swim Essentials: Pool and Open-Water Packing Checklist Read More »
If you swim several times a week and keep getting that itchy, blocked, sore feeling afterwards, a well-sealing pair of earplugs is the cheapest fix you can make. Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) happens when water sits in the outer ear canal, softens the skin and lets bacteria take hold. Keeping the canal dry is the
Ear Plugs for Swimmer’s Ear: Best Options for 2026 Read More »
A good swimming warm-up takes about 10 to 15 minutes: roughly five minutes of dryland work on the poolside, then 300 to 700 metres of easy swimming, kick and drills that build gradually into your main set. That sequence suits everyone from a nervous beginner doing their first few lengths to a club swimmer preparing
Swimming Warm-Up: Dryland and Pool Routines Read More »
The swimming catch up drill is a freestyle drill where one arm stays stretched out in front while the other arm completes a full pull and recovery, and you only begin the next stroke once the recovering hand taps the waiting hand. That single rule fixes rushed, windmilling arms faster than almost anything else a
Swimming Catch-Up Drill: Technique, Benefits and Sets Read More »
The safest way to learn is to master breath control and floating at the wall before you ever try a full length, because a swimmer who can exhale calmly and stand up from a float has the two skills that prevent panic. Every drill below builds on those two foundations, working from shallow-water bubble blowing
Swimming Drills for Beginners: A Safe Skills Progression Read More »
Wild swimming in North Wales means cold, clear mountain water, hidden waterfall pools and quiet coves that most visitors drive straight past. Guided swim days across Eryri, the Conwy Valley, the Llŷn Peninsula and Anglesey give you a safe, sociable way to reach the good spots without spending weeks working out access, parking and conditions
Wild Swimming North Wales Guided Adventures Read More »
