The South Coast Swim makes its Bournemouth debut

Bournemouth is about to get its first open water swimming event, and it is built for everyone from first-timers to Olympic-distance swimmers. The South Coast Swim makes its debut on 19 September, put on by The Wild Swimming Co. (WILD SWIM), and the distances run all the way from 250m to 10km, so there is a place on the start line whether you are dipping your toes in or chasing a serious distance.

If you have never swam in open water before, the 250m is the obvious place to start. It goes off at 13:15 with a 30-minute cut-off, and it is billed as a great first open water challenge. From there, the distances step up: a half-mile at 13:00 for anyone with some pool or open water experience, a mile at 12:30 where all abilities are welcome, and a two-mile swim at 12:30 aimed at established open water swimmers. The 5km starts at 12:00 for experienced swimmers who regularly go for distance, and the 10km Olympic distance also starts at 12:00, with a generous 4 hour 30 minute cut-off. That 10km is the official Olympic distance and is aimed at experienced open water swimmers, so it comes with a feed station and requires an application rather than a simple sign-up.

Entry is £29.00, taxes included, and that covers a fair amount: chip timing, a swim cap, a finisher's tee, lifeguards, medic cover and access to the athlete village. You book through the official event page, and entries close a week before the day or when capacity is reached, whichever comes first. If you change your mind, bookings are fully refundable within 14 days, and you can swap distances up to a week in advance for a £6 admin fee, though moving up a class will cost a bit more. A bag drop is available at £5 an item, and final information and medical details are sent out a month before the event.

A couple of practical things are worth knowing before you commit. Wetsuits are optional but recommended; if you choose to go without one, you will need to complete an additional acknowledgement of risk in advance. Tow floats are encouraged, which is sensible advice for anyone not used to swimming in open water. The event has a customer rating of 3.7 out of 5 based on three reviews, so it is not without its critics, but for a first-ever event it is a decent starting point.

If you end up catching the bug, the organisers run plenty more. The Wild Swimming Co. and Wild Swim Events have a busy calendar across Dorset and beyond, from the Ice Water Swim Festival to the Castle to Castle Challenge in the New Forest, plus a whole range of retreats and wild swimming days if you want to keep going after the South Coast Swim is done. For now, though, the 19 September debut is the one to have on your radar.