Are you ready for a new challenge and some serious fun? Do you want to be on an high energy team?

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We are an independent survival swimming and lifesaving team in Brighton and Hove, England, a fresh alternative to stodgy old fashioned clubs. Events and activities depend on the weather and are quickly arranged via the Internet. Email us for details or follow us on Twitter @brightonswim

The Free Lifesaving Society provides us as team partners with a free webpage and free training materials. We put their training methods into practice locally. Everybody wins.

About our Training

Our activities include Pool Training, Lifesaving, and Sea Survival Swimming. Everyone is encouraged to learn and develop valuable skills based on their personal best in fitness, knowledge, leadership, and teamwork. We provide high activity challenges in an energetic environment on the beach and in the pool. You set your own goals for your desired fitness level.

Simple Team Rules

1. Be nice to everyone, especially pool staff.
2. We have no nannies, no membership, no fees, no committees, no boss, hence the minimum age is 18 years.
3. You are responsible for yourself and your actions. It is your duty to ensure your own personal safety. You are responsible for your own duty of care to yourself. No liability or responsibility can be taken by us for you.

Swimming Venues

At High Tide we swim in Saltdean downwind from the entrance near one of the big rocky groynes. With easterly wind, go west (right), with westerly wind, go east (left). We hide in the wind shadow of the groyne. If you can't find us, try the other side.

At Low Tide we often swim in Brighton, 500 metres west of the Marina by the big groyne near the slip road to Marine Parade.

If the sea is too rough we may go to inland waterholes like Cuckmere Haven. We also do pool training in Newhaven when the weather is too cold. Our hope is to resume using Saltdean Lido again once it will be back under professional management.

Save Saltdean Lido

Many years ago we've used Saltdean Lido for survival swimming and lifesaving training. However, eventually the conditions and safety standards had slipped too far so we went into the sea instead. Our hope is to resume using Saltdean Lido again once it will be back under professional management. That's why we support the Save Saltdean Lido Campaign because the Lido is a great place to swim and have fun.

Survival swimming and lifesaving is all about being prepared for the unexpected. You may not have the opportunity to change into your surf shorts when an emergency arises. Therefore, we swim in clothes to prepare for this with realistic training, something most clubs overlook. Being prepared can save lives.

Many of us also enjoy swimming in clothes to build up strength and stamina. Unlike weight lifting this spreads the load evenly over the body for safer training and better results. You can adjust the resistance by layering clothes. It also protects you from injury or sunburn, and keeps you warm.

Give it a try sometime. It is terrific fun. You'll be amazed. If you don't have some of the gear needed, let us know and we may be able to lend you some kit.

We've developed new training exercises which are both fun and exhausting. You have a chance to get fit through endurance and resistance training. It's not all hard work, we often play games or just relax and talk about things we enjoy.

We can teach you basic swimming or more challenging lifesaving rescue skills. This is also suitable for beginners.

Early Beginnings

Our first pool session was on Monday, 13 July 1998. We rented a pool lane for an hour, whilst the rest of the pool was used for Aquarobics by some stout women (aka Happy Hippo Hour). It was great fun splashing around and building up some stamina swimming many lengths fully clothed.

In 2002 our swim-fit fun and games sessions had about 4 to 8 visitors each time. Considering that we only had one lane available it got a little crowded at times. But who cares when you're having fun.

Lane Hire

We can hire of a lane in a public pool on Friday evenings to train swimming in clothes. Lane hire costs £26 each time so it only makes sense if enough of you come. Otherwise we just join in with the public session.

Recommended Pool Clothing

The pool management only allows man-made fibres into the pool. Please, no jeans or cut-offs, leather or shoes, or your old laundry, as this freaks out the pool management. You can wear T-shirts, hoodies, sportswear, tracksuits, rainwear, and Lycra swim clothes. If you wish to dry off between sessions, pack an extra change of clothes and a towel.

The more varied your experiences in the water, the better equipped and confident you will be in future. A strong, experienced swimmer who is well prepared is less likely to panic when things go wrong and can be in the position to help others.

Training Syllabus

Training includes water safety, personal survival, rescue skills, resistance training and fun exercises. You'll gain experience of swimming fully clothed, falling out of a canoe, climbing onto windsurfers, jumping in, diving and other fun.

Survival swimming sessions are based on the Dutch "Zwem ABC", which provides the best introduction into aquatic survival we have found so far. We've added a few bits to make it more fun and more challenging.

Lifesaving training consists of the best elements from British, German and Thai lifesaving courses with a focus on realism rather than a rigid plan. It involves some theory and lots of practice in the water. Sessions may last longer than the usual dip, so dress up warm and bring an extra change of clothes if you wish to get dry in the break.

Awards and Certificates

We don't issue any awards, only a printed "Certificate of Survival" should you make it through our training in one piece. If you wish to take a professional lifeguard exam we can get you fit for the course and then put you in touch with a local lifeguard organisation. Ask for dates and venues.

Sea swimming is to pool swimming what trail running is to track running and can be a wonderful activity. It is a chance to get out and simply enjoy your surroundings. You can stretch out your stroke and get into a rhythm that you can't achieve when there are walls every 25 or 50 meters.

It is possible to swim throughout the year from Brighton or Saltdean beach. Those who do so highly recommend the practice. Weather permitting we swim throughout the year from Saltdean Beach just 5 miles east of Brighton. Otherwise we may go on a trip to another waterhole.

There is a particular intensity in bathing on a winter's day. It is not necessary to be a fast swimmer or even a good swimmer to join the daily sea bathers and enjoy the benefits it will bring.

We take surfboards, canoes, or inflatable boats to the beach and go rock-hopping, coasteering, paddle the windsurfer, drift along in a kayak, capsize, play beach-ball in the water, or just splash around. This is great fun in the sea whilst we gain experience that may help us avoid some danger one day.

Please note that you will get wet sooner or later, so pick the right clothes. Robust shoes, socks and trousers protect you if you slip or fall. A long sleeve thermal pullover and a hoodie keep you warm on top. For colder days we recommend a wetsuit underneath. A windproof anorak or jacket is essential as it protects you from windchill.

Rock Hopping (Coasteering)

This is a gentle introduction into sea swimming and the relatively new activity of coasteering. Learn about the coastline at the same time as having fun and testing your skill and endurance.

Coasteering is different to sea level traversing, which usually involves the use of ropes and climbing harnesses and the aim is to stay dry. This is more about getting wet, swimming and scrambling around rocks. Kids have been doing that since seaside holidays first began.

We've enjoyed this fun sport since the mid '80s when it was more of a personal type of adventure sport. Over the past few years it has been developed into its own activity and has seen a massive uptake in people wanting to give it a try, with magazines rating it as the 'must try activity of the year' helping to boost its popularity.

Then we scramble across the rocky shore line, slip into natural water basins or small canals, and watch the local sea creatures in their natural habitat. On a calm day it is possible to explore the reef, when it gets rougher hold onto your hats, it can be a roller-coaster ride!

We climb, swim and jump around our spectacular rocky coastline, turning rocks, groynes and waves into playthings! Jumping is not compulsory but most people like to try it. Finally we make our way across the slippery reef to the sea and play around until we're all exhausted.