Choose the exit before the entry
Identify more than one way out, including what the shoreline will look like at the expected finish. Sea walls, groynes, rocks, cliffs, mud and a falling tide can change access after you start.
Allow for movement
Wind and tide can move a swimmer away from the intended line. Headlands, bays, harbour mouths and estuaries may change flow over short distances. Keep the route close enough to the exit you have assessed and avoid relying on a return that requires more effort than the outward leg.
Make the plan easy to change
Agree a turnaround time, tell someone where you are going and carry visible equipment. If the water, visibility or your own condition is different from the plan, shorten the route or leave the water.
Before you go
- Mark the entry, primary exit and alternative exit before entering.
- Check wind and tide for the entire route, not only the start time.
- Look for piers, groynes, boat lanes, rocks, channels and cliffs.
- Set a turnaround time and tell someone the plan.
- Keep the route adjustable when the observed conditions change.
Useful next checks
Sea-swimming conditions · Tide timing for swimming · RNLI open-water swimming advice