Calum Hudson

How to Plan Your Own Swimming Expedition

In this week’s blog, we caught up with Outdoor Swimming Society ambassador, Calum Maclean to get his tips on how to plan your very own swimming expedition.

Calum’s 8 step guide to plan your very own swimming expedition.

  1. The Source

To come up with a great idea for an expedition you have to harness your aquatic imagination. My first piece of advice would be to “Start Local”. It’s easier to organize as you’ll likely know the area, be familiar with the wildlife and have easy access and extraction. Also, it’s much cheaper, with no air fares/accommodation costs. Finally, it’s critical not to get too far out of your comfort zone that you endanger yourself or others. So get your local OS Map out and start exploring the blue sections. Has the longest river in your area been swum? What about lake, cross channel or tarn?

 

  1. The Why

It’s important to uncover the real reason behind your swimming expedition. It helps motivate you during dark moments. Whether that’s training or during the expedition itself it can serve to fuel the fire within and help you overcome your doubts. If your swimming expedition has an aim outside of just completing the swim you’ll find more people are willing to join you. Also, people are more likely to support you with advice, press, accommodation, flights and captain fees. Why not raise money for a local charity?

pridepride
  1. Hail to the Experts

Your first port of call should be the large-scale open forums which are full of all types of swimmers, you name it they’ll all likely be congregating in these warm and welcoming online assemblies of the land weary. We would recommend the “Outdoor Swimming Society” Facebook Group as with over 25,000+ members there is bound to be someone who can help with your expedition.

 

  1. Build your pod

Building the right team for your expedition is crucial and can be the difference between success and failure for any aquatic adventure. Why do I need a team for my expedition you ask? I’m an absolute swimming machine, Poseidon incarnate… a veritable Sailfish of the Seven Seas. Well to be frank it’s immeasurably arrogant, pretty darn stupid and potentially dangerous to set off on a swimming expedition on your own, also it’s a lot less fun!

swim with prideswim with pride
  1. Call me Ishmael

Like sherpas to climbers, ship captains are the unsung heroes of the swimming world and are often seen in the background of celebratory photos, a calm and steady gaze avoiding the limelight. Their meticulous knowledge of the tides, currents, navigation and underwater topography is the unseen weapon in your swimming expeditions arsenal. If you’re planning your swimming expedition in unfamiliar territory, then you will no doubt be putting your life in their hands.

 

  1. A Cunning Plan

Baldrick really was ahead of his time and we’d urge you to follow his advice. This plan will depend on the type of expedition you’re planning, whether it’s single day or multi-day, the dangers and risks involved and number of swimmers/support boats. However irrespective of the type of swim the plan should focus on dates, distances, entrance, extraction and possible risks/dangers.

 

  1. Show Me The Money

“How do you pay for it all?” It’s a question we get asked when it comes to our swimming adventures. First, work out what do you need to pay for? Break down your expedition and work out where your big costs are. The typical costs for an expedition are;

Swimming equipment

Nutrition

Accommodation

Transport

Ship captains

 

  1. Learn from the best

Get inspired by 5 insane swimming expeditions;

Ross Edgley - Great British Swim

Gertrude Ederle - English Channel

Lewis Pugh - North Pole

Martin Steel - Length of the Amazon

Lynne Cox - The Bering Strait