How to become an open water coach

Would you like to work with open water swimmers but aren’t sure what to do next? Take a look at this page to see how you can continue on your open water journey.

Would you like to work with competitive open water swimmers or those who swim for the health benefits? Swim England offers two different pathways depending on which type of open water swimming you wish to do.

Outdoor Swimming Leader

If you want to take swimmers for a fun, safe session in a sheltered open water swimming environment then this is the path for you. If you are an experienced Open water swimmer who can swim at least 800m then this qualification will enable you to lead groups of up to 8 swimmers from within the water. To find out more about this course please visit Swim England Qualifications.

Open Water Swimming Coach

If you are a current swimming or triathlon coach looking to take your athletes to the next level in the open water swimming environment then this is the course for you. This course builds on the coaching experience you already have and adds the skills required to create the next generation of competitive open water swimmers. For more information click here.

Seasonal training for open water coach courses

While you might be eager to get started immediately, open water coaching qualifications are seasonally delivered.

They are only available in late spring and summer, so you need to make sure you plan in advance.

If you are waiting for your course to begin, talk to open water providers or coaches and read about open water swimming before you start your course.

Think about all the differences between the pool and a lake or the sea and how you as a coach will manage the environment.

The open water qualifications do not teach you to be a ‘coach’. They teach you how to use the skills you already have and adapt them to a completely different setting.

The Institute of Swimming offers both Outdoor Swimming Leader and Open Water Swimming Coach courses and you can find information about those here. For any questions related to the courses, please email [email protected].

Whilst the Open Water Swimming Coach is exclusively delivered by the Institute of Swimming, Outdoor Swimming Leader courses are available from a number of different training providers. Please search to find the most suitable option for your needs.