Bantham Swoosh FAQs

Below you will find answers to all of your burning questions about the Bantham Swoosh. From start time and locations, training and wetsuit advice to parking and accommodation advice.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can email geri@levelwater.org

  • The Bantham Swoosh swim is from Aveton Gifford TQ7 4LQ to Bantham Beach, TQ7 3AN.

  • Swimmers need to be 18+

  • We want to minimise cars driving to Bantham Beach as the roads are very tight and too much traffic causes heavy congestion (and easy to get stuck here for a long time). There is a parking field in Aveton Gifford with shuttle bus and walking options.

    Parking at the Start

    Parking at the start in Aveton Gifford is our recommended option. The parking field is a short distance from the swim. You and your spectators can walk or take the shuttle buses to the start.

    Parking here will help keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles.

    Parking at the Finish

    If you choose to park at the finish you can take a shuttle bus to the start of the swim.

    Walking

    There is a guided walk for supporters from the start to Bantham Estate. So your supporters can watch you set off and finish! And maybe even catch a glimpse of you during the swim.

    All parking options will be available to purchase in early 2025.

  • Viewing at the start is difficult due to the location and the direction the swimmers head off in. However, there’s an excellent view at Bantham as the swimmers swoosh into the finish.

    Spectators will be able to enjoy a guided walk from Aveton Gifford to Bantham Beach that has a few vantage points of the swim along the way.

  • Guided Walk

    There’s a guided walk for spectators from Aveton Gifford to Bantham as the swim takes place. This means we’re helping to keep cars off the road and allowing everyone to experience the beautiful Devon countryside.

    Spectators will be able to see the swimmers from a few vantage points along the way. Those who walk to Bantham will be able to take a coach back to Aveton Gifford after the swim (or walk back again!).

    Shuttle Bus

    There will also be a shuttle bus for spectators to take from Aveton Gifford to the finish in Bantham (and back again after the swim).

  • Yes!

    Rather than taking a coach back to the car park in Aveton Gifford we are encouraging people to walk to help us take cars off the roads and enjoy the beautiful Devon countryside.

  • You can select either option, however capacity for parking at Bantham is limited so we encourage you to choose parking in Aveton Gifford.

    Before the swim, you must go to the location you have booked as the coaches are reserved based on these capacities. If you go to the wrong location you may miss the start of the swim.

  • Any swimmers being dropped off near the start MUST be dropped off in the parking field in Aveton Gifford. From here you can take a shuttle bus or walk to the start area. You will NOT be allowed to be dropped off near the start area as this causes congestion and problems for the coaches.

  • Swimmers will enter the water at approx 8am at slack water.

    You need to check in to get your hand numbered and collect your swim hat before the swim, so please aim to arrive 2-3 hours before the event start.

    If you are parking in Bantham please make sure you allow plenty of time to do so and make it onto the shuttle bus. Shuttle buses start from TBC

    If you are parking in at Aveton Gifford, then you’ll need to arrive at the parking field in Aveton Gifford, TQ7 4LQ and take a shuttle bus or walk to the start. We advise this is a better option for all swimmers and spectators.

    Traffic in the area will be heavier than normal so please factor in additional travel time.

  • On the day you will need to check in with our team to receive your swim hat, timing chip and have your hand numbered and collect your wristband.

    No one else can do this for you.

  • Bantham was recently voted one of the top 10 beaches in Europe - the only one in England to make the list. So bring your buckets, spades and surfboards! There will be a range of food suppliers operating from the car park all day.

    There will be a guided walk from Aveton Gifford to Bantham Beach that has a few vantage points of the river along the way. You can enjoy the beautiful Devon countryside and also avoid driving along roads that will be congested on the day of the swim. You could even stop at the Sloop Inn near Bantham Beach for refreshments before heading to the beach.

  • You can either leave your bag with your supporters or give it to us to look after. Please label with the tag provided in your registration pack.

    Our volunteers will accept one small (4kg max) bag per swimmer and bring it from AG to Bantham for you. We do not recommend leaving anything valuable in your bag and cannot be responsible for any items you do decide to leave.

  • Yes, subject to seat space you will be allowed to travel up to the swim start with your friend. Whatever coach you travel on, all swimmers will be reunited on the start line before entering the water.

  • There will be a main briefing at the start for all swimmers about 45 minutes before entering the water.

    15 minutes prior to the main briefing there will be a briefing for swimmers with disabilities or swimmers who require extra help.

  • There is no cut off time for the Bantham Swoosh. The swoosh speeds up towards the end, helping you cover the ground two to four times faster than your normal swimming speed.

    However, training is required and a good level of swimming is necessary to complete the swim.

    The slower the swimmer, the more tidal assistance they receive as the tide ebbs out, so this really is a good first long outdoor event, whatever your speed! Once in the water, do not worry about anyone else. Relax and swim at your own pace. If you become very separated from the main pack, then the safety crew may have to pick you up and leapfrog you back into the water with them, but they will avoid this wherever possible. Leisurely swimmers often complete the Bantham Swoosh in under 2 and a half hours.

  • If you like! All swimmers go off together so you can be first, but you will need to time yourself as there are no official race placings. Timing chips are used to track swimmers for safety, not for race placings. For most swimmers the challenge is the distance, and the joy is the journey, with all the rolling Devon hills and changing landscape as the estuary widens around them.

  • You should double-bag your inhaler to keep it dry and keep it with you inside your wetsuit. You should train with your inhaler before the event to find out the most comfortable part of your wetsuit to store it - perhaps near your wrist or ankle.

    If you feel you need nutrition during the swim, you can store it in your wetsuit. If you are swimming skins consider taking a swim bum bag.

    There are NO feed stations during the swim.

  • Yes. You’ll go off with slack water, but the outgoing tide will assist your swim. The final few hundred metres “swoosh” you along too! We recommend that you are comfortable swimming 5km as the tide will give you the extra push you need to cover the sixth km.

  • There are no feeding stations. Water will be available at the swim start, and a wide range of refreshments are provided at the finish village. Lifeguards will carry a small amount of water.

  • There will be public toilets at registration, start and the finish. Limited undercover changing facilities are available, so we advise you to prepare to change al fresco.

    The finish will have a warming tent, if you’re feeling cold you can take a seat there until you feel comfortable.

  • Yes. Delicious hot food and drink will be available to buy at the swim finish on Bantham Estate.

  • Mini-Swooshers will need to check in before the swim to collect their swim cap.

    Further details will be sent to all Mini-Swooshers by email in the two weeks prior to the swim.

  • Our water safety team will be on hand during the event to offer their support, and very tired or cold swimmers will be evacuated from the water.

  • If you need to stop during the swim, the safety crew will evacuate you. There are paramedics on hand, and a warm up tent - please use it and tell a volunteer if you need to go there, and they will assist you into the tent, get you hot chocolate and your bags and look after you.

  • We will do everything we can to support swimmers with additional needs.

    Access to and from the water’s edge is difficult. The closest a vehicle can reach the start line is around 50m, so a method of crossing this distance of tarmac and gravel is required.

    The finish is on a sandy beach and there is a 600m journey over steep soft sand, steep narrow concrete steps and grass from the finish line back to the finish village. An alternative exit point 5.5km through the 6km swim is possible, but unfortunately this is before the best of the Swoosh itself.

    If you require adjustments (e.g. access for vehicle pick-up/drop-off at start and finish villages, or putting a wheelchair into the baggage van for you) then please ensure you record this in the “medical” box of your registration form. If you could email geri@levelwater.org highlighting this, to ensure your specific needs are met, that would be helpful.

    If you'd need more complex adjustments (eg assistance from a helper whilst you're in the water, exiting at the early exit point or any kind of mechanised / wheelchair access to and from the water), please send your phone number to geri@levelwater.org before registering and we will contact you to discuss.

    We must insist that if you have any concerns whatsoever about your medical fitness to participate, that you consult with your GP before taking part in the swim.

Tickets & Refunds

  • The swim! Your entrance fee covers the costs of putting on a complex event like this, including swim safety cover, medical cover, timing/safety chips, baggage transfer, coach transfers and an event swim hat and towel.

  • Ballot Entry

    The ballot is open from 11th to 24th November. We’ll email all successful and unsuccessful swimmers within a couple of days of the ballot closing.

    Charity & Volunteer Entry

    We email all swimmers confirmation at the time of signup (check your spam/junk email folders just in case). If you definitely haven’t received a confirmation email by 48 hours after the money was taken from your card, then please email geri@levelwater.org and we will get back to you.

    If you have a charity ticket, your place will not be confirmed until you have created your JustGiving page.

  • No, you can only buy a place for yourself, as each swimmer is required to sign the waiver. Tickets can only be purchased through our website - any tickets bought through any other source will be void and will be cancelled without refund or compensation.

  • You could add swim@levewater.org, geri@levelwater.org and colette@levelwater.org your email "whitelist" or "safe senders" list to ensure they don't accidentally get filtered out into your Spam or Junk email folders.

  • Please log back into you registration account (details in confirmation emails) system before 23:00 on 27th June.

    After this time the system will be locked and you will not be able to make changes.

  • Yes, changes can be made until 23:00 on 27th June. Please log into your registration account to make changes to your entry.

  • Yes, transfers can be made until 27th June. It’s free of charge to transfer. It is up to you to find someone who wants to take your place. To arrange a transfer to a friend:

    Open your confirmation email and click the button to find your swimmer dashboard. Enter the email address of the person you’d like to transfer your ticket to and click send. They will receive an email to sign up for free. You will not receive a refund so any ticket fees will need to be passed separately. You can re-send this email at any time.

    If this step does not work for you please email - geri@levelwater.org

  • When buying a fundraising ticket at a significantly reduced price we ask you to raise a minimum of £250 for Level Water. We will support you along the way and many people go on to raise, on average, £400!

    Please have your JustGiving page set up as soon as possible after you’ve purchased your ticket. If you need to get in touch about your reasons for not setting up a page (using another platform, offline fundraising, joint page) please email colette@levelwater.org

  • Any merchandise that you order when booking your ticket will be available for collection at the event. Please contact us by email if you weren’t able to collect your items and would like them to be posted to you - geri@levelwater.org.

    Merchandise will also be available to purchase after the event and will include a shipping fee to have it posted to your home address. These are made-to-order to please wait for printing and posting deadlines.

  • Made-to-order event merchandise is non-returnable.

  • Can I get a refund if I cancel my ticket?

    After the initial 14 day cooling off period we don’t offer refunds on tickets. If you cannot swim then you can transfer your ticket to someone else. If you’d like to apply for a refund within 14 days please find the dashboard in your confirmation email or email geri@levelwater.org.

    Cancellation by us

    Level Water works hard to deliver events that are as safe as possible. The safety of our participants and staff is always our priority. There are inherent risks and challenges of swimming in the sea, river or lakes, which can lead to situations where event cancellation, rescheduling or reformatting is required.

    We may have to cancel an event if circumstances beyond our reasonable control arise, including, without limitation, war, civil or political unrest, terrorism, adverse weather or poor water quality.

    We are not insured for all event cancellation eventualities.

    If circumstances beyond our control require us to cancel the event, then Swim Collective has no responsibility for any costs you have incurred and unfortunately won’t be able to issue a refund on your ticket purchase.

    Cancellation insurance for adverse weather.

    Swim Collective holds adverse weather event cancellation insurance for our 2025 events.

    If we cancel the event due to adverse weather, we will file an insurance claim. If this is successful, the insurance payment will be used to issue refunds or partial refunds.

    Whilst we’ve taken care to ensure that the policy includes relevant details, as with all insurance policies, the final discretion is with the insurer and therefore cannot be guaranteed.

    The details of our insurance policy state that;

    • The event can proceed in continuous moderate rainfall

    • The event can proceed in wind speeds up to 20mph

    • The event cannot go ahead in continuous heavy rainfall

    • The event cannot go ahead in wind speeds over 20mph.

    The policy excludes cover for cancellation, abandonment, disruption or rescheduling of the event directly or indirectly resulting out of, contributed to by, or in connection with fog, mist, low cloud or restricted visibility.

    The policy covers extreme weather conditions which:

    a) occur on the day(s) of the event and which are deemed by you or the event organiser on the day of the event to pose a serious threat to the safety of those attending the event;

    and/or b) occur during the policy period and which result in conditions which the local authority consider to pose a serious threat to the safety of those attending the event;

    and/or c) occur during the policy period and which prevent You or the event organiser from undertaking the necessary set up to enable the event to proceed due to: (i) concern for the safety of those responsible for the necessary set up, or (ii) reasons of physical impossibility

    We have a process in place with Event Water Safety Limited to ensure that we monitor the weather meticulously in the run up to the event and we will hold the decision, in partnership with Event Water Safety Limited as to whether or not the swim is safe to go ahead.

    We will seek to communicate with you at the earliest possible opportunity if there is a risk of cancellation.

Transport & Parking

  • Some planning is needed if you're planning to use public transport. Book early and you can fly down from Scotland or train down from London quickly and at relatively low prices. The nearest train station is Ivybridge. Kingsbridge Tourist Information Centre can be found at The Quay Kingsbridge, TQ7 1HS. Tel: 01548 853195.

  • Absolutely. If you need accessible parking please let us know on the form when you register.

  • Dogs are allowed on all our coaches this year.

  • The coach company does not allow babies to be seated on someone’s lap, they need to be in a secure child seat (you would need to provide this) and strapped into the coach. Please be aware that coach seats do not have the same fittings as a car seat and so may not work as effectively.

Training

  • If you can swim a mile or two, have a good basic stroke (or are prepared to have a few lessons to acquire one), and are willing to put time into training, then 6km is probably within your reach.

  • If you’ve swum any kind of distance in a pool then that is a good place to start and a great place to increase your training. But open water has new factors to get used to as well, including colder water, not being able to see the bottom and ‘chop’ (wind-blown waves). It is essential you experience some outdoor and cold water training prior to the event. It will help you to prepare and acclimatise to the water temperatures on the day. Some easy ways to get some open water practise:

  • You will be swimming in brackish water – a mixture of salt and fresh water. This will be more buoyant than fresh water, which can make swimming in flat, calm conditions slightly easier. It is a good idea to swim in your wetsuit in salt or brackish water prior to the event, so there are no surprises.

  • Yes. First, cold acclimatise – this means swimming outdoors regularly before the event, in a lido, sea, river or lake. You may be amazed how fast your body gets used to lower temperatures. Second, consider investing in a rash vest, booties or gloves if you are particularly prone to cold. Remember, you will be generating heat as you swim.

  • Building up your training properly is more important than having actually completed the specific distance. The atmosphere and adrenalin on the day will help you to complete the event.

  • A little. The big differences between swimming indoors and outdoors are the fact you need to be able to swim in a straight line (without the help of pool lines) and check where you’re going (“sighting”), and the water may be choppier. There is some advice on sighting and breathing above chop on the OSS website.

  • Most swimmers will do front-crawl, as it is an efficient stroke that allows you to see where you are going. The main issue with breaststroke will be your comfort: it is hard to do breaststroke for sustained periods in wetsuits as they put extra pressure on the knees. Backstroke is not allowed, as you cannot navigate the course or other swimmers.

Wetsuits, tow floats & fins

  • For Swoosh, “shoulder-to-ankle” neoprene is acceptable, “wrist-to-ankle” is recommended.

    Triathlon/ swimming wet suits are compulsory unless you are granted Skin Swimming Permission, where your previous experience of extensive outdoor endurance swimming is documented and approved. This is because it is a long swim and the water is cold: with a shortie or no wetsuit, almost everyone will get too cold. Surf wetsuits are not typically comfortable or flexible enough to swim 6k: they are restrictive around the shoulders, which makes front crawl hard, and very buoyant around the feet which makes breaststroke difficult. You can complete a non-wetsuit application form after registration, please select you would like to receive this when signing up.

  • If your wetsuit is made of neoprene, designed for swimming/triathlon/swim-run and covers your body from shoulders to ankle, then that is fine. Bare arms are permitted. If you wish to wear less than this then please apply for a skin swim.

  • The best people to give you personalised advice on wetsuits are wetsuit suppliers and triathlon shops.

    There may also be an open water training lake near you that has a try and buy scheme. We advise you to get some practice in your suit before the swim: wetsuits alter your position in the water, and your buoyancy. They can also feel constrictive, which can make you panicky. One piece of advice: the needs of the triathlete and open water / wild swimmers may be slightly different. Some triathletes (and triathlon shops) go for a very tight fit as compression enhances speed, which is what they are predominately after, and very febrile neoprene. Outdoor swimmers may need a more comfortable fit, as they may be in their suits for some time (for example, walking to the start of a wild swim), and a more durable (which often means less expensive) neoprene, for clambering around rocks. We regret we cannot give you any personalised advice beyond this.

  • If you wish to swim without a full-length wetsuit, please tick the box on your application that you would like to be considered for a skin’s swimmer application (this includes shortie wetsuits). You will then receive an email form which you have until 30th April to complete.

    The returned skins swimmer application will be considered, and you will then be informed of our decision within a month. The team will be looking at 3 things:

    Previous documented experience of long-distance swimming without a wetsuit in similar temperatures, e.g., the Channel, Windermere one-way, BLDSA events, Swimtrek.

    Current training at similar temperatures (anticipated 14-17 degrees)

    Willingness to undertake a long-distance practice swim prior to the event of a similar distance and a similar temperature prior to the event, to ensure you do not become hypothermic.

    You do not need to provide notarised evidence, logbooks of your experience or certificates of completion to evidence your experience. We will assess your experience based on your skin-swimming application form, completed by you. We work on the basis that your application is truthful. Where appropriate we verify this by looking at events’ official published results.

    The decision of the water safety manager is final on wetsuits and no discussion can be entered into. We advise swimmers to be prepared to wear a wetsuit if asked. All swimmers agree to abide by the event rules.

    The bottom line on skins swimmers is that we welcome experienced skins swimmers, who show (on their application form) recent experience and acclimatisation to these distances at this temperature, but we are not the place to do your first long skins swim (or your first long skins swim in a while) as you will not have individual safety support. This rule is for everyone's safety - safety cover is shared. Groups such as the BLDSA offer swims where you provide your own safety cover and are more appropriate for anyone trying a long-distance swim without a wetsuit for the first time.

    Please note, your ticket is sold on a “wetsuit compulsory” basis, and if we are unable to grant you skins swimmer permission your ticket is not refundable.

  • Level Water events are tow-float free. We have ample safety cover who watch swimmers via their brightly coloured hats. Tow floats makes sighting swimmers harder, by doubling the number of brightly coloured objects in the water and may entangle other swimmers.

    Snorkels, hand paddles, and fins are not permitted as the hard edges risk injuring other swimmers at the swim start. If you require these for medical reasons, please declare this on your swimmer disclaimer.

    We ask that you don't wear headphones, so that the lifeguards are able to get your attention if needed.

    Please don’t use any mechanical or powered propulsion devices. Any other items that could inhibit the flow of the river or compromise the safety of others are also restricted.

    Most swimmers with personal medication tuck it up the sleeve of their wetsuit. If this doesn't cover your needs and you want to use a tow float for the purpose, please contact geri@levelwater.org

Other

  • There is camping at Bantham Estate this year. It will be available to book from early 2025.

    There are also local options:

    We recommend booking up early – this is a popular area.

    Higher Aunemouth camping is an extremely basic eco campsite near Bantham at TQ7 3AD and popular with swimmers. It is extremely basic (no hot water, composting loos).

    If starting your swim from the Aveton Gifford start area (and taking your coach upriver after swimming) then a number of campsites are listed here.

    Alternatively, contact Kingsbridge Tourist Information Centre at The Quay Kingsbridge, TQ7 1HS. Tel: 01548 853195.

  • This year we will be offering supporters a guided walk, with the help of the ramblers charity. https://www.coastandcountry.co.uk/blog/aveton-gifford-to-bantham

    This will take you through 3 miles of the beautiful Devon countryside, through scenic fields, along tracks and footpaths. There are a few places along the route that offer good vantage points of the swimmers down below. A video of the walk can be found on our website - https://www.levelwater.org/bantham-swoosh

    We will also be offering swimmers and supporters the return walk after the swim. The ramblers rate this walk as ‘moderate to hard’ so there are some challenging sections and sturdy shoes are recommended. It is not suitable for wheelchairs.

  • We ask that spectators and supporters do not attempt to kayak or boat alongside the swimmers, in order to minimise the amount of boat traffic on the river around them. Ample professional safety cover is provided for the swimmers; there's no need for additional boats around the swim. If you would like to apply for a job on the professional safety team, please contact katie@levelwater.org

  • Yes! Please ask them to email volunteers@levelwater.org. We can offer lunch in thanks to our wonderful helpers, and priority entry to Level Water events.

  • For general questions, our facebook event is the place to ask (and answer!) general questions with other swimmers. Alternatively, email geri@levelwater.org

  • If your question is specific to your personal circumstances, please email geri@levelwater.org and allow up to a week for a reply. You are likely to get a faster response by posting in the facebook event instead.

The best way to know what the Bantham Swoosh is like is to have a read of the 2024 event report.

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