The Bantham Swoosh is a world class 6km swim in the Avon (Aune) estuary.

The estuary is both shallow and sandy bottomed – so water can be clear rather than muddy, and swimmers often have a view of the sandy bed most of the way.

The swim culminates in a “swoosh” as the ebbing tide is funnelled through a narrow section of river, speeding you along over the riverbed at up to four times your usual swimming speed.

It can run at 8 knots and you might spot the local crabs cruising around the river bed beneath you. It’s exciting, invigorating, beautiful and fun.

The Bantham Swoosh requires you to have good experience of swimming outdoors. 

The weather in Bantham is variable so you’ll need to practice swimming outdoors in all weather conditions to become accustomed to choppy, cold water. 

If you are taking this on as your first longer outdoor event, you should plan to build up your outdoor swimming distance, and practice in colder and choppy conditions. 

The Bantham Boomerang takes place in the same, beautiful river as the Bantham Swoosh, but the day after.

However, it offers you a slightly different challenge.

We simply ask, ‘How far can you swim before the tide turns?’

Starting about an hour before the high tide, swimmers make their way up river from Bantham Beach (the finish of the Swoosh).

You’ll swim as far as you can with the tide before the tide turns.

You’ll know when it’s ready as you see and feel the turn in nature and your watery surrounds.

If you’re not sure, the lifeguards will tell you.

You’ll then swim back to Bantham Beach with the outgoing tide, swimming somewhere between 5km and 10km.

Both general and charity entrance for this year have sold out but to register your interest for next year visit: https://www.levelwater.org/bantham-swoosh