8am to 10am- Swimmer arrival
Try and arrive on time and with your team. We can’t guarantee any space so arrive early to give yourself plenty of time to set up.

11:30am - All swimmer briefing with first swimmer ready to swim.

• The briefing will be a summary of all the detailed information below, so please make sure you and your team have a thorough read through everything on this page before the event.

Midday Saturday - First swimmer enters the water. And so it begins.

Midday Sunday - Last swimmer exits the water. And so it ends.

Shepperton Open Water Swim

Ferry Ln, Shepperton TW17 9LH

Aim to get to the venue no later than 10am, but no earlier than 8am. We want to try and make this event as environmentally friendly as possible, so the more people we have car sharing the better.

It will make the event more enjoyable for everyone, you’ll meet new friends and be doing your bit for the planet.

The best place to find a car sharing buddy is to post it in the events Facebook page.

When you arrive, please head to the registration desk at the Level Water HQ to register.

You can only register yourself so everyone will need to register.

You’ll be given a swimming hat you must wear while swimming and one wristband per team.

The wristband is to be worn by the person swimming and no one else. You’ll swap it over every hour.

Please try and have most of your team arrive no later than 10am and join the briefing at 11:30am.

This one is really important. Please please stick to these rules otherwise you will be upsetting other swimmers and taking away precious space.

• For teams of 1-4, you must not bring a tent that is bigger than a 4-man tent. If it is a 4 man team you can only have one tent per team.

• If you have a team of 5 to 8, you can have one bigger tent per team.

• We will allow two smaller, 2 or 3 man tents.

• Campervan parking is situated in the parking field, and not the campsite (See map further down this page). Therefore, if some of your team are sleeping in a campervan, and some in a tent, you will not be able to camp together unfortunately due to space.

• Please do not bring along additional gazebos or other things as there is simply not enough space. It’s not fair on other teams so please be considerate to everyone and pack light and share kit where possible.

Noise

• Please be considerate when hanging out near the camping area, it goes without saying that some swimmers may be having a little snooze and any lights or noise could be detrimental to their slumber. We will be doing our best to keep music and lights to a minimum while we swim through the night.

This is where we need the most cooperation and attention. Especially in the middle of the night when we are trying to organise everybody. Hundreds of people will be moving around, exiting and entering the lake every hour so please be patient. 

How the swim works:

1. The first swimmer will enter the water at midday.

2. At 12:50, we will stop swimmers starting a new lap and you’ll exit the water.

3. When you get to land, find your team mate and give them your swimmers wrist band (Which we’ll give one per team at registration)

4. When the last swimmer of the first stint has rounded the first buoy, we’ll let the next wave a swimmers start.

5. Repeat for the next 23 hours.

So, just make sure your next swimmer is ready and at the water entry point at 50 minutes past the hour, every hour and you’ll be golden.

Some rules:

• You will not be allowed into the lake unless you are wearing your team wristband, Level Water swimming hat and, at night-time, a tow float and correct lights.

• There will be a swimmer change over marquee which you will walk through to start and finish your swim

• Before entering the water, give your team’s name to the crew member and make sure you have your team wristband(s) on. This is important to help us identify any missing swimmers

• Do not enter the water until told to

• Follow the swim loop that has been marked out

• With 10 minutes remaining of your hour, you will be notified by the water safety team and by the red lights on the shore. Please leave the lake at the beach when you next pass the exit point – there may be some stints where you swim for 50 minutes and others for just over an hour

• We will make the decision to stop people starting a new lap if there is not enough time to complete it before the hour is up

• There may be a small wait during the handover period so please be patient

• You can swim more than one hour in a row, but for safety reasons you will be asked to leave the water and re-sign in

• When leaving the water, locate your next team member and pass them the wristband before leaving the area swiftly. This will be harder at night when everyone looks like a wet seal! 

• When taking an energy gel, all rubbish should be tucked into the wetsuit – no rubbish should be left in the water

Night swimming

You will be swimming at night which means it will be dark. That’s what makes this event so challenging and exciting. The buoys on the water will be lit up to help you spot where to go, and there will be water support kayaks on the water at all times for the 24 hours covering the 400m loop. We suggest giving a night time swim a go before the weekend if you can.

Wetsuits are not compulsory during the day but please bring one with you as backup. If you want to swim in skins at night, please fill in the skins swimmer form here.

• At night, please make sure you are wearing your tow float and have the correct lights with you. All lights must be static (not flashing). Wear a white light on your front and another colour on your tow float (these ones are great).

• The night time swimming hours will be from 9pm - 5am (inclusive). These are the hours you must have your lights on whilst swimming.

• At night, we want to keep the lake as dark as possible to give you the full effect of night-time swimming. This can be scary for some so take your time and stick with other swimmers. Everyone is your friend!

• The buoys will be lit up, as will the safety team on the water.

• If you have any members in your team that are under 18, we please ask that they do not swim when it’s dark.

The cold

• The water and air temperature will drop at night which means you are at greater risk of getting very cold. If you are feeling too cold do not be a hero. Tell your team and tell the crew. You will not be letting anyone down if you feel like you are too cold to swim. 

• If you notice that someone else is too cold to swim, talk to them and ask. If you believe they are not in the right state to swim because of the cold, please tell the crew. You all have a responsibility to look after each other. 

• The crew will regularly check on you throughout the 24 hours and we will make the decision to stop people swimming if we feel necessary.

Signs of hypothermia:

• Shivering

• Pale, cold and dry skin – their skin and lips may be blue

• Slurred speech

• Slow breathing

• Tiredness or confusion

Course:

• The 400-metre course is marked out by the buoys.  These will be lit up throughout the night.

• The safety team will be constantly monitoring the course and redirect any swimmer they see deviating.  It is really important to have your 2 lights in good working order at night, so you are visible to the water safety team.

• If the water safety team deem it necessary for the course to be adjusted for any reason this will be clearly communicated to you by the land crew before you start your next swim - please keep an eye on the whiteboard at HQ for any changes in conditions.

• Please be aware of your environment - debris in the water, other swimmers, wildlife etc.  Any changes in conditions will be posted on the whiteboard at HQ.

Handovers:

• We cannot stress the importance of signing in and out of the water.  Even if you get out to pop to the toilet and plan to get straight back in, we still need you to sign out and back in again at the handover marquee  This will help the event run smoothly and prevent any hold-ups that could occur if we have to initiate the ‘missing swimmer’ procedure for someone who has gone to the loo!

Lights in the water (whilst swimming)

• These are very important and without them you will not be allowed in the water during the night. And we will be very strict about it.

• You MUST have two (static/NOT flashing) lights on you when you swim at night. One white one attached to your goggles and a different colour in your tow float. This is so the safety team can see where you are in the water and which direction you are swimming. You only need one set per team. These ones are great.

Lights on land

• We want to keep the site as dark as possible, so it really feels like night-time. Use torches, lamps or head torches when walking around the site.

This is the strictest we’ll be. Absolutely no open fires anywhere (other than our communal fire pit).

Water and sand bucket locations dotted around the site for use in an emergency situation.

In case of fire, leave your tent or campervan. Raise the alarm by shouting “fire” and contacting LW marshalls. Make sure neighbouring teams are woken.

Cooking rules

• Cooking (only on gas stoves) is permitted only if the grass is protected from fire, i.e. off the ground on a fire-brick, or using a stove designed for the purpose. 

• No BBQs!

• Please be very careful while cooking and do not leave your stove unattended.

• Please do not cook inside your tent. 

• Bring hand gel so you can clean your hands before cooking and eating.

• You are responsible for bringing and responsibly heating your own food.

• If you are planning on cooking on site, please refer to the camping fire safety advice here.

Feel free to invite your family and friends to support you during the day - but as soon as the sun sets we ask that all non-swimmers toddle off for the night. They are more than welcome back at sunrise.

We’re trying to run this event with as little waste as possible. Please bring your own food and drink for the duration and take away all your rubbish at the end. You can bring small gas stoves to cook on and we’ll have a couple of hot water urns, but please bring your own mug.

Personally, we’d bring a few of those boil in the bag packets that just need hot water. And flapjacks. Always flapjacks.

You’ll find a drinking water tap  and water jugs near the outdoor showers by the water entry point. 

A catering van may be available selling snacks and drinks, but please do not rely on this.

Let’s be honest, this is likely. And there’s very little we can do about it. We want you to feel part of nature this weekend so if it rains a lot be prepared to hide in tents and cars and under umbrellas.

• In the unlikely event of the weather becoming a safety concern the event may be temporarily halted.  

• If danger is imminent, the water safety team will direct everyone to exit the water, where you will be briefed on what to do. 

• If thunder is heard for example, you will be asked to shelter in your tents or vehicles until the swim can restart (30 mins after the last clap of thunder is heard).

We will be using the ‘leave-no-trace’ mantra for all our sites so please take your rubbish and recycling home with you. There won’t be enough bins for us all, so do your bit and take it home.

Emergency bin liners can be found at the HQ, but please aim to bring your own.

We will have a medical team on standby at all times so PLEASE tell them if you are at all concerned about your health or feel strange at any time. Our volunteers can point you in the right direction and we promise to cover you with blankets and cuddles if you feel cold. Keeping everyone safe is our top-priority in, and out of the water.

Also, learn how to identify coldness in others. Are they quieter than usual, or more tired. If you have any concerns speak to them and the medical team immediately.

Temporary toilets are available on site as well as cold, fresh water showers. 

There will also be hand washing stations with soap and cold water near the toilets.

If you or any of your spectators have had diarrhoea/vomiting within 48 hours before the event, please do not attend. If you become unwell during the event, please let one of the team on site know and kindly head home from the event. (As long as it is safe to do so).

• Please note that no alcohol can be consumed on site.

• Please bring plenty of spare clothing to keep yourself warm. There is some useful advice here regarding warming up after a swim. 

• Make sure you bring suitable shoes to protect your feet while walking around the site.

• Please bring personal medication if required (eg inhalers, epipens etc).

• It is important that you are aware of the symptoms of water-borne illnesses and do your best to look after yourself and reduce your risk of getting ill. Here’s an interesting article on the topic.