The Rise Of The Digital Swimmer: How Technology Is Transforming Open Water Swimming
As participation in open water swimming continues to grow across the UK, a new type of swimmer has emerged.
Connected by technology but seeking freedom from it, today’s “digital swimmer” is reshaping the sport. As the UK’s largest open water swimming network, we draw on our data and explore how technology, safety systems and participation trends are transforming open water swimming.
A decade ago, open water swimming was still considered a niche activity. Swimmers arrived at lakes, reservoirs and coastal venues carrying little more than a wetsuit, a towel and perhaps a membership card tucked into their swim bag. Safety systems were often manual, participation data was limited, and venue operators relied heavily on observation, paper records and local knowledge.
Today, a new type of swimmer has emerged: the digital swimmer.
Across the UK, thousands of open water enthusiasts now use technology to discover venues, book swims, record activity, receive safety notifications and connect with a wider swimming community. What was once a largely analogue pastime has become increasingly connected, creating new opportunities to improve both the swimmer experience and, most importantly, swimmer safety.
At the centre of this evolution is NOWCA, the UK’s largest network of open water swimming venues. For almost ten years, the organisation has been pioneering digital solutions designed specifically for the unique challenges of open water swimming, helping venues welcome more people into the water while maintaining a relentless focus on safety.
As NOWCA Managing Director Paul Blue explains:
“Our mission has always been simple: More Water. More People. More Safely. Everything we build starts from that principle.”
A Sport Transformed
Open water swimming has experienced extraordinary growth over the past decade. What was once largely the domain of triathletes, endurance athletes and dedicated cold-water enthusiasts has become a mainstream activity embraced by people seeking physical fitness, mental wellbeing and a deeper connection with nature.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this transformation dramatically. As swimming pools closed and organised sports paused, many people turned to lakes, reservoirs and coastal locations for the first time. Open water swimming offered freedom, exercise and community during a period of isolation and uncertainty.
Participation surged.
That growth has not slowed. Data from the NOWCA network shows swim volume increasing by 15% between 2024 and 2025 across comparable venues, continuing a multi-year growth trend that has seen participation rise by 27% in 2023, 17% in 2024 and a further 15% in 2025. The figures suggest that open water swimming’s pandemic boom has evolved into a sustained shift in recreational behaviour rather than a temporary trend.
Reflecting on this shift, Paul Blue notes:
“What we are seeing is not a short-term spike, but a fundamental change in how people engage with open water. It has become part of people’s weekly lives, not just an occasional activity.”
But with more swimmers entering natural waters came greater responsibility. Venue operators needed new ways to manage attendance, maintain safety standards and provide reassurance for swimmers of all abilities.
The sector was growing rapidly, but many of the systems supporting it had not evolved at the same pace.
The Benefits – And The Risks
Open water swimming is associated with a wide range of physical and mental wellbeing benefits. Participants frequently describe reduced stress, improved mood, increased resilience and a stronger connection to the natural environment.
Yet the sport also presents inherent risks.
Unlike a swimming pool, natural environments are unpredictable. Water temperatures fluctuate, weather conditions can change rapidly, visibility can vary, and swimmers may encounter currents, fatigue, cold water shock or medical emergencies.
As participation increased, it became clear that traditional approaches to venue management would need to evolve. The sector required systems capable of supporting both growth and safety.
Creating The Digital Swimmer
Long before digital transformation became commonplace, NOWCA recognised that technology could play a critical role in the future of open water swimming.
Over the past decade, the organisation has developed a digital safety ecosystem that has helped transform how open water venues operate across the UK.
At the heart of that ecosystem is NOWCA’s robust safety system. Built specifically for the challenges of managing natural water environments, it provides venues with real-time visibility of swimmer activity, helping operators understand who is in the water, when they entered and when they exited. In a sport where timely intervention can be critical, that visibility provides an important layer of safety and reassurance.
Supporting that infrastructure is ACTiO, NOWCA’s swimmer platform and mobile application. ACTiO allows swimmers to search for venues, book swims and events, make payments online, track activity and manage personal profile information. For swimmers, it provides a single gateway into the UK’s largest network of open water venues.
Paul Blue describes its purpose in straightforward terms:
“ACTiO is about removing friction. We want swimmers to spend less time thinking about logistics and more time in the water.”
The data collected through ACTiO also reveals how swimmer behaviour is changing. The average active swimmer now completes 7.7 swims per year, up from 7.0 the previous year, while participation among higher-frequency swimmers continues to grow. More swimmers are turning a one-off experience into a regular habit.
Supporting venue operators behind the scenes is Venue Hub, which provides real-time oversight of swimmer activity, attendance and operational information, helping operators manage sessions efficiently and respond quickly should incidents occur.
Paul Blue highlights its importance for safety:
“Knowing who is in the water, at any given moment, changes everything. It gives venues confidence, and it gives swimmers reassurance.”
The systems are connected through the NOWCA wristband. Swimmers simply tap their wristband when entering and exiting the water, enabling accurate check-in and check-out.
For independent and wild swimmers, NOWCA has also developed NOWCA Wild. The platform allows swimmers to log their intended swim location before entering the water, sending notifications to nominated contacts and providing an additional layer of reassurance when swimming alone.
Perhaps the greatest success of these systems is that most swimmers barely notice them. Technology handles the administration, safety monitoring and communication in the background, allowing swimmers to focus on what brought them there in the first place: the freedom of being in open water. The digital swimmer may use technology to discover a venue, book a session and check in safely, but once they enter the water, they are free to leave that technology behind.
Data Driving Safer Swimming
Perhaps the most significant impact of NOWCA’s digital ecosystem has been its contribution to safety.
In the past, venues often relied on manual sign-in sheets, verbal check-ins, disposable wristbands, and paper records. While effective to a point, these systems became increasingly difficult to manage as participation grew.
NOWCA’s digital platforms provide real-time visibility of swimmer activity, helping operators understand exactly who is in the water and when.
The data generated also provides valuable insights into swimmer behaviour, venue usage and participation trends.
Those insights are helping reveal how the sport itself is evolving. NOWCA’s data shows that swimmers travel a median distance of 9 miles to reach a non-urban venue, with some travelling more than 50 miles for a swim session. The network has also identified a significant rise in participation among older age groups, with swimmer numbers in the 60+ category growing by more than 28% year-on-year.
Paul Blue reflects on the significance of this:
“Data doesn’t just help us run venues more safely – it helps us understand swimmers as a community. It shows us how the sport is changing in real time.”
Understanding The Modern Swimmer
One of the most valuable outcomes of NOWCA’s digital ecosystem is the ability to understand participation patterns across the UK’s largest open water swimming network.
Women account for the majority of swimmers across the network, while the fastest-growing demographic is the over-60 age group. Winter swimming, once considered a fringe activity, has become a major participation trend. Winter swim volume has increased fivefold since 2021/22, with a further 13% rise during the 2025/26 season alone.
That single figure captures a wider shift: open water swimming is no longer a seasonal activity. It is becoming a year-round lifestyle.
Paul Blue believes this shift is redefining perceptions of the sport:
“Open water swimming is no longer just for endurance athletes. It is becoming something people do for wellbeing, community and year-round connection with nature.”
The Future Of Open Water Swimming
The open water swimmer of today may still seek the same things as previous generations – challenge, adventure, wellbeing and connection with nature – but the experience is increasingly supported by technology working quietly in the background.
As participation continues to rise, digital innovation is likely to play an even greater role in the sport’s future.
Paul Blue summarises this direction of travel:
“We are still at the beginning of what is possible. The more connected the sport becomes, the safer and more accessible it can be.”
The paradox of the digital swimmer is that the best technology is almost invisible. Swimmers use digital tools to find venues, book sessions and stay safe, but once they enter the water they are free to disconnect, confident that the systems supporting them continue to operate behind the scenes.
The evidence suggests the digital swimmer is already here. More people are swimming more often, travelling further to participate, extending their seasons into winter and embracing technology as part of the experience.
Behind much of that transformation sits a decade of innovation from NOWCA, whose platforms now help connect swimmers, venues and natural waters through a shared digital ecosystem.
The era of the digital swimmer has arrived.
And NOWCA helped build it.
Not a NOWCA member yet? Sign up now on our free ACTiO app or NOWCA Wild app.
