South East

All abilities welcome for four sessions per week between April and late Summer. There’s also a junior triathlon club that uses the lake for swim sessions. www.braylakeswimming.co.uk

Some Eastbourne Swimming Club members meet at the beach for a sea swim on Saturday and Sundays throughout the year. They welcome all abilities. www.eastbourneswimmingclub.org

You can just turn up and pay on the day to swim at The Quays, no membership required. It’s £6, with multiswim options (£54 for 10 or £108 for 20. www.trisportuk.org

RG Active run open-water coaching and ‘just swim’ sessions at Ham Lake. The coached sessions are £10, and the free swim £5. www.rgactive.com

Offering swimming on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, Heron Lake is £5 per session, £40 for a block of 10 or £300 for a 100 session card. There are hot showers, toilets, wetsuit hire and even accommodation if you pre-book. www.openwaterswimminguk.co.uk

Free to members of 7 Oaks Tri Club or £5 to non-members, sessions are Mondays from May to the end of September, and last from 18:30 until dusk. Club policy is that swimmers should be able to do 400m in 10mins or less if they want to get involved. www.7oakstriclub.co.uk

You have to take an assessment before you’re allowed to swim at Leybourne, which costs £30 and lasts approximately one hour. After that, sessions are £5 each and swim sessions are supplemented with regular Aquathlons and sprint tris. www.leybournelakewatersports.co.uk

With the water being no more than 5ft deep over most of the lake, Gosfield is ideal for beginners. Sessions are Tuesdays from 18:30-20:30 and Sunday mornings from 07:00-08:30 and cost £5. www.gosfieldlake.co.uk

Single swims at Taplow are £5, and blocks of 10 can be bought in advance for £40. The lake is open twice per week, from 18:00 until sunset on Wednesday and Fridays. Changing facilities, showers and wetsuit hire are all available on location. www.taplow-ows.co.uk

Open from Monday May 5 to Saturday 30 August in 2014, Westhorpe Watersports offer four sessions per week on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 17:00-20:30, a race series on Thursday evenings, and an Aquathlon series on Saturday mornings. Wetsuits must be worn, although you can seek permission to swim without, and there is a clubhouse […]

Tri2O welcome swimmers of all abilities and are in their seventh year running the swim centre at The Reading Lake. There are changing rooms, showers and wetsuit hire available and the lake temperature is updated daily on the website. All swimmers have to sign a waiver form before taking to the waters (only once per […]

There are four sessions per week at Liquid Leisure, on Monday and Thursday evenings and Saturday and Sunday mornings. The venue is also replete with changing rooms with showers, as well as a sauna and Jacuzzi. Wetsuit hire is available on the day. It costs £5 per swim, £40 for a block of 10 sessions […]