Masters swimming at City of Bristol Aquatics
Our aim is to provide structured swimming training for those who want to get fitter, get faster or learn new skills in a fun and social environment. We are proud to have a range of swimmers, from those who learnt at school and are just getting into club swimming to those who have competed at a high level and are looking for their next challenge. Some swimmers are training for things like open water swims, masters competitions, triathlons or extra fitness for water polo, but many are just getting in for the fun of it.
We normally have 3 or 4 lanes and training programs written to cater to varying abilities. If you are getting (back) in to swimming it should be very easy to adapt one of these to your current fitness level 😊 In fact, on a saturday afternoon we also have a 'Get Into Masters' session to help those who don't feel they are quite ready.
As a club, we are based at Hengrove leisure centre in Bristol. We currently have 6 sessions available, all short course (25m pool length) with the odd ad-hoc additional Long Course session provided on an opportune basis, and plans to add more as we grow. We are also have a weekly pre swim yoga for swimmers session to add flexibility and strength out of the water. Our present training sessions are as follows:
Monday 9-10pm at Hengrove
Tuesday 9-10pm at Hengrove
Wednesday 6-7:30am at Hengrove
Friday 8-9pm at Hengrove
Saturday 4-5:30pm at Hengrove (including 'Get Into Masters' session)
Sunday 5-6pm at Hengrove
You can find our latest sessions and times along with any 'in month' changes here: https://uk.teamunify.com/team/reczzcba/page/swimming/training-times
and for exisiting members, keep an eye on the masters Whatsap group for changes, discussions on meets, socials and other events.
NEW FOR 2024-25 SEASON - GETTING INTO MASTERS SWIMMING
We are very aware that returning to swimming, or perhaps trying a swimming club for the first time can be daunting. We are also aware that when starting off, meeting the minimum criteria may also feel a stretch. Experience suggests less experienced lane swimmers improve quickly, but can need a little more support. For the 24/25 swim season we have introduced a get into master session, on a saturday 4-5:30pm. The criteria has been reduced to; ability to complete 1km (40 lengths in 1 hour) you must be able to swim but don't need to be 'mastered' all the strokes. Please email Matt (details below, if you would like more information).
Who is this for?
For anyone over 18 who wants to participate in structured swimming training for fun / fitness. We also have a competitive section!
As a minimum you must (nb. reduced criterai for 'get in to masters' saturday session):
- already know how to swim (be able to do basic front crawl and willing to try and develop it)
- be able to complete around 1.25km (50 lengths) within a 1 hour session.
- be able to follow a written set alongside other swimmers (once explained)
Sorry we are not able to teach swimming, but we will help you develop your strokes.
N.B You do not need to have children swimming at the club or be an existing member to join in!
Costs
| Swim England Membership | To be allowed (insured) to swim you will also a require a Swim England ‘Club Train’ or ‘Club Compete’ membership. If you do not have this already there will be a small additional cost to set this up (we can do this for you). |
| Club membership | We are currently waving all club membership fees. This will be reviewed for the 2025/26 swim season. |
| Monthly fees | There are 2 membership options: Casual Member: Upto 6 eligible sessions per calendar month - £23 per month Full Member: Open to all eligable sessions (5-6+ hours per week) - £47 per month |
| Volunteer rates | 25% discount for those volunteering on a weekly basis i.e. coaches, poolside helpers, pool supervisors, committee, other core activities such as finance, competitions coordinators |
Taster sessions & Sign up
If you are interested in swimming with us we would be pleased to have you join us for a taster session or two (these usally take place on a friday or saturday). Please contact the [email protected] to arrange a suitable date/time for a taster and/or to discuss signing up options.
Can’t find what you are looking for? Still have questions?
More on masters swimming
The Swim England website is an excellent resource for general information about masters swimming, including news, technique tips, nutrition advice, details of competitions and much more https://www.swimming.org/masters/. The handbook in particular has a huge amount of useful information https://www.swimming.org/library/documents/491/download.
More about City of Bristol Aquatics
Please visit the Abouts Us section of this website where you will find a lot of great general information.
If you still haven’t found what you are looking for, or want to find out more about masters swimming at City of Bristol Aquatics, please contact us by email at [email protected].
