Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim 2026

If you have a physical disability or use a wheelchair, you are more than welcome to take part if you are an experienced swimmer. Get in touch with us at [email protected] so we can accommodate your needs.

You need to be at least 14 years old to take part in the swim. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult and sign up via this form.

The registration fee goes towards the cost of delivering Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim. The British Heart Foundation organises the event & we therefore are responsible for all operational costs associated with putting the event on. Your registration fee contributes to these running costs and not towards any of the BHF's incredible work. We ask for a minimum fundraising of £300, so that your donations can support British Heart Foundation funded lifesaving research.

Smash your £300 fundraising pledge and we’ll send you a BHF towel. If you raise £500, we'll also send you an exclusive sew on badge to show off on the big day!

If Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim is cancelled, what happens to my place?

This event is highly dependent on the weather, which can be unpredictable at times in the UK. The safety of our participants is always our top priority, and we work closely with expert water safety and medical teams to ensure we run the event to the highest safety standard.

In the unfortunate event the swim is cancelled, your place will automatically be deferred to the following year’s event – you won’t need to do anything. Your hard-earned fundraising will also be transferred to the following year’s event. If you hit your target for the cancelled event, you won’t be required to continue fundraising. However, you can also continue your fundraising into the following year.

In the event of cancellation and you can’t make the following event date, or you’d just like to cancel your place, you are entitled to a full refund if requested within the stated timeframe. If your donors would like a refund on their fundraising contributions, they are entitled to this too, they’ll just need to contact JustGiving or our Customer Services Team.

Please be assured we will do our utmost to ensure the swim goes ahead as planned, and we have a variety of contingency plans in place relating to weather and other factors. We will closely monitor swim conditions up until event day and will provide as much warning regarding changes to the event as we can to our participants.

Wetsuits are mandatory if the sea temperature is below 15.9°C and forbidden if the temperature rises above 24°C.

A wetsuit is made primarily of neoprene, designed to provide thermal insulation, buoyancy and protection while swimming in open water.

It should cover at least the torso and upper legs and can be either a full suit (with long arms and legs) or a shorter version (short arms and legs or sleeveless), depending on preference and the conditions on the day. The thickness should be at least 1.5mm.

Swim skins or Lycra suits without neoprene are not classed as wetsuits. Neither are rash vests, thermal tops, or buoyancy aids not made of neoprene, nor personal flotation devices (unless otherwise approved for adaptive athletes).

Yes, it is! For those in general good health, cold-water swimming can help with wellbeing by boosting the immune system, helping to lower the risk of infection and improve risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Cold-water swimming can also improve blood pressure and reduce fat levels in the blood (cholesterol). Managing risk factors is key for good heart health, as high blood pressure and high cholesterol can lead to life-threatening heart attack or stroke.

However, those with heart conditions must check with a doctor before embarking on cold-water swimming.

You’ll be swimming just beyond the groynes between the two Piers. You’ll be supported by a professional water safety team and there’ll also be buoys in the sea to help you stay on course. 

Open water swimming is a challenge and can be a big step up from swimming in your local pool, so being comfortable swimming is recommend starting point! But don’t panic – we’ve worked with our expert training coaches to create a training plan for the event, to ensure that you’ll be fully prepared to take on the challenge. You’ll receive a link to the training plan via email once you register for the event.

The swim normally takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes to complete. We ask you to swim at your own pace, however, there is a 2 hour time limit on all swims for safety reasons.

In the lead up to event day, our water safety team will be closely monitoring the weather and tide conditions. If the weather is bad, we may need to change the event route for safety reasons. We will let all of our swimmers know as soon as possible once any route changes are confirmed. 

There’ll be a professional water safety team spread out along the route both in the sea and along the shoreline to keep you safe in the water. The route will also be marked with buoys, so it’ll be easy for you to stay on course and make your way to that all-important finish line!  

If you have an allergy to latex, or another medical reason you cannot wear the BHF swim hat, then yes you can wear your own. Please get in touch with us at [email protected] so we can accommodate your needs. If you have participated before and notified us, please notify us again for this years event.