What Outdoor Swimmer does

Outdoor Swimmer is a UK-based niche consumer media company, operating as ZG Publishing Ltd, that publishes the only dedicated magazine for outdoor swimming. Founded in 2011 by Simon Griffiths (who previously launched the publication as H2Open Magazine), the company serves a global audience of wild, sea, open water, cold water, and ice swimmers with editorial content spanning training, gear reviews, swim travel, safety, and event coverage. Its product portfolio includes a monthly print magazine, the Outdoor Swimmer App on iOS and Android (delivered via PocketMags), the Outdoor Swimmer Extra web paywall subscription (launched 2023), the free weekly newsletter The Dip, online courses at outdoorswimmercourses.com, and branded merchandise through outdoorswimmershop.com.

The company operates a multi-platform, content-first distribution model on a WordPress CMS with a Mocono paywall, Stripe for payment processing, and PocketMags for digital delivery, supplemented by Warners for print subscription management and Google Analytics for site measurement. Revenue is generated through five streams: tiered recurring subscriptions (£3.99/month individual, £39.99/year individual, £29.99/month Pro with 5 team seats), advertising and sponsored content, print and digital magazine sales, merchandise, and paid online courses. Community engagement is reinforced through environmental initiatives including a ClimateGames swim-challenge partnership (400kg+ plastic removed) and Carbon Balanced Paper via the World Land Trust.

Outdoor Swimmer is bootstrapped and founder-owned with no external investment, no parent company, and a 7-person team based in Cheltenham, UK. Its go-to-market is community-led — building audience through free content and newsletter capture, then converting via membership tiers — combined with event-driven marketing through partnerships with outdoor swimming events such as the Great North Swim and Brighton Triple Crown.

Name

Outdoor Swimmer

Legal name

ZG Publishing Ltd

Website

https://outdoorswimmer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Swimming Media & Publishing

akta.pro primary industry

Open Water Swimming Events (OWS Races, Swim Challenges) (MPAKAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Coastal Ecotourism (Diving, Snorkeling, Whale Watching) (THAAAAAJ), Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF)

Keywords

• Outdoor swimming magazine
• Open water swimming media
• Wild swimming publication
• Swim training content
• Digital magazine subscription

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions. Print subscriptions managed by Warners, digital subscriptions through PocketMags app, and premium web content through Outdoor Swimmer Extra.
2. Membership Tiers: Tiered membership model: Individual Monthly (£3.99), Individual Annual (£39.99), and Pro Membership (£29.99/month with 5 team seats). All include access to premium content.
3. Advertising & Sponsorship: Business newsletter, advertising space, media pack, rate cards, and sponsored content opportunities for brands targeting outdoor swimmers.
4. Shop & Merchandise: Sale of magazine issues, merchandise including Outdoor Swimmer branded products through outdoorswimmershop.com.
5. Events & Courses: Online courses through outdoorswimmercourses.com and event-related content that drives engagement and subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Outdoor Swimmer is a multi-platform media brand dedicated to outdoor (wild, sea, ice, and open water) swimming, publishing a monthly print and digital magazine since 2011. It sells subscription access to premium magazine content through its website (Outdoor Swimmer Extra), mobile app, print subscriptions, free email newsletter (The Dip), online swim courses, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

Outdoor Swimmer is a multi-platform outdoor swimming media company offering a print and digital magazine, subscription content services, mobile applications, email newsletters, and swim courses. The core product is the Outdoor Swimmer Magazine (print and digital), supplemented by Outdoor Swimmer Extra (premium web content subscription), the Outdoor Swimmer App (mobile reading experience), The Dip (free weekly newsletter), and swim courses. The company also provides gear reviews, event listings, and membership tiers ranging from £3.99/month to £29.99/month for Pro teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Swimmer Magazine Monthly print and digital publication launched in 2011 covering wild swimming, sea swimming, ice swimming, open water and marathon swimming with features on locations, training, challenges, and gear reviews. Targeted at outdoor and open water swimmers of all levels.
• Outdoor Swimmer Extra Stand-alone subscription service on outdoorswimmer.com providing premium access to full magazine articles and all issues since January 2023, delivered behind a paywall. Targeted at online readers who want web access to premium content.
• Outdoor Swimmer App Mobile application for Android and Apple devices that delivers the magazine in print replica or mobile-friendly form via PocketMags. Targeted at readers who prefer reading on smartphones or tablets.
• The Dip Newsletter Free weekly email newsletter linking readers to free and premium articles, latest magazine issues, special offers, competitions, and event information. Targeted at outdoor swimmers at the top of the acquisition funnel.
• Outdoor Swimmer Swim Courses Online and in-person training courses for outdoor swimmers covering technique, endurance, and open water skills, sold via outdoorswimmercourses.com. Targeted at swimmers wanting structured instruction.
• Gift Memberships Gift subscription and membership options allowing purchasers to buy magazine access or Outdoor Swimmer Extra membership for other individuals. Targeted at consumers purchasing gifts for outdoor swimmers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Readers have removed over 400kg of plastic from the ocean through ClimateGames challenges
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ClimateGamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly swim challenges partnership enabling Outdoor Swimmer readers to remove plastic from oceans and offset CO2 emissions through physical activity. Each month features a new challenge through the ClimateGames app, combining fitness with environmental action.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing provider for Outdoor Swimmer Extra subscriptions. Securely processes credit and debit card payments without exposing payment details to the Outdoor Swimmer team.
• PocketMagscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital magazine distribution platform for Outdoor Swimmer app subscriptions, providing both print replica and mobile-friendly digital versions for Android and Apple devices.
• WarnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrint subscription management service provider handling print magazine subscriptions, renewals, and customer service for Outdoor Swimmer print readers.
• Denmaur Paper MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon Balanced Paper supplier enabling Outdoor Swimmer to offset CO2 emissions through sustainable paper sourcing. Partnership helps magazine achieve environmental certifications.
• World Land TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization behind Carbon Balanced Paper programme. Outdoor Swimmer includes their logo as visual mark of carbon emission responsibility, with annual certification.
• PensordminorOthersMagazine printer with PEFC and FSC paper accreditations, ISO14001 Environmental Standard. Uses vegetable-based inks and has achieved zero to landfill since 2012.
• MoconocoreTechnology or IntegrationPaywall platform provider for Outdoor Swimmer Extra, enabling subscription-based access to premium content on outdoorswimmer.com.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Runner's World: Established global endurance/outdoor sports media brand with multi-platform presence and similar subscription and advertising monetization. Comparable as a large-scale outdoor sports media business model, though targeting runners rather than swimmers.
• Triathlete Magazine: Major endurance sports media brand covering triathlon, where open water swimming is one of three core disciplines. Comparable in serving a related endurance athlete audience with multi-platform print and digital content.
• Sidetracked Magazine: Independently published outdoor adventure magazine covering wild swimming, hiking, and adventure travel. Comparable as a niche outdoor enthusiast print and digital magazine with similar audience overlap.
• BBC Countryfile Magazine: Major UK outdoor lifestyle magazine with print and digital presence covering countryside pursuits including wild swimming. Comparable in targeting the UK outdoor enthusiast audience through a print-led, multi-platform media model.

Direct peers

• SwimSwam: Leading digital swimming news and media brand covering competitive, college, and open water swimming globally. Most directly comparable peer as a swimming-focused media business serving similar audiences with editorial content and digital monetization.
• Outdoor Swimming Society: UK-based community and membership organization dedicated to promoting outdoor swimming. Directly comparable in targeting the same niche outdoor swimming audience through content, community, and engagement initiatives.
• Swimming World Magazine: Long-established swimming media brand with print and digital editions covering pool and open water swimming. Directly comparable as a multi-platform swimming magazine targeting engaged swimming enthusiasts.

Others

• Zone3: UK-based performance swim and triathlon gear brand. Adjacent ecosystem participant whose target customers overlap heavily with Outdoor Swimmer's audience, making it a natural advertising, sponsorship, and review partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/outdoor_swimmer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJJEuZelHb992aTZkOO3_zA
• Facebookfacebook.com/OutdoorSwimmerMagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/outdoor-swimmer
• Instagraminstagram.com/outdoorswimmer

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Outdoor Swimmer