Monster Swims exists to pilot you on all and every MONSTER swim in and across the Bristol Channel. Using a fully commercially coded Axopar 28 out of Porthcawl, we use all of our swimming and piloting experience to escort you safely and quickly across the Bristol Channel. Click here for more information on the boat and live tracking:
We are here to escort you on a MONSTER crossing of the Bristol Channel; our most popular swim is Glenthorne to Porthcawl, the shortest Bristol Channel Swim for the Original Triple Crown or Swansea to Ilfracombe for a truly monstrous challenge! To see the routes we have piloted and have a look at some of our past swims, click our interactive route map here.
Monster Background:
Monster swims was set up by Tom Chapman, after completing several Ironman Triathlons, Tom swam the English Channel in 2019 and then set his sights on the Bristol Channel. Over the next few years Tom plotted and planned how to cross the Bristol Channel. He eventually swam the Bristol Channel 6 times on (four different routes), landing the first Porthcawl to Devon and the first swim from Minehead to Sully along the way. To see Tom’s tracks and see the detail of his swims, click here.
In 2021, Tom founded the Bristol Channel Swimming Association to help other swimmers organise their swims and maintain the rules and integrity of Bristol Channel Swimming. The Bristol Channel Swimming Association continues to go from strength to strength; their website which includes details of how to ratify your Bristol Channel Swim can be found here.
After swimming himself and crewing and observing countless swims, Tom finally took the plunge and set up the Epic Swim co in 2024 with fellow lifeguard, swim coach, Bristol Channel Swimmer and commercial skipper, Bryce Davies. Epic piloted swimmers on all four traditional routes across the Bristol Channel in a hugely successful first two years. Monster Swims spun out of that partnership to cover the western end of the Bristol Channel with Bryce and Epic still covering the Eastern end. For Penarth Clevedon and Penarth Weston swims, check out the Epic website here
Tom and Bryce with Monster and Epic, are here to share our passion for the Bristol Channel with you!