After dabbling with Ironman for a while, Tom swam the English Channel in 2019, and then turned his attention to the Bristol Channel. Looking out from Porthcawl, you can see the Devon coast and the flashing light of Foreland Point Lighthouse. At that time, only about 20 people had ever swum the Bristol Channel. Ever!
Firstly, there were no pilot companies set up for taking swimmers, secondly, there was no Association like the CSA or CSPF to help swimmers organise a swim, and thirdly, the Bristol Channel has the second largest tidal range in the world. The water moves INCREDIBLY fast in places and swimming across it is plain crazy!!!
Tom set about figuring out how to plot a track for a swimmer across that tide, finding boats that would aid him, and eventually founding the BCSA to help other swimmers in their quest. Over the next few years, Tom swam the Bristol Channel 6 times on four different routes, trying different tides, different tracks, finding what worked….and what didn’t! He has one of the very few successful Penarth-Weston swims, the first swim from Porthcawl to Devon and the first [successful] swim from Minehead to Lavernock. Those six swims mean Tom has a Guinness World Record for the most Bristol Channel Swims.
In 2024, Epic Swim Co. was founded as a partnership between Tom Chapman and fellow lifeguard and channel swimmer Bryce Davies. In 2026, Monster became its own separate entity, working in close partnership with Epic to deliver the best channel swimming experience in the Bristol Channel.
Click the tracks and follow the links to the BCSA write ups of Tom’s past swims.
Clickable routes
Tom also holds qualifications for swim coach, beach lifeguard, and commercial skipper … so your swim is in good hands!