MALTA 5 Day Technical and Endurance Open Water Swim Camp
£1,599.00
The ultimate 5 day swim camp for learning the Ocean Walker Technique and training for a long distance open water swim. Includes qualifying swims for channel swimmers.
ABILITY LEVEL: Advanced
Adam ‘Ocean’ Walkers annual ULTIMATE 5 DAY LONG DISTANCE SWIM TRAINING CAMP in Malta is back! This course has been specifically designed as an intensive swim course for those looking to swim the channel solo, relay or training for longer distance swims in lower temperatures such as a 1 or 2 way Windermere.
**Please make sure you read the COURSE CONTENT and IMPORTANT INFORMATION tabs before booking.
- Learn the Ocean Walker technique: Adams own style of front crawl, the swim stroke that gives you speed and efficiency over long distances but uses less energy than the conventional crawl techniques – a must for endurance swimmers…save those shoulders! The first full day is spent learning this technique in the pool which includes full Ocean Walker video analysis. Progress your swimming by perfecting your breathing and sighting skills. Swim effortlessly and efficiently to achieve your long distance swimming goals.
- Sea swims in lower temperatures: Malta has great conditions for training for a channel swim. The sea temp will be between 15-18 degrees and the humidity of the air is another great way to train your acclimatisation. Adam trained in Malta several times during his Oceans 7 challenge. The sea training takes place in several locations based on the weather conditions. You will be swimming on the shore line, or within a bay in large loops. Our safety team will be there to guide you along. We build your swim distance up over the week with 1-1.5 hour dips, then a 3 hour and then a 6 hour swim on the last day.
- Channel Qualifier: Certificates will be awarded to all swim campers detailing their long distance swim achievement from the course. This certificate can be used as evidence of an observed qualifying swim.
- Psychology of open water: Adam talks you through the life changing techniques he learned during his Oceans 7 on how to focus the mind.
- Nutrition: Ocean Walkers Malta camp nutritional expert Maria Misfud Bonnici (Master of Sport and Exercise Physiology) will give a really interesting and informative talk about what the body needs from food before, during and after a long distance swim.
- Video analysis: The pool sessions are filmed above and underwater. See how you progress over the week with your technique, and then following the camp receive your fully analysed footage on email!
The Ocean Walker 5 day technical Swim Camp in Malta is the ideal training platform for open water swimmers who are looking to pursue a solo channel swim or relay and for those who generally wish to improve their performance in open water, including an optional 6 hour channel solo qualifier* and 2 hour channel relay qualifier* swim at the end of the camp, for which you will receive a signed Ocean Walker certificate of achievement.
*We cannot guarantee the sea temp will be within Channel Swimming Regulations of 15/16 degrees.
Temperatures fluctuate between 14 – 18 degrees during March and April.
AGENDA OVERVIEW (full agendas will be sent to you upon booking confirming dates, detailing breaks actual duration and useful information)
DAY 1:
[15:30] Meet and greet in hotel, introductions and course overview.
[16:30-17:30] Dip in the sea.
Then the evening is yours
DAY 2:
[8:00-18:30] Swim stroke masterclass in the pool
DAY 3:
[8:00-13:00] 3 hour sea swim (it is not compulsory for you to swim for 3 hours)
[15:30-20:00] Trip to Valletta (Culture Tour)
DAY 4:
[8:00-12:00] Swim training in the pool
[14:30-19:00] Psychology, Nutrition, Video Analysis and 6 hour swim preparations.
DAY 5:
[9:00-15:00] 6 hour sea swim (it is not compulsory for you to swim for 6 hours)
[18:30-22:30] Evening meal, presentations and camp comes to a close.
5 nights B&B accommodation is included in the course price (from check-in from 3pm on day of arrival to check-out by 10am on day of departure)
We will be staying at the Maritim Antonine Hotel and Spa, Mellieha.
Distance from airport – 25km (30-40 mins by car)
On our street we have a short walk to Mellieha Bay as well as a selection of shops, cafes, groceries and bus stop.
EXTRA NIGHTS
If you require extra nights due to flights or just for some extra time to sight see, and you would like to stay at the same hotel, let us know upon booking as we will be happy to arrange this for you. Upon request of this we will advise the cost per extra night over email to you based on your room type and requirements.
ROOM OPTIONS
All rooms are double or twin bed.
All rooms have a balcony.
All rooms are non-smoking.
You have 2 booking options.
1 x SWIM CAMPER – you will have a room to your self
*if you wish to book for 2 Swim Campers sharing a room, just up the qty to 2 for the above option – or you can book your places separately online.
1 x SWIM CAMPER + 1 x NON-CAMPER (sharing a room)
Your non swimming partner or friend can come and enjoy a holiday during your time with us. They will have full use of the hotel facilities, B&B accommodation plus dinner with us on the last night is included. They will be able to do their own sightseeing during your training sessions in the pool or theory sessions. When we are swimming open water your partner or friend is welcome to come and watch/support you from the side. If there is room on our transport they can travel with us, but this cannot be guaranteed. Public transport in Malta is regular and very easy.
FOOD/EATING
Ocean Walker will supply swim campers with lunches on day 2, 3 and 4.
Please make sure you advise us of any specific dietary requirements upon booking.
We ask that all campers bring their own drinks bottles and carry their own water/refreshments.
In the evenings this is your free time to explore the local cuisine.
On day 5 Ocean Walker will provide you with nutritional energy drinks and snacks during the qualifying swim. In the evening Ocean Walker provide a buffet dinner with drinks included.
We do not provide a packed lunch on day 5. Those who finish their swim earlier than 6 hours have the option to return to the hotel (by arranging their own transport) or relax on the beach and support the other swimmers in.
NOT INCLUDED
Flights and airport transfers are not included in the course price.
You will need to arrange your own flights and transfers.
This course is suitable for those who have experience in open water swimming.
You are required to be able to swim at least 1km in open water.
It is important to note that the water temperature on this swim camp can be between 14-18 degrees celcius.
You can wear a wetsuit for the open water swims if you wish (for those who are not training for a channel swim).
**Participants must be 18 years and over.
(We can accept younger participants on this course, but a parent must be present – please contact us prior to booking to check and discuss).
You will be asked to confirm your agreement to our terms and conditions at checkout. By booking you are agreeing to these.
This will detail our useful information about what happens when you book including cancellation policy.
You can read these now by clicking this link Swim Camps – Important Information
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
To book onto the course we are taking a 25% non-refundable deposit (for bookings made 3months or more in advance of the course date), with the outstanding payment due by mid/end January. This secures your place on the course and your hotel.
After this date the full payment will be required at the time of booking.
Our usual cancellation policy applies. Please refer to our full t&c’s for more information.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Please do research your options with regards to travel insurance and we strongly recommend that you purchase insurance the includes (but not limited to) cover for illness, accident, emergency repatriation, ambulance, helicopter rescue services, cancellation, lost luggage, delays and most importantly open water swimming.
BOOKING YOUR FLIGHTS
There are now more options available for flexible flights. Please look into the best options available to you at the time for your travel.
Flights are not included with the course price. It is your responsibility to book your own flight.
Milton q. –
A really good opportunity to reflect on my own swimming technique, understand my own mistakes and improve with Adam’s help.
If you feel stuck advancing in your swimming efforts, may be is a good idea to book Malta with Adam and Zoe.
Jill Widdison –
Just brilliant so well organised, I was apprehensive I would not complete the 6 hour swim but with encouragement from Adam and Zoe I managed to swim 6 hours. Adam and Zoe made be believe in myself, whilst I didn’t master the full technique, I will keep on practicing until I get this. I would certainly recommend this camp to anyone considering a long swim such as the lakes or the channel whether it be relay or solo . Thankyou @Adam walker
John Newbury –
Having attended an OW Technique Swim Stroke masterclass in Devon I decided to sign up for the Malta trip and was not disappointed. The course was very well organised and an excellent follow up to my previous OW experience.
Adam and Gemma showed great patience and encouragement throughout the five days. The structure of each day was well planned building the stroke and confidence. I even completed the six hour swim which was not on my radar at all.
I met great people and had a really good time, and would definitely recommend this course.
A very good experience.
May –
The Malta camp is a tough and intensive camp. I found the way Adam breaks down the stroke in stages for us to practice on is of great help for anyone who wants to learn the stroke.
Adam offers great advice, and focuses on the tiny details when analyzing your stroke to make the proper adjustments. He and Gemma are extremely supportive, very professional and pushed us to test ourselves and push through our self-built limits.
I definitely recommend this camp for anyone who is looking to learn the Ocean Walker technique in a challenging setting, and especially for long distance swimmers
Eduardo Ferrer –
It’s been a very intense week, I’ve definitely come home with another mentality, much stronger and determined.
Not only do you learn technical, you learn mental and physical limits. During the course I felt at home, Gemma and Adam are a great professionals and they are always looking for us all the time .
I recommend the experience!
Nicky Mather –
I thought the camp was fantastic – a really great balance of technique, psychology and open water distance training in a positive and fun environment. Everything was really well organized, the facilities we used were all really high standard and the locations we used for open water swimming were beautiful. I thought the open water safety support was excellent. I really felt Adam and Gemma went out of their way to create the right conditions for each individual to meet their goals. I felt totally able to just focus on my swimming and came away very inspired by their passion and with renewed energy and confidence.
Rachel Hughes –
My mum and I attended the Malta camp in March this year. It was fantastic for building confidence in the open water. I was initially not very keen to swim without a wetsuit but the psychology session with Adam was great and allowed me to do my longest and Channel qualifier swim without a wetsuit, over 3 hours with the Ocean Walker stroke. I was delighted with my progress! Malta was the stepping stone to allow me to successfully complete North and English Channels this year with my mother.
Adam and Gemma put their all into managing the camp and catering to the needs of all of the different guests including a day trip to the historic Valetta (European City of Culture 2018). I can’t recommend the Ocean Walker Malta camp enough for open water technique and training.
Trisha Harvey –
Malta, March 2017
My daughter and I attended the Malta camp earlier this year. This was our second camp with Adam and we were not disappointed. We were looking to leave our wetsuits behind and prepare for our North Channel crossing in 2018. We were so inspired by the camp that we asked if we could bring our North Channel slot forward to 2017. Malta gave us our qualifying swim and the confidence to stay in water temperatures “not as warm as we would like them to be”. 5 months later we have achieved more than we ever thought possible by completing 2 channels (North Channel and the English Channel).
The coaching was excellent with a mix of both open air pool and sea swimming and Adam and Gemma put a lot of work into organising this camp. This camp is definitely one to attend to improve your open water capabilities!
Kenneth Morrison –
I attended the swim camp March this year 2017 .. i can speak highly enough of Adam and Gemma for the organisation, the way the week was structured , The content was just perfect and highly relevant to anyone of all abilities with a goal of becoming a better swimmer … everything was organised with precision and as luck would have it i met some extraordinary people … the laughs come as extra and at no cost and probably friendships that will last a lifetime … I will certainly be back … Thank you both very much especially in this my Channel year .
Kenneth Morrison ( 6 x Ironman )
Steve Barr –
I thought I was a good pool swimmer…till Adam very nicely took my stroke to pieces and changed, well, everything! Within a few days I reduced my stroke rate by one third and actually increased my speed. Most surprising to me was that the new stroke really does minimise the amount of effort you have to put in – feeling fresh after 2 hours swimming is a new feeling for me.
Maura Twomey –
I really enjoyed the camp. It was very well organized and systematic. It is not often one gets a chance to do technique work in the pool and then take it to the open water with the same coach still looking on and making corrections. Adam and Gemma created a very organized and still relaxed atmosphere in which to do the work and the other participants added to the fun. I still have a lot of work to do with old muscle memory but the incentive of covering the same 33M pool with nine less strokes is very motivating. Adams’ positive can-do attitude is very refreshing.
Winn Gatewood –
I did the 5 day open water swim course in Malta with OceanWalker. I signed up to help me overcome my open water swimming fears. I swim open water but constantly worried about the unknown. I also learned the Adam Walker swimming technique helping me to be more efficient in the water. The program including the nutrition coaching, technical swim sessions, and the support /motivation during the sea swims made for a most informative/awesome swim camp. I can’t wait to do it again.
I did my first 4hour10minute open water swim!!! Thanks to Adam and Gemma!!
Marije Dirkx –
I attempted swimming across the English Channel last year and had to give up after 9 hours due to shoulder injury. My physiotherapist told me to “do something” about my technique since it was most likely causing my shoulder issues. I was somewhat sceptic before going on this camp since most of the other technique lessons that I tried over the past year hadn’t really helped me to ease the sore shoulder enough to be able to swim for over two hours.
With Adam’s technique my shoulder is totally free of any sort of pain. On top of that I’m feeling so much more relaxed both during and after a swim. I’m now completely confident that I can swim across the English Channel or any other channel without having to give up mid way due to shoulder issues.
Val Smith –
After attending a Windermere training day last year and seeing how Adams technique could benefit me, in my ambitious Windermere goal decided to sign up for the Malta swim camp this year. Swimming every day in beautiful well chosen bays, pool training in a fantastic open air pool with added talks on psychology, nutrition and even some pilates thrown in with a great team including the lovely Keith Bartolo. Was Amazed to finish the course with a hugely enjoyable six hour swim! Adam is such a nice down to earth guy for someone so experienced and is a skilled coach and speaker, while Gemmas management skills are top notch shes also a very talented singer! Add to that mix a great group of people and what you get is a course that’s worth every penny. Really couldn’t recommend this highly enough.
Did successful Windermere swim few weeks ago using Adams stroke and loved it, now feel I may just be up to a biggie next year! Thanks so much Adam
Sue Murray –
The Ocean Walker swim camps are second to none. The team work so hard to teach you how to make your swimming life easier and more efficient but more importantly they make the camps fun and a pleasure to be at. Whether you are new to open water swimming on experienced, I’d recommend them for anyone.
Thomas W. Kofler –
It was my second time at Adam’s swim camp in Malta, AFTER having already swum the English Channel and some of his siblings in the past 6 years. It’s quite rare to find a swim trainer so well prepared as Adam is. His meticulous attention to every single small detail aiming to “iron out” step by step old swim technique habits is just amazing. Core / hip rather than chest, hip turn acting as a spring, finger dragging on the water surface while bringing them forward in a sideways semicircular movement, gliding gliding gliding with your front arm very low in the water, head still … This all might sound complicated at first, but it works, no doubt. The whole camp was a lot of fun, meeting swimmers from various corners … just lovely. Adam, Gemma and Keith are all very helpful … very nice. And … never ever forget your Ocean Walker woolly hat for post swim recovery!!! 😉
A highly recommended experience for all OW marathon swimmers.
Tracy Clark –
I just completed the Malta Swim Camp. I definitely recommend signing up. This was my first time receiving training from Adam. I had read about his shoulder injuries (something I have had too) and how he has completely changed his stroke to overcome this and developed his own stroke. After the first day I could already feel the difference. The true test was after completing the six hour swim! No niggle for me whatsoever! For me – the camp was a great combination of many things – swimming of course (including the 6 hour swim in 14/15 degrees water), stroke and technique work (still a work in progress but coming along), the experience and stories Adam has to share and Gemma’s organisation of the whole camp. Last but not least, Keith Bartolo’s experience adds another gem to this camp. Sharing all of this with FANTASTIC people was the icing on the cake!! Thanks so much!!!
Sadiye Kus –
I had the privilege to attend a 5 day swim course by Adam Walker in Malta.
This was a great experience. I learned a great technique which helped me to protect my shoulder and to swim effortless.
The whole program (pool sessions, sea sessions, gym tips and nutrition coaching) went very smooth.
Thank you and hope to attend another course in the near future.
Andrew Lanes (Bod) –
Just got back from a 5 day swim camp in Malta, this was my third course with Adam having completed a Windemere camp and a 1-1 session prior to Malta. This technical camp was fantastic and was so very well organised, I met a great bunch of people with a variety of experiences and abilities.
I would consider it again for next year it was that good! Well done to Adam and Gemma for putting together an outstanding camp, I now feel fully Walkerised!