The Hamilton Aquatics Open Meets are aimed at swimmers with higher experience being used to competing regularly. There are short course (SC) and long course (LC) competitions, held over 2 days with morning and afternoon sessions, throughout the season. Hamilton Aquatics offers five Open Meets throughout the season, including the Middle East Open & Junior Championships in the month of February.

Each of Hamilton Aquatics Open Meets have a specific role in swimmer development.

The Middle East Open & Junior Championship attract swimmers from all over the world, offering a comprehensive programme and finals. This competition has age group finals for all 50m and 100m events, open finals for 200m events, with the fastest heats for the 400m events also being held in the finals sessions. It is held over 3 days with a morning session for heats (Open Championships), an afternoon session for Junior Championships and an evening session for finals (Open Championships) each day. By holding the finals in a separate session, the Middle East Open & Junior Championships mirrors competitions in the UK and prepares swimmers for competing overseas with the Hamilton Aquatics Team or at National level competitions.

Hamilton Aquatics Short Course is held in October, at the start of the season, and gives swimmers the opportunity to demonstrate key skills such as starts, turns and finishes. This competition helps swimmers to excel in these areas as they begin to increase their fitness for the season.

Hamilton Aquatics Winter Wonder is held in December, providing an opportunity for swimmers to race at the end of their training cycle, before the winter break, and allowing them to demonstrate the skills they have developed during this training cycle.

Hamilton Aquatics 'Last Chance' is held in May, scheduled to fall within the qualifying period for British and other home country National Competitions, offering swimmers a 'Last Chance' to register times that can be used for entry to National competitions without having to travel overseas. This competition includes the Hamilton Aquatics 'Skins' competitions - a true test of swimmer's physical and mental toughness.

Hamilton Aquatics Summer Sizzler is held in June, our last competition of the season. It provides a final opportunity for swimmers to demonstrate the skills they have learned and the development they have made during the season.

Competitions open to Hamilton Aquatics swimmers only.

The Hamilton Aquatics First Series is for swimmers 8 - 12 years old, their first experience of full competition under FINA rules. The focus in the Hamilton Aquatics First Series is on demonstrating the skills that swimmers are learning on a daily basis and learning key competition skills such as the start and marshalling procedures.

The Hamilton Aquatics First Series is aimed at swimmers in the Hamilton Aquatics Foundation Squads but is also open to the stronger swimmers from the Learn to Swim Level Gold and Platinum classes, swimmers who have recently moved to the Hamilton Aquatics Development Squads but do not yet qualify for the next level of competition and swimmers from the Club Squads who meet the entry criteria. The Hamilton Aquatics First Series is also open to swimmers from other clubs across the region of a similar standard.

Swimmers must have a time to be considered for entry. Swimmers who have achieved the qualifying times will be guaranteed entry. Swimmers who have entry times slower than the qualification times will be considered for entry depending on the number of entries received.

The Hamilton Aquatics First Series will be swum as ‘age on day’ so every swimmer will swim with swimmers of the same or similar age and medals will be awarded to swimmers placed 1st - 6th in each age group.

Due to the level of competition in Dubai, the Hamilton Aquatics First Series has cut-off times (times swimmers must be slower than) and speed limits to keep the competition at the appropriate level. Swimmers who achieve the cut off times are ready for the next level of competition, the Hamilton Aquatics Development Series, and swimmers who break the speed limit will receive a speeding ticket and will not be eligible to win a medal.

The Hamilton Aquatics Development Series is the next level of competition after the Hamilton Aquatics First Series. The Hamilton Aquatics Development Series is for swimmers 8 years old and above who have proven competition experience. Due to the increased demand for this competition and the need to support development and progression through the Hamilton Aquatics Competitions programme, the Hamilton Aquatics Development Series is being run over a full day with a morning and afternoon session.

The Hamilton Aquatics Development Series is aimed at swimmers in the Development and Potential Squads but is also open to stronger swimmers in the Foundation Squad who make the qualifying times and swimmers from the Club Squads who meet the entry criteria. The Hamilton Aquatics Development Series is also open to swimmers from other clubs across the region of a similar standard.

In order to aid swimmer progression and help swimmers develop their race skills and technique over longer distances in competitions, the Hamilton Aquatics Development Series has been designed with entry criteria that allow swimmers to enter longer distance events as they progress and reach certain standards that have been set in line with LTAD principles. This also allows swimmers who develop later the same opportunities to compete as the faster developing swimmers within the Hamilton Aquatics Academy.

To ensure that swimmers are competing at the appropriate level the Hamilton Aquatics Development Series has qualifying and consideration times (times swimmers must be faster than) which need to be achieved to be able to enter and also cut-off times (times swimmers must be slower than). Swimmers who have achieved the qualifying times will be guaranteed entry. Swimmers who have achieved the consideration times will be considered for entry depending on the number of entries received. Swimmers who achieve the cut off times are ready for the next level of competition, the Hamilton Open Meets. The Hamilton Aquatics Development Series will be swum as ‘age on day’ so every swimmer will swim with swimmers of the same or similar age.

The Hamilton Aquatics Development Series includes separate events for Hamilton Aquatics Club Squad swimmers in the afternoon session. The Hamilton Aquatics Club events are only open to Hamilton Aquatics swimmers from the Club Black and Club Orange, have no qualifying times to provide an opportunity for all Club Squad members to compete and will be swum as ‘age on day’.