Joining Out To Swim
Whether it’s for fun, fitness or friendship, Out to Swim welcomes everyone, no matter their experience or background.
Requirements
New members are required to attend a casual evaluation session where one of our coaches will assess wherein the program is appropriate for you to start.
Don’t be put off by this! We conduct these for all our new members so we can help you jump in at a pace that is suitable for you. It’s very informal and we’ll support you through the process.
Waitlist Status
We’re constantly working hard to increase our capacity to offer more people the chance to join Out To Swim. Some of our branches have long waitlists and we’re currently working through those as best we can. At times we may need to close a waitlist to allow us to work through numbers and help avoid disappointment from long wait times.
Swimming at any branch:
Requirements vary by branch, but swimmers are usually expected to be able to swim non-stop a minimum of:
- 400m Freestyle/Front crawl,
- 50m Backstroke,
- 50m Breaststroke,
- 25m Butterfly
Please be honest when you’re filling in your joining form.
If you cannot meet these requirements, you should register for Swim Lessons instead. Some branches offer Lessons, please check the local pages to confirm.
If you overestimate your fitness or ability, you may have to join the Lessons’ waitlist and delay your start with the club.
Some of our waitlists are long, but we’re always working hard to get more pool time, and to welcome everyone into the club, as quickly as possible.
London Swim Training and Lessons: Waitlists Closed
As of March 2026, we are unfortunately unable to accept any more swimmers due to capacity restrictions.
Our waitlists are quite long and we are working hard to review them and increase our capacity.
We hope re-open our waitlists in July 2026 and look forward to meeting you then.
London Water Polo: Waitlist Partially Open
Due to capacity limits, we will not be able to accept Water Polo beginners until at least September 2026. You can still register for the Waitlist, but you will not be able to join until then, at the very earliest.
If you have past Water Polo experience, register your interest and we’ll be in touch. You may be able to join sooner.
London Artistic Swimming: Waitlist Open
Artistic swimming is open to swimmers with and without previous synchro experience. Swimmers without previous synchro experience may only join via one of our six-week beginners courses (held once or twice per year).
Swimmers with previous synchro experience will be invited to a taster session to see if they would like to join Out To Swim.
Still not sure? Find out more directly from our members:
Joining process
After a Trial session, every new member can enjoy a few free sessions (amount of free swims vary by branch). You will be informed of this by each representative or coach.
Here you can get a feel for the program and decide if it’s right for you. We’ll also be able to introduce you to your friendly teammates and invite you to any of our upcoming socials.
After your trial, if you wish to join as a full member, which we very much hope you will, your branch will send you all the information you need to set up your membership.
Scholarships and Bursaries
Out To Swim is committed to eliminating the barriers to participating in aquatic sports. We offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries to help those who might otherwise struggle to attend training or competitions. Support can come in many forms, from reduced fees to supported travel costs.
More details on the support available can be found here.
Visiting Town?
If you are a member of an IGLA-affiliated team and visiting an OTS city for leisure or business, we would be delighted to invite you to train and socialise with us during your stay.
To arrange an exchange position please contact the local branch. You can find local contact details on each Committee’s page.