Existing members
The membership of existing Serpentine Swimming Club members runs from the date of joining (or renewing) to 31 December of that year. Each year, existing members are invited to renew their membership throughout the whole month of January.
If they fail to renew by the end of January, then their membership is revoked. Should they wish to rejoin the club, they should apply as new members (see below).
Joining as a new member
Prospective members are invited to apply to join the Serpentine Swimming Club each year from February onwards.
Every week, we invite between 10 and 30 prospective members from the waiting list. Every new member will need to attend an induction session in person, during which they will receive a swimming and cold water safety briefing and need to complete a 50m swim competence test.
Candidates are advised to add their name to the list only if they feel confident that they can swim the competence test at the temperature of the water at the time of joining the list.
You can check the current temperature of the lake on the home page of our website.
The waiting list is currently closed. Please check this page regularly for future updates.
Candidate members need to be competent swimmers. We are a club where each member swims at their own risk and there are no lifeguards present.
Once prospective members receive their invitation via email they can attend an induction session in the following three weeks.
For any membership questions, contact membership@serpentineswimmingclub.com.
Major solo marathon swims
If you are training for a major solo swim (20+ K) this year and need long training sessions while in London, please contact Laure at secretary@serpentineswimmingclub.com with details of your swim. Decision at the discretion of the Hon. Secretary.
Mass swims (Dart 10k, Thames marathon, Dock to Dock 15k, triathlons etc.) don't qualify, but you can still join the regular waiting list to become a member of the club.
Membership rules and etiquette
The Royal Parks permit club members to swim in the Lido area between 05:00 and 09:30 daily.
Members must comply with Royal Parks rules, regulations and other requirements as may be in force. These can be viewed on Parks Notice Boards and the Royal Parks website. Click here for details of the club Rules & Safety information.
Please ensure you show courtesy and respect to others when using the swimming area and facilities and always hold safety as your top priority. Please click here for a guide to open water swimming etiquette.
Guests
At the moment, the club has a strict no guests policy.
