Outdoor Swimming Society

A dreamy spot for a dive tower in Walasee.

Swimming the length of the deepest lake in England.

In June 2024, some of The OSS Team met up for an adventure in the Lake District to swim the length of Wastwater - England’s deepest lake.

elsewhere journal co-editor Patrick Naylor () wrote about the swim for the August issue, to read the full feature ‘The New Romantics’ head to the link in our stories/bio.

Thank you for helping to make this adventure story possible, and for keeping us dry and warm. ❤️

Pictures from elsewhere co-editor .
Pictures 3 and 10 from OSS contributor .

If you aren’t signed up to elsewhere yet, please join us! We send our free monthly magazine direct to your inbox on the first Saturday of every month, be a part of the 35 thousand other readers and sign up today!

Waterways have shaped our great cities’ histories, but what about the future?

Swimmable Cities is a new global partnership of experts determined to make sure everyone can enjoy the right to swim. In July launched its new charter - 10 principles which will empower experts in design, policy development, public health and much more, to share ideas, resources and expertise.

The OSS is proud to be on of the first signatories for this new charter.

In the August issue of elsewhere Journal, and tell us more about how and what people are doing to make swimmable cities happen. To read the full feature please head to the link in our stories/bio.

📸 - Tomek Baginksi

Remote mountain lakes and a waterfall pool provide swimming spots in this swim walk in North Wales.

In this photo essay for the July issue of elsewhere, Photographer and OSS Contributor takes us through Eryri’s ‘lake district’ with swim walk routes out of book ‘Wild Swimming Walks Eryri/Snowdonia’.

‘There is always somewhere new to discover; that’s part of the joy of wild swimming’

See the full story on our website now, head to the link in our bio or stories.

The august issue of elsewhere comes out tomorrow? Are you subscribed? Join the 35 thousand other readers and sign up, it’s free! Delivered direct to your inbox every month.

How’s this for dream swimming? Last Friday some of team swam the first 8km of the in Finland during a pre event recce. After bellyaching about training for the 12km two of us upgraded to the 24km straight away: can you blame us??! The water was so pure, warm and swooshed us along past boreal forest and alluvial beaches. Heaven!! We particularly loved the constant attention to swimming in pairs and finding the way, with dippers on every rapid and reindeers on the beaches… possibly the best swim event in the world? You can read all about it in September’s elsewhere (free, sign up link in bio).





📸: OSS Creative Producer

Exiting a holy well in Wales.

OUT NOW - Our July issue of elsewhere Journal.

Featuring this beautiful cover image from in the Lake District.

This month’s issue gives you the heads up for summer swim plans and prep with:

- A review of books this summer from elsewhere Co-Editor
- A photoessay from where we follow her on a swim walk route taken from the new ‘Wild Swimming Walks Eryri Snowdonia’ by
- Inspiration from who became the first South American to complete the Oceans Seven marathon swim challenge.
- A swimmers guide to snorkelling
- Top Tops for Safe Summer Swimming
+ more!

and lastly, a thank you and farewell to editor who leaves us after 6 incredible and inspiring years with The OSS. You will be missed Beth.

Thank you to our editorial team for putting elsewhere together each month: New Co-Editors , production editor , creative director and the now departed Beth, who’s last issue with us as editor was July.

Thank you to for their continued support in helping to make elsewhere possible!

Join the other 35 thousand readers and Subscribe to elsewhere, our free monthly journal via the link in our bio! We release a new issue on the first Saturday of every month and if subscribed, will land directly in your inbox!

This weekend a team from the OSS Swooshed and Boomeranged our way through the River Avon between Aveton Gifford and Bantham Beach. Some of us even double dipped with both events in the same day 💨🪃🏊‍♀️ The wind and driving rain did give us a little cause for concern the night before but several rainbows came out early in the morning to give us a good send off 🌈🌈🌈 Phenomenal atmosphere at both events the Swoosh in the morning and Boomerang in the evening. What a day! Thank you for a superbly executed event. Did you swim in either event? Did any of you also double dip? We want to hear from you and see your best rainbow and event pictures. Drop us a comment below 👇 or send us a DM ✉️

Photo credit:

Friends heading out for a dip under a full moon.

A swimmer cooling off in Cornwall.

At the weekend, some of the OSS team gathered to swim the length of Wastwater, the deepest lake in England with a depth of 258ft.

The morning was cloudy, the water cold and vast and the landscape framed us as we swam to the end.

Adventure swimming in full force.

📷

Swimming in the safety of the ocean baths.

Peaceful spring dips in Eryri, Cymru with OSS contributor

FIRST LOOK: The cover of the June issue of elsewhere Journal. OUT TOMORROW.

Featuring this epic picture from on the cover. 🙌🏼

In this months issue:
- Jack Pearson talks to about their new book Sing Like Fish, published by and released on June 4th.
- Kinder Unbound, OSS Inland Access Lead talks us through the year that the Kinder Swim Trespass went nationwide.
-Designated Bathing Water Status.
- A review of new movie ‘Young Woman and The Sea’ featuring actress telling the story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel, by OSS Secretary .in.the.water who went along to the premiere.

+ much more!

The issue comes out tomorrow, are you a subscriber? Join the 35 thousand other people who read this every month, for free!! Follow the link in our bio to subscribe to make sure you get the June issue and all future editions of elsewhere journal.

Thank you to our elsewhere editorial team for their hard work each month. Editor , production editor , creative producer , creative director and writer

And thank you to our sponsor for helping to make this possible

Flashback to some races at Tooting Bec in 2019.

We all know there are four strokes – and basically only three because who swims fly? But this controversial stroke is making a comeback and it turns out there is more to fly than you might expect…

OSS contributor and writer Patrick Naylor speaks to Kari Furre who is championing a ‘butterfly revival’ in Totnes, Devon. In January she set up a Butterfly Club which now meets twice a week to practise ahead of a one-mile sea swim in September 2024.

So, if you’re bored of swimming the same lengths, week in, week out, why not join Kari’s mission to soften the stroke, team up with a couple of likeminded swimmers at your local pool and start practising together? Who knows what might happen?

Read the full article ‘The 5th Stroke’ by Patrick Naylor in link in stories.

Photo credit

Ways & Means is a new project by photographer William Templeton about river pollution in England - “England is host to 85% of the planet’s chalk streams, one of the rarest global habitats,” he says. “We are incredibly lucky to have something so unique on our doorstep.”

100% of the profits from the sale of the book go to
Ways and Means was our pick for ‘Inspiring Us’ in the March issue of elsewhere Journal, head to link in our stories for more information.

Happy St Patrick's Day to our Irish contingent, most notably (who took this shot)!

"This morning's view: Dip-da-dee-doo-da 217"

Check this out from !

"On the first weekend of spring winter returned ❄️"

on his way to 800 consecutive days of swimming, which he's now surpassed! Well done Ged!👏

What's your record?

Who doesn’t dream of a city river swim like this? Over in Budapest swimmers are working towards a swimmable Danube. Looking back at how their river was used 200 years ago – with canoeing through the city, swimming, bath houses, sunbathing on a riverside quay – they are looking forward to what they want it to become. “We believe the 2020s and 2030s are the right time to reintroduce all these in a contemporary way: river baths in the centre, sport water in the side arms, rowing, canoeing and SUP facilities,” says Lilla Kammerman from talking to elsewhere editor in March elsewhere.

Read the full story about work on a swimmable Danube: ‘Right to Swim Budapest’ Link in Stories and sign up for next month’s issue – it’s free.

Photo credit: Benedek Bognar