How to join

We practice year-round so you can join us anytime. You are welcome to join us for your first week of practice free of charge. You can just show up at our next practice and let someone know that you are new. One of the coaches or club officers will give you a quick orientation before sending you to the pool. There are many reasons our members swim. It can be for fitness to fun competitions to triathlons to socializing.

If you are visiting please go to the Visitors section.

If you decide to join you will need to:   [renewing member login]

1. Confirm your USMS membership. When registering online , you will need to confirm your current USMS membership. If you are not registered with USMS for the current year, you must register before you can continue swimming with the Fins. You can complete your USMS registration at http://www.usms.org/reg. Our club abbreviation is FINS. For insurance purposes, all swimmers must have a current USMS registration.
   
   
2. Review dues options. If you select a quarterly rate or higher, and you are more than two weeks into the beginning of a quarter, your payment for the current period will be pro-rated. If you choose to pay by credit card, and you select a monthly or quarterly rate, your credit card will be automatically charged at the full rate at the beginning of your next dues period. Please indicate in the note section of the registration if you do not want your credit card to be automatically charged at your next dues period. You can remove auto charging at any time by logging into your account or notifying the Membership Director 5 business days in advance. If you select for a half year or year, at the end of your paid period, you will receive an invoice for the next dues period. You can pay this invoice online with a credit card or by check or to Venmo @phillyfins.
   
   Any refund requests made after the deadline, will be subject to $15 processing fee to offset transaction fees.
   
   Most Fins select the quarterly period or higher. All dues periods above monthly begin and end on one of the four annual quarters: January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. If you have any questions about dues, please contact the Fins Membership Director.
   
   

   Per session	$10.00	Savings over Monthly Dues	Savings over Quarterly Dues
   Monthly	$60.00
   Quarterly Student*	$75.00
   Quarterly	$140.00	$40.00
   Half Year	$245.00	$115.00	$35.00
   Year	$470.00	$250.00	$90.00

3. Finally register online

*To qualify for the quarterly student membership rate, you must be a full-time student. When registering as a student member with the Fins, you must send a copy of your current student ID card and your year of graduation to the Vice President, treasurer@philadelphiafins.org

Financial assistance is available for qualifying members experiencing financial hardship. Financial hardship applications are available in October for financial assistance the following calendar year (January-December). Application deadline is October 31st. Contact the Vice President for a Financial Assistance application, treasurer@philadelphiafins.org

See the online registration FAQ for more information about registering and paying dues online.

General questions about the team or practices should be directed to the Fins coaches or board officers.

We ask…

1. Keep your USMS registration current. The registration year expires December 31st. You can renew in November for the following year.
2. Keep your dues current. Your fees pay for our coach and facility rental. It is greatly appreciated if you pay by credit card for the quarter or half-year or yearly to reduce administration work.
3. Help to set up and take down the pool equipment such as lane lines, pull buoys, kick boards, pace clocks, backstroke flags, rope across shallow end, etc.
4. Get to practice on time. Individual warm-up ends 15 minutes after the start of practice. Short announcements are made for a few minutes. If you are late, please consult with the on-deck coach about which lane to join.
5. Practice proper “pool etiquette”.
   1. Swim in a circle within each lane, staying off the centerline except when approaching the wall for a turn.
   2. Within a lane, swimmers should arrange themselves for each set with the fastest swimmer leading and the slowest at the back. It is the lead swimmer's duty to ensure that the lane keeps to the pace time.
   3. The lane order can change during the set or for a different set; however, try to maintain your lane order once the set has started.
   4. Allow 5 or 10 seconds between you and the swimmer ahead of you when swimming repeats. Less time is allowable if your lane is full.
   5. If you need to pass another swimmer (especially in a distance set, 400 yards or more), touch the toes of the swimmer (once!) as a signal that you wish to pass. The swimmer ahead should pause at the end of the length and allow you to pass.
   6. As you approach the wall for a turn, cautiously ease over to the centerline so that you can push off in a straight line.
   7. Swim the workout as given/posted/directed. Do not initiate your own workout unless others in your lane and the coach agree. If you are not doing the same thing as the rest of your lane, do not interfere with what they are doing, swim ahead, behind, or move to another lane.
   8. When resting at the end of the pool, move to the side of the lane so that others may turn freely without fear of injuring you or themselves.
6. It is a requirement that all swimmers be able to swim 500 yards, unassisted within 20:00 minutes.
7. Let your coach or board member know if you have any problems, suggestions or concerns.
8. Don't be afraid to smile. Smiles are contagious.
   

Insurance:

Your USMS Application fee covers a portion of The USMS insurance program. It provides excess accident insurance coverage for USMS members.
Liability coverage is provided for USMS members, member clubs, LMSC officials, and volunteers acting on behalf of and with the approval of USMS. [More info from the USMS website]