Fastest time to complete the Oceans Seven

The shortest calendar duration in which to complete the Oceans Seven is 173 days, achieved by Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) between 14 March 2024 (Cook Strait) and 2 September 2024 (English Channel).

The Oceans Seven, the open-water swimming community's equivalent of mountaineering's Seven Summits, was first proposed in 2008 by the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA), and consists of the following challenging waterways around the world: the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland, UK; the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand; the Moloka'i/Ka'iwi Channel between Oahu and Moloka'i Islands in Hawaii, USA; the English Channel between England and France; the Catalina Channel between Catalina Island and the southern California mainland; the Tsugaru Strait between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan; and the Strait of Gibraltar between Europe and Africa.

Stoychev’s Oceans Seven swims took place as follows:

- Cook Strait (South to North Island, New Zealand): 14 March 2024

- Strait of Gibraltar (Spain to Morocco): 15 April 2024

- Moloka'i/Ka'iwi Channel (Moloka'i to Oahu, Hawaii, USA): 14 May 2024

- Catalina Channel (Catalina Island to California mainland, USA): 10 June 2024

- North Channel (Northern Ireland to Scotland, UK): 13 July 2024

- Tsugaru Strait (Honshu to Hokkaido, Japan): 14 August 2024

- English Channel (England to France): 2 September 2024

This bettered the previous record of 355 days, achieved by Andrew Donaldson (UK) between 7 August 2022 and 27 July 2023.