Escape from Alcatraz

Has anyone here ever done this swim? It looks pretty intimidating for a mainly pool swimmer like me but I'm intrigued by it and it would give me a chance to visit relatives in the Bay area. => Is it pretty much for elite swimmers and tri-athletes? => Do they have regularly scheduled events just for swimmers? => What kind of conditioning shape should one be in to reasonably attempt it? => What kind of training would you recommend? Thanks. AJD Edit: Woah--I just noticed that this is a resurrected thread and I just spent 15 minutes answering what is probably a long dead question. Well, hopefully someone finds my ramblings somewhat useful... Which Alcatraz swim are you talking about specifically? If you mean the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, that's pretty hard to get into. I think you either need to qualify for it or make your way through multiple lotteries. I'm not sure I'd recommend that race from someone who's never done an open water swim before. If you mean one of the pure Alcatraz swims, there are several (maybe even many). I do the Enviro Sports Alcatraz Sharkfest every year, and that's one of the big ones (close to 1000 participants). The South End Rowing Club also puts one on, and there are others as folks have mentioned. I'm also a member of the Dolphin Club, which is one of the two swimming and boating clubs located in Aquatic Park in San Francisco and I've done a number of Club only Alcatraz swims. I'm by no means an expert (I've only done about 8-10 crossings all told) but I have at least *some* experience so I'll try to answer your questions (though frankly most of the other responders have done a great job already). => Is it pretty much for elite swimmers and tri-athletes? That depends on which event you mean. If you mean the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, then that is heavily weighted towards elite and at least very experienced triathletes. The others all run the gamut and I would not feel worried if you have limited experience. => Do they have regularly scheduled events just for swimmers? The Sharkfest and the South End Club swims are both strictly swims. Enviro Sports puts on an Escape from the Rock Tri, and I think you can sign up for the swim only if you want. Not sure about the Escape from Alcatraz Tri. There are so many people that want to do the whole thing, I'm not sure you can enter swim only but I don't know. => What kind of conditioning shape should one be in to reasonably attempt it? Depends on how good of a swimmer you are. If you can swim the mile in a pool in 30 minutes or so, you'll be fine. => What kind of training would you recommend? It would be great to get in some open water training if you've never done it before. Maybe enter a local open water race? The key, however, and I cannot stress this enough, is that you should get in the Bay a few times before the race. Acclimating to the cold water is very important, even if you're wearing a wetsuit. If you're not from SF, I would get there a few days before the swim and get into Aquatic Park every day and swim. There is a string of buoys along the shoreline that approximates a quarter mile that is perfect for swimming along. I would NOT recommend swimming outside of Aquatic Park, as you're liable to get run over by a boat unless you have a very good escort. Stay in for only a short time your first day and then try to build on that until race day. Ideally, you're building up to staying in the water for at least as long as it will take you to make the crossing. I'd say most people make it in 30-45 minutes, but a fair number take up to an hour. The winner of the Sharkfest this year did it in 24 minutes (no wetsuit) but she is an elite level swimmer that just comes to make the rest of us look bad. The Dolphin Club and South End Rowing Club have public day access on alternating days for a very moderate fee, which will get you access to a locker and showers (and a sauna) for after your swims. Worth taking advantage of. One final bit of advice--listen to where they tell you to aim for. The currents in the Bay can be deceiving and are strongest close to shore. If they are telling you to aim significantly left of the finish--that's where you should aim or you will run a high risk of being pushed off course and unable to finish. Happy to answer other questions.

I have done this swim five times, twice without a wetsuit, and I am not an elite swimmer. A few thoughts. Don't be intimidated into believing this swim is for elite swimmers only. It's not. It's just another 1.2 mile open water swim with a few variables that need to be managed. The most important variable is the current. Currents in the San Francisco Bay frequently exceed 5 mph and you cannot out swim them. The Alcatraz swims almost always coincide with predicted "slack tides" which mean the race is swum at the very end or very beginning of a tidal shift. This give you a window in which to complete your swim with little tidal effect. However, there is almost always some tidal effect that must be compensated for by swimming into it slightly and adjusting as you get closer. Race officials will typically tell you to sight well to the left or right of your finish zone and I would strongly advise you to listen. This means your swim trajectory will look like a giant horizontal arc where you start your swim sighting, for example, at 10 o'clock to make the 12 o'clock finish. You will need to adjust your arc as you get closer. Once, I thought I could swim in a straight line and get there faster. I didn't listen and the current got the best of me and had to be repositioned by a police boat. If you are swimming from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park, the breakwater opening into Aquatic Park is only 60 yards wide and is not easily, if at all, visible from the jump zone at Alacatraz. Instead, I use the multi-story buildings in the background to sight from; they are big and provide an excellent visual reference, much better than the orange bouy towed behind the lead boat. Ask someone on the boat where the buildings are relative to the opening before you jump. If you do not swim into the tide as instructed you may well miss this opening. There seems to be a regular stronger current that runs along the breakwater to Aquatic Park even during slack tide which could easily prevent you from making the opening if you do not approach the opening from the up current. Thus, the arc. It's another 400+ yards from the opening to the sand beach finish. I cannot advise you on swim management if you are swimming to Crissy Field. Your boat start at Alcatraz means an instant plunge into cold water so be prepared; keep your breathing under control and swim slowly to the starting bouys in order to maintain your composure and focus. One final thing. Be sure to stop somewhere mid-channel. The view is amazing. You will be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the San Francisco skyline, and the Bay Bridge all at the same time from your unique vantage point. Don't miss it. Enjoy.