same start, same finish in that corridor could be completely different within a 10 minute period.
Remember currents and tide predictions are only that... predictions. It is not an absolute science as there are too many variables.
But you reduce the variability by only comparing swims that start and end at the same place. You're coming from a different direction if you come from the GG bridge rather than Alcatraz. But I'm done with this back and forth, so keep insisting on comparing apples to oranges if you want.
Also, in the Alcatraz race that I did, we were given advice about the best route to follow if you were at all concerned about missing the entrance to the finish area, and I don't recall it being a problem for anyone.
The year I did it they instructed people to aim torward a specific structure in the city based on their speed. I underestimated my speed and ended up finishing by swimming with the fast tidal current. (I was swimming alone because I didn't trust the mob). I think easily over a 100 people overestimated their ability and missed the get out point and had to run back along the water on the beach.
I certainly wouldn’t discount water temperature as a possible contributing factor in this instance. As a non wetsuit OW swimmer from Colorado my first OW swim of the season will likely start in early May. The water temp will be in the low to mid 50’s. To reduce hyperventilation for that first swim of the season I will get in very slowly and allow my breathing to be fairly normal before I start to swim, I will begin in backstroke mode for a bit and then roll over as the face does seem to be more sensitive to cold water. I’m a swim coach, who leads open water swim clinics and does some private OW coaching. FYI the vast majority of the participants are triathletes. I teach many of my attendees this same method. Anxiety and resulting hyperventilation is a big issue for beginner OW swimmers wetsuit or not. My numerous observations say that it is magnified by colder water. Competitive people may not want to do this technique but if a slower start and a little backstroke prevents hyperventilation and a anxiety attack it might be better then getting pulled from the race or dying. Because Alcatraz races start from a ferry, I’d recommend non acclimatized swimmers to jump not dive and try to slowly breaststroke/tread water away from the ferry to get used to the water before pounding it towards shore. I have personal experience of rescuing a man in his mid to late fifties in a full on anxiety attack while training at local open water site, it turned out OK but it was it was bit wild for a while. Maybe the cardiologist on this board can tell us if an anxiety attack can lead to a heart attack?
All this being said, I do think it’s mainly up to the individual participant to be aware of risks. I looked for a copy of the liability waiver for the “Escape From Alcatraz” to see how clearly they articulated the risks but couldn’t find one on there web site. I remember a fairly intense waiver from when I did the Alcatraz Challenge a couple of years ago and I did find this waiver from Water World Swims who put on several swim events in the Bay. I think it’s very clear what the risks are. EXPRESS ASSUMPTION OF RISK - WAIVER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY ASSUMPTION OF THE RISKS OF BAY SWIMMING: Bay swimming is inherently dangerous. Bay swimmers have been injured and killed. For example, a fishing boat once killed a swimmer. Sea lions and other marine animals have attacked swimmers. Swimmers have been injured by objects in the water, both floating and fixed. There may be health hazards associated with pollution in the Bay.
Bay currents, often more powerful than the strongest swimmer, are unpredictable and have swept swimmers off course. BAY WATERS ARE COLD. Temperatures typically range between 45 and 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Swift currents and cold water have precipitated drowning, heart attacks and hypothermia. There are just some of the hazards and dangers associated with Bay swimming. www.waterworldswim.com/EventApplication_2010_FINAL2.pdf Finally after reading several reports and watching some vid's it seems clear to me his rescue attempt was well within the standard of care for this event like this, could it be improved? maybe, but stuff like this happens when we do stuff like this.
To be clear - this is a horrible tragedy.
My position is from a race directors point of view: the water (currents, temp, etc) in the SF Bay are much different on March 3rd than on a date in June. In my opinion, there were many factors that were overlooked by the race director. These oversights lead to death and several swimmers in a distressed situation who needed to be rescued.
Yes, participants should be training for the conditions they may encounter on the day of the race. However, when conditions are drastically different from prior years/attempts/reports, the race director/event director must address additional safety concerns. Head first starts vs running starts, wet suit recommendations, warm-up times, water currents, temperatures, etc. should be addressed by the event director. To that end participants rely on the race director to provide a SAFE environment for all.
As reported, the event is open to anyone, the newbie to the seasoned pro, and is a bucket list item (either "this is a cool thing to accomplish" or "I have a mission to do as many Tri's as possible", etc.). The event director has a duty to consider the SAFETY of all . . . even the "lowest common denominator" (as someone used in another thread on another forum on the topic).
Insurance companies issue insurance policies under the premise that the event is safe and incidents of occurrence are minimized. When an accident occurs, all aspects of the accident and event are analyzed and premiums increase (directly proportional to the magnitude of the occurrence). This is where I have an issue. There were enough recent incidents/occurrences for the USMS insurance premium to skyrocket. There were several accidents/deaths that could have been avoided with proper safety considerations and unfortunately some that could not (organ defects, health issues, and the like).
The safety guidelines are still in the developing stage. To my knowledge, USMS is working very hard to come up with a solution and a best "one size fits all" guideline. Race directors, who are most knowledgeable of the nuances of their event, have a DUTY to go above and beyond the safety guidelines.
In my opinion, the Escape from Alcatraz race director was irresponsible with respect to the swim portion of the event. Incidents like the ones that occurred in this event have directly affected my safe, little swim on the little Allegheny River in little Pittsburgh, PA. I can't help but be annoyed.
Yes, chaos, I could investigate other insurance providers however, this little event is sponsored by the LMSC for USMS members. I am both the LMSC Chair and Event Director. This event was a benefit to USMS membership and encouraged USMS membership. Now what do I do? Hold the event with another insurance provider and jump ship from USMS? Pass the event to another organization?
As of the time of this posting, the event is not scheduled for 2013 due to the $1,000 insurance bill from USMS for USMS sanction/insurance coverage. We are a small LMSC with limited resources and the event is a small event (approx. 50 swimmers for the past three years each year).
Running along the beach is not the same as needing to getting pulled out... and currents don't explain why there were three times as many people pulled out in this swim as compared to previous swims, unless they misread the tide charts.
Did a swim from the GG bridge to Aquatic Park with E=H2O and 8 others. We were riding the flood. 9 made it through the opening in the breakwater, one had to be towed...
thats a 10% current thwart ratio
True enough, but you at least have to try to compare apples to apples -- same start, same finish.
same start, same finish in that corridor could be completely different within a 10 minute period.
Remember currents and tide predictions are only that... predictions. It is not an absolute science as there are too many variables.
I have been told that they retrieved three times the usual number of swimmers from the water. Which I am sure had nothing whatsover to do with water temperature.
From the Washington Post in 2010:
An official for FINA, the international organization governing swimming, said Crippen likely died from overexertion. "We are sorry that the guy died, but what can you do?" UAE Swimming Association executive director Ayman Saad said in a statement. "This guy was tired and he pushed himself a lot."
