No precautions necessary, the race director has to get go ahead from the public health people for the race to go on. If the fecal coliform counts are above safe swim levels then the swim will be cancelled. The samples are taken on the race course very close to race time. If the conditions change they will retest the water such as the case with rain storms.
How safe is the Schuylkill in Philly? Has anyone done the Philly area tri's that start there? Do you take the precautions mentioned above?
There's a chance (not sure now) that I might take the swim leg of a tri relay team and the swim is in the Schuylkill in the summer. Last year, the swim in the Oly. tri had to be cancelled due to water conditions (there had been a storm and the water was very fast moving and full of debris), but normally the swim doesn't get cancelled. However, even so, some have told me that I should at least have a wetsuit since the river's so dirty. I'm not sure how much protection a wetsuit would be (and I'm not expecting any toothpick fish like the guy who's swimming the Amazon). ;)
Sooo in list form, my questions:
1. What precautions if any do I need to take for a Schuylkill swim, healthwise?
2. Is a wetsuit really a necessity and does it really offer any protection in polluted water?
thanks all!
Thanks
No precautions necessary, the race director has to get go ahead from the public health people for the race to go on. If the fecal coliform counts are above safe swim levels then the swim will be cancelled. The samples are taken on the race course very close to race time. If the conditions change they will retest the water such as the case with rain storms.
How safe is the Schuylkill in Philly? Has anyone done the Philly area tri's that start there? Do you take the precautions mentioned above?
There's a chance (not sure now) that I might take the swim leg of a tri relay team and the swim is in the Schuylkill in the summer. Last year, the swim in the Oly. tri had to be cancelled due to water conditions (there had been a storm and the water was very fast moving and full of debris), but normally the swim doesn't get cancelled. However, even so, some have told me that I should at least have a wetsuit since the river's so dirty. I'm not sure how much protection a wetsuit would be (and I'm not expecting any toothpick fish like the guy who's swimming the Amazon). ;)
Sooo in list form, my questions:
1. What precautions if any do I need to take for a Schuylkill swim, healthwise?
2. Is a wetsuit really a necessity and does it really offer any protection in polluted water?
thanks all!
Thanks
