have been trying to locate a rule book for open water swimming but figure I would just post my question... its been about 3 years since my last open water swim and I remember that it is totally legal to run as far as you can into the water to start and even do dolphin dives if possible.
My question is: if for some reason there is a point on the course where we can touch, is it legal to touch the bottom and even do some dolphin dives?
(i know some of you might see this as cheating but i really just want to know if its legal according to USMS).
That's an interesting question that I've never thought about. Obviously running into the beach and walking up the beach seems like cheating--and probably should be. I've had race directors answer this question in pre-race briefings. In the Bermuda Around the Sound, they told us that you could stand at the feed stations. In the Cayman swim, they said you could stand but could not push off to advantage--of course they also told us that we could not draft and I think that rule might have been bent along the way by some of the other competitors.
I guess if I was designing a race, I'd say that you can't touch the bottom or use it for your advantage between the first and last buoy--presuming beach start and finish.
That's an interesting question that I've never thought about. Obviously running into the beach and walking up the beach seems like cheating--and probably should be. I've had race directors answer this question in pre-race briefings. In the Bermuda Around the Sound, they told us that you could stand at the feed stations. In the Cayman swim, they said you could stand but could not push off to advantage--of course they also told us that we could not draft and I think that rule might have been bent along the way by some of the other competitors.
I guess if I was designing a race, I'd say that you can't touch the bottom or use it for your advantage between the first and last buoy--presuming beach start and finish.
