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).
Definitely ask the question if this is not covered in the pre-race meeting. I just did the 10K national championship, and it was OK to stand up, but there could be no forward progress while touching the bottom. This was a race where the start and finish were not in shallow water. I've been in plenty of races where the water at the finish was too shallow to swim in, and that rule was not in force.
Definitely ask the question if this is not covered in the pre-race meeting. I just did the 10K national championship, and it was OK to stand up, but there could be no forward progress while touching the bottom. This was a race where the start and finish were not in shallow water. I've been in plenty of races where the water at the finish was too shallow to swim in, and that rule was not in force.
