So I was looking for a possible swim to do in October and came across this one distanceswimchallenge.com/ , however I read the FAQ's and saw the following:
Are wetsuits allowed?
Yes.
Are there separate wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions?
No. Swim in whatever you like.
Personally this put me off a little, true I could still swim with out a wetsuit, however based on the race fee plus having to come up with my own kayak support, I want a little recognition that I did it without one. Additionally with the growth of open water marathon and ultra marathon (English & Catalina Channel) swims that follow channel rules of no wetsuits you'd think a swim like this would offer a non wetsuit category.
I don't know of many OW races with more than one division. There isn't any ideological reason not to have separate divisions as far as I can tell, so swimmers can have a choice, and be recognized. There isn't any strong reason to require separate recognition either, as far as I am concerned. I just happen to enjoy swimming without a wetsuit, and am happy to be out there and seeing whether I am still improving. I try to swim faster than the person nearby, whether they are wearing a wetsuit or not. If you know your competition, it's one on one only if can keep them close by. Open water results are all relative, no guarantees on anything anyway. Just decide whether to wear a wetsuit, then have fun, do your best!
I haven't personally asked race organizers (Bless them!), but I suspect part of not generally having separate divisions is the hassle of organizing and enforcing the difference. Do you let both divisions swim together and expect volunteers to separate them at the finish? If you are using timing chips, do you set up the race software with an extra category that automatically keeps track (in that case race entries can still be put in erroneously). Do you do separate waves? Do you have distinct distances?
Ray Gandy (RI's only English Channel swimmer) is running a local race in September where he is offering 1,2, and 3 mile distances with wetsuits allowed, and a 10K for the hardcore (no wetsuits) all with a time limit. That event covers all the bases. And the best part there is a barbecue (bring your own side dishes) after the competition....
Cheers. Swim fast seek Peace
I don't know of many OW races with more than one division. There isn't any ideological reason not to have separate divisions as far as I can tell, so swimmers can have a choice, and be recognized. There isn't any strong reason to require separate recognition either, as far as I am concerned. I just happen to enjoy swimming without a wetsuit, and am happy to be out there and seeing whether I am still improving. I try to swim faster than the person nearby, whether they are wearing a wetsuit or not. If you know your competition, it's one on one only if can keep them close by. Open water results are all relative, no guarantees on anything anyway. Just decide whether to wear a wetsuit, then have fun, do your best!
I haven't personally asked race organizers (Bless them!), but I suspect part of not generally having separate divisions is the hassle of organizing and enforcing the difference. Do you let both divisions swim together and expect volunteers to separate them at the finish? If you are using timing chips, do you set up the race software with an extra category that automatically keeps track (in that case race entries can still be put in erroneously). Do you do separate waves? Do you have distinct distances?
Ray Gandy (RI's only English Channel swimmer) is running a local race in September where he is offering 1,2, and 3 mile distances with wetsuits allowed, and a 10K for the hardcore (no wetsuits) all with a time limit. That event covers all the bases. And the best part there is a barbecue (bring your own side dishes) after the competition....
Cheers. Swim fast seek Peace
