2012 Tampa Bay Marathon Swim entry info available

First I have heard of this cool event!

i know a few posters on this board have completed this swim... what is the tidal contribution to this swim? is this swim tougher than the manhattan island swim?I've done both and Tampa is much more challenging. The Bay can be rougher than the 3 rivers and there is very little tidal assist.

i know a few posters on this board have completed this swim... what is the tidal contribution to this swim? is this swim tougher than the manhattan island swim? I did both in 2011 and consider Tampa to be the tougher swim, due to the longer effective distance and less predictable conditions. MIMS can be challenging in terms of water temperature (depending on how early in June it's held), and also the Hudson can get choppy in the afternoon. In theory, there is a slight tidal assist for TBMS. According to the NOAA, on 4/23/2011 the flood tide maxed out at a little under a quarter of a knot (7 meters/minute). By comparison, at one point in the East River I was "swimming" 7 mph. Last year I did a historical analysis of the success rates in the two swims between 1999 (the first year of TBMS) and 2010. Tampa had a 53% success rate, compared to 90% for MIMS. Some of that is probably due to MIMS' selection process (and presumably stricter standard for entry)... however I think it's revealing data nonetheless. All that being said... I highly recommend both swims. Ron Collins and Morty Berger are two of the finest race directors I've had the pleasure of meeting. ------- www.freshwaterswimmer.com

Thank you, Evan! A few years ago, I was able to find a flow model that showed a 2 kt. current in Tampa Bay w/ the incoming tide. But you have to be in the right place at the right time to benefit from the flow.

Ron, I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I am starting to spend a lot of work time in Tampa and want to do some open water swimming in Tampa Bay, can you steer me toward locations/groups? I'm not ready for 24 miles yet, building up from about 2 miles right now! Thanks.

i know a few posters on this board have completed this swim... what is the tidal contribution to this swim? is this swim tougher than the manhattan island swim?

i know a few posters on this board have completed this swim... what is the tidal contribution to this swim? is this swim tougher than the manhattan island swim? As one of the 47% who didn't make it through Tampa, I'll say that if a nice strong northerly wind settles into the Tampa Area whipping up the bay; you're going to have a long day on your hands. After a few miles heading east, you turn basically straight north for the majority of it and one the day I was there, it was just brutal and there wasn't going to be any relief for the entire rest of the swim. I got out at the St Pete pier, with a lot of other folks. I had done a training day in February and the water was flat, that was no sweat. Well other than the distance the training day was no sweat.

thanks - i presumed wind direction could be critical to success or failure.

The only time I felt any current assist was along my "shortcut" in the first 3 miles of the swim. At one point I was swimming in water so shallow I could touch the bottom and was just flying along.

i know a few posters on this board have completed this swim... what is the tidal contribution to this swim? is this swim tougher than the manhattan island swim? There is very little comparision between the two swims. Tampa Bay is by far a more difficult and challenging swim. Manhattan has a substantial tidal assist that works to the benefit of slower swimmers. Faster swimmers tend to be ahead of the tides as you go into the Harlem and Hudson rivers; giving them less time in the flume. In 2004, I had a rather substantial lead going into both the Harlem and Hudson. My lead into the Harlem pretty much evaporated because I was at a standstill and the other swimmers still had the advantage of the current behind them. The same thing going into the Hudson. Compare some of those who have done both swims. There is a pretty large gap between their Tampa and Manhattan times. Outside of the Atlantic City marathon and Lac St. Jean, Tampa has been one of the tougher swims that I've done. There is a bit of a current assist, and like in Manhattan it benefits slower swimmers. (Longer time in the current.) I've done Tampa four times and each swim was entirely different. In 2001, we swam from North to South against the tide. I've done Manhattan twice and they were pretty much the same swim each time (except for my boat driver screwing up in 1998 by swimming me so close to the Intrepid that I could touch it). Manhattan is a fun swim that can give great experience in colder water. However, in my experience, I believe that Tampa Bay is a greater test of one's tenacity and abilities. I coached a swimmer in 2007 for the English Channel and had her enter Tampa Bay over Manhattan because I thought the adversity of the weather, her body, and mind would be best tested there. Hope this helps. Chris Derks