So open water swimmers can now hold the boat to rest?

First I've heard of designated rest boats. Are those different from the safety cover boats? Mike, In an event I volunteered with last month we had 6 levels of on water support, not all are specifically mandated in the rules. 1) Waterfront certified lifeguards on kayaks as first responders, 2) lifeguard supervisors on jet skis as overwatch, 3) Fire and CG rescue in motor boats with AED and medical supplied as second responders/ rapid evacuation, 4) course monitors on canoe/kayaks/paddleboards to assist swimmers and keep them on course, 5) anchored watercraft for traffic control and feeding, these boats also have AED’s and medical supplies and swim spotters, and 6) I have other accommodations for special needs swimmers. I could see designating my anchored watercraft and some of my course monitor watercrafts as rest boats. But, I’d want to review any change to the safety plan with our event water safety committee to ensure that any modifications improve event safety. As if it were an either/or situation..... Hi David! I completely agree there isn’t a 1 for 1 correlation. I’ve been running open water events for over 30 years and I still can’t tell before the swim which swimmers will experience some level of distress during the swim. And of those swimmers I don’t know before the swim which ones should be removed from the water and which ones might just need to stand up or rest for a few seconds. I guess I’d rather err on the side of safety. Apparently my last post offended some forum members. I’ve edited the post. And I apologize for my offense.

First I've heard of designated rest boats. Are those different from the safety cover boats? Mike, In an event I volunteered with last month we had 6 levels of on water support, not all are specifically mandated in the rules. 1) Waterfront certified lifeguards on kayaks as first responders, 2) lifeguard supervisors on jet skis as overwatch, 3) Fire and CG rescue in motor boats with AED and medical supplied as second responders/ rapid evacuation, 4) course monitors on canoe/kayaks/paddleboards to assist swimmers and keep them on course, 5) anchored watercraft for traffic control and feeding, these boats also have AED’s and medical supplies and swim spotters, and 6) I have other accommodations for special needs swimmers. I could see designating my anchored watercraft and some of my course monitor watercrafts as rest boats. But, I’d want to review any change to the safety plan with our event water safety committee to ensure that any modifications improve event safety. As if it were an either/or situation..... Hi David! I completely agree there isn’t a 1 for 1 correlation. I’ve been running open water events for over 30 years and I still can’t tell before the swim which swimmers will experience some level of distress during the swim. And of those swimmers I don’t know before the swim which ones should be removed from the water and which ones might just need to stand up or rest for a few seconds. I guess I’d rather err on the side of safety. Apparently my last post offended some forum members. I’ve edited the post. And I apologize for my offense.