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

Re standing or walking in standing depth water, a question: I've been in races in which there are sandbar or very shallow water in low tide. In one swim, the water at one point was calf deep, meaning that it was pretty much inevitable that the hand would hit the ground at every stroke. In this case, swimmers pretty much all got up and walked to deeper water (no DQ, as the race in question didn't forbid the practice). I can understand not allowing swimmers to put their feet on the ground if the water is swimmable, although different races have different rules even on that score. But what to do if the water is so shallow as not to allow much, if any, forward progress via swimming? Granted, I'm guessing that races not allowing contact w the ground likely set courses with swimmable water all the way, even if some areas are of standing depth. Thanks for clarifying. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

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.

I had something similar occur, FindingMyInnerFish, in a triathlete-organized 4k open water swim some years ago. It was a 4-loop course, and on one leg of the loop there was a sandbar that was at about mid-thigh level. Definitely swimmable, but many of the triathletes (self-identified at the start) just got up and jump-ran through that section, which was of a significant length. No DQ by the RD.

There is absolutely nothing elitist about people swimming an open water race under their own power from point A to point B. Pretty hard to argue this point. Well said.

I had something similar occur, FindingMyInnerFish, in a triathlete-organized 4k open water swim some years ago. It was a 4-loop course, and on one leg of the loop there was a sandbar that was at about mid-thigh level. Definitely swimmable, but many of the triathletes (self-identified at the start) just got up and jump-ran through that section, which was of a significant length. No DQ by the RD. Mid-thigh, I'd keep swimming. The section I encountered was more like mid-calf or less. It would be the depth where if I was close to finishing would be my signal to stand up and walk/run in. Usual instruction from coach: swim until your hand touches sand.--which pretty much happened in this particular sandbar. So I must confess, I did walk until I had swimmable water, as I was aware that the race rules didn't prohibit contact w ground or kayak escort. Walking in swimmable water actually seems counterproductive, b/c unless we're talking puddles on the road, water slows a person down (even running in puddles makes for waterlogged shoes which slows the pace). I couldn't wait for it to deepen enough for swimming. I like running and swimming--each in its own venue. :)

On the broader issue, I think mjtyson has said it best. The expectation that someone swim from point A to point B as a condition of the race is not being elitist. By way of example and elaborating on the more narrow issue of touching the ground, I often swim some OWS that are tacked on to triathlon events. The event coordinator told me that he knows there are precious few OWS in our area, and because he already has a course and equipment laid out, he adds a 3K and a 5K swim to his multi-distance triathlon/duathlon events. I swim the 5K's almost never missing one. In his format, we 5K's go off with the 1/3 Tri's. As it is a circuit, I will encounter swimmers in all tri distances including Olympic, Sprint, and Beginner. Often the shore side of the rectangular course is through hip deep water. I swim. But often I'm navigating Sprint and Beginner triathletes who are walking. It's annoying. If they're going to do that, just run on the shore. One of my favorite swims is Swim to the Moon. On that course, there is a channel that depending on lake levels can be only shin deep. At that point, there is only to stand up and walk until one can at least sink a pull deep enough to swim.