Swim Fact Sheets
If you want information about a swim, you may well find it here. These fact sheets have been written by people who have done the swims. All can be downloaded. We will add to the series over time.
EUROPE
English channel
Whilst not the most difficult swim, it is the most iconic. However, this is a swim that you need to plan a long way in advance. The English and French authorities have placed restrictions on the number of boats that can support channel crossings (see below) and this combined with a limited number of good weather days, the number of slots available each year are fewer than the number of people who wish to swim. Many swimmers plan three years ahead.
ROUND JERSEY
Popularity of this previously boutique swim is booming as open water swimming becomes more popular. You now need to book further in advance to secure a slot.
This swim is always completed on a spring tide and you will have a massive tide behind you most of the way.
The scenery is stunning (look left). As it is tidal, you need to make certain landmarks by certain times to keep with the tide. For this reason it isn't suitable for very slow swimmers. The vast majority of successful swims are completed between 10-12 hours.
JERSEY TO FRANCE
Historically, this swim was only offered by the Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club (JLDSC) volunteers and saw ahandful of swims each year. However, as open water swimming has boomed in recent years, you nowneed to book further in advance to secure a slot, with either the JLDSC or another, privately engaged pilot.
It's a fabulous point-to-point swim for someone looking for something to bridge between a swim like Windermere and the English Channel.
It's one of open water swimming's best kept secrets - sshhhhh! !
WINDERMERE
At 10.5 miles from end to end, Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. It is one of the most iconic lake swims in the UK. If you're looking for your first significant swim, Windermere is a great choice. If you like an organised event then the BLDSA and SwimYourSwim both organise events each year. If you prefer to go more quietly then there are numerous organisations who will escort you or you can take your own boat or hire one and do it under your own arrangements at a time to suit you.
NORTH CHANNEL
Cold water, lions mane jellyfish, unpredictable weather and multiple tides as you approach Scotland.
This swim has it all and is known as one of the more difficult of the Oceans 7 swims. In fact until Oceans 7 became a thing, only a handful of people had successfully completed the swim. The number of attempts each year has substantially increased as a result.
LAKE ZURICH
The Lake Zurich Marathon dates back t0 1987 and is organised by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon team.
It takes place in August each year and is 26km in duration, starting at Rapperswill and ending in Zurich.
The swim comprises several categories: solo or team events; wetsuit & non-wetsuit; main category and masters (over 50).
Registration closes in November. It's always oversubscribed. Expect it to take 3 years to get a place.
GENEVA CLASSIQUE
The LGSA Classique is an adventure swim that has grown rapidly in size since its inception. Once a regular fixture on the FINA world cup circuit, this is the definitive open water swimming border buster between Switzerland and France.Swimmers complete the full crossing of the lake (13km as the crow flies) in separate starts according to their average kilometre pace to give everyone the best swim possible. It takes place in July each year and is now part of the Global Swim Series.
GENEVA SIGNATURE
A relatively new swim and definitely not for the faint hearted at 42 miles of fresh water - equivalent distance to a two-way English channel but without tide (+) and without the buoyancy of salt water (-).
This swim is a border buster as you go from Switzerland to France and back to Switzerland.
Expect to swim into the night and back into daylight again.
At time of writing (Jan 20) only 7 swimmers have ratified a length.
USA
CATALINA
Due to the rising numbers of swimmers wanting to complete their “Triple Crown”, the Catalina Channel is becoming more popular year on year. It’s still possible to book your swim in the early months of the year you want to go, but it’s advisable to book earlier if possible.
The best part of this swim is that the weather is usually always good so you unlike other swims where you book a slot on a tide, for Catalina you’ll book a specific swim date.
20 BRIDGES
NY Open Water have taken on the mantle of organising this swim over the last few years and it’s extremely popular and has very limited spaces. This year they have increased to approximately 100 entries. It’s a very iconic swim, with a staggering NY scenery. Entries open on the 1st November for the following year with strict entry criteria. There are more swimmers entering than spaces and the swim operates a waiting list. The swim takes place over a series of big and quiet swims.
This is also a Triple Crown swim.
LAKE TAHOE LENGTH
The granddaddy marathon swim on Lake Tahoe – the Length. 21.3 miles of freshwater in the high Sierra mountain range. 10 years ago, maybe 1 person swam the Length each year. For 2020, there are already 20 swim applications filed. With a short swim season of only ~6 weeks (mid-July to late August) getting a date that suits you should be booked 6-12 months in advance.
LAKE TAHOE TRUE WIDTH
The newest sanctioned course (est. 2017) on Lake Tahoe, the True Width spans 12-miles and offers a spectacular swim into the sunrise. The True Width has quickly become the most popular course on the lake with a distance perfect for experienced marathon swimmers wanting a solid training swim and new swimmers looking to stretch from a 10km or 10-mile. Book up to 6-12 months for best dates; late bookings are often available 3-months in advance for those with flexible travel dates. The season typically runs from mid-July to the third week in August.
LAKE TAHOE VIKINGSHOLM
A fun swim with the sun on your back, the Vikingsholm swim traverses the southern portion of Lake Tahoe. Swims can be done solo, tandem (with pilot approval) and 2-6 person relays. Book up to 6-12 months for best dates; late bookings are often available 3-months in advance for those with flexible travel dates. The season typically runs from mid-July to the third week in August.
AUSTRALIA
ROTTNEST
The Rottnest Channel Swim is extremely iconic and very popular swim in Australia. Swimmers return each year from all over Australia to take part. The swim has entries for both soloists and teams, but beware that the team entries sell out in minutes. If you’re booking a solo, these tend to be available for about a week after entries opening, but enter as soon as you can.