Standardization vs Localization
In the Daily News of Open Water Swimming an excellent article on the subject:
http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/03/standardization-vs-localization-in-open.html?m=1
The question "Why are English Channel Rules not the Standard" and the comments of the author are very well presented in my view. Swimming in the northern waters of Australia or Cuba to Florida where there are many very dangerous stinging sea creatures is very much different then in some other areas, and swims across large bodies of cold water as the English Channel or San Francisco Bay where temps of 62f and less are found is different then warm water swims. I think the views and rules of the "locals" should be the standard rather then "one size fits all" rules across the board. And when a swimmer
undertakes a swim that no one else has ever done " Chloe.. Cuba to Florida " this summer, they write the rules.
http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/03/standardization-vs-localization-in-open.html?m=1
The question "Why are English Channel Rules not the Standard" and the comments of the author are very well presented in my view. Swimming in the northern waters of Australia or Cuba to Florida where there are many very dangerous stinging sea creatures is very much different then in some other areas, and swims across large bodies of cold water as the English Channel or San Francisco Bay where temps of 62f and less are found is different then warm water swims. I think the views and rules of the "locals" should be the standard rather then "one size fits all" rules across the board. And when a swimmer
undertakes a swim that no one else has ever done " Chloe.. Cuba to Florida " this summer, they write the rules.
Comments
By this standard of "first sets the rules", Susie Maroney was the first person to swim the 180 km (110 mi) Florida Straits from Cuba to the United States back on12 May 1997.
The rules include a shark cage and wetsuit.
That said, I do not take a position on this. Do a marathon swim however you like as long as it meets the local rules (at a minimum). I personally will only do swims under EC rules and if the conditions are too extreme for EC rules I won't attempt the swim, but that is just me. I also think swims like Maroney's and attempts by Palfrey and Nyad are amazing.
"I never met a shark I didn't like"
"I never met a shark I didn't like"
So, kudos to the first swimmer choosing all the gear, more Kudos to the second swimmer if the swim is bettered by being purer, faster, colder or further using EC rules.
The stinger suit is one main item of discussion, In the warm climes I have no issue, in the EC that would be not allowed and should not be, Both have the jellies and can harm the swimmer but in the EC many have been able to continue although painfully stung, with the warm however climes a swimmer can face such pain no person could possibly continue with some of these stings as the warm clime creatures are so venomous. As such not allowing a stinger suit makes such a swim even though swimmers are talented, tremendous atheletes a swim of chance, get stung your out, get lucky you make it. Talent, strenght, experience and determination should be the factors not luck when facing such dangerous sea creatures in warm climes.
In very cold and rough waters as the Farrallons with the distance of that swim two swimmers have made it. Col Evans who it appears to have worn a standard cap of that day maybe a bubble cap with no strap its hard to tell by the videos , with a cloth red
" Dolphin Club" style outer cap tied on probably for visiblity. And Ted Erickson wore what looks like a neoprene "type" cap on his successfull swim all though the "tri" type used today did not exist only the "skin diver" type or home made. . All the swimmers who have attempted this swim lately have it seems used the silicon caps and all have suffered hypothermia so if they were to use neopeane or bubble caps over the silicon that would be fair for that swim. But the same would not be fair in others swims as the EC or Catalina/Santa Barbara Swim where true EC rules apply. Too many different conditions for one size fits all rules and the locals know what the size is for the swim in their area.
By the way I am new here, I only dream of a EC Swim, my name OWSmile refers to
Open Water Swim a Mile. Thats my experience, OW swims of a mile and Im happy with that, but there are critics in every sport, what would a football team be with only the players and no fans, so I am a fan of this sport, who enjoys reading of "Your Swims" as many of you here have written "The Book" on it and are still writing it for the history to be read of swimmers and fans of tomorrow.
Would wearing a diving knife on your leg during a Molokai channel crossing break any rules?
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
loneswimmer.com
But would they be DQ'd by the observer?
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
If I got DQ'd because I had to fight a shark, that would be worth it to me, if only for the sake of the story. Especially if they let you finish the swim without it being official.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams