Over the last 48 hours in several open water swims around the world, from Israel to New York, the unexpected happened.
Weather intervened and races were cancelled, distances were shortened, courses were altered, and events were modified.
In some locations, boats were unable to leave docks. In other venues, turn buoys could not be anchored and set. And when the weather turns to the worse, volunteers onshore were shivering and cold like a triathlete without a wetsuit.
When surface chop and winds, rain and jellyfish blooms, pollution and currents, whitecaps and temperatures become unreasonable and increasingly risky, it is the wise race director who immediately shifts gears and goes to Plan A, B, or C. While some of the most hardy and experienced swimmers may grumble, the responsibility of the race director is to oversee the safety of all and in these cases, making judgments on the lowest common denominator (i.e., the slowest, weakest and most vulnerable swimmers) is the most prudent course to take.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.