Swimming Rules and Regulations

Freedom Swim Wave Series

Safety, Booking & Swimming Rules

The new Freedom Swim Wave Series will take place over a period of one year or as we call it – The Swimming Season. The Season will start on 1-May and end on Freedom Day 27-Apr the following year. 

The Swim is our way of celebrating the South African democracy and new freedom top all, on 27 April 1994.

Introduction

The new virus paradigm has brought innovation into Freedom Swim. The swim will be spread over a season of 12 months starting from 1-May to 27-Apr the next year. The Season will end on FREEDOM DAY.

The season will be split into a 12-month calendar with each month split into 3-5 swim windows of one week. A Swim window will be called a “Freedom Swim Wave.” 

Swimmers will be able to book a Wave window in advance and secure a group of boats with 2-3 swimmers in the Solo Category, 4 in the relay category, and 2-4 in the half category.

Each swim results will be added to the season’s results and rankings,  places will also be updated with each swim. At the end of the season, we will find out who won the series.

Freedom Swim Wave Series has three swim categories:

1. Solo
2. Relay
3. Half

Each category allows for Skins or Wetsuits. A swim Wave can accommodate all categories.

Results in each category will be displayed in four subcategories:

1. Overall
2. Male
3. Female
4. Age Group (as per FINA every 5 years)

The swimmer's age will be his/her age on the day of the swim.

Entry, Registration & Bookings

1. Each swimmer must register to use the website booking facility and to view his/her results over the years. Registration is simple and free on our website. It is done for safety reasons and for ease of entry in future events.
2. Once registered – you will be able to link to all your previous Freedom Swim records and see your placing overall, per year, Male, Female, Solo, Relay Half, Wetsuit, and Skins. Age Group records will be displayed as well. 
3. All entries are done online.
   1. Go to Book Swim and find an open Wave window or a place on a boat. It is possible for one person to book a group of swimmers on various dates and boats, as long as they are all registered on the website.
4. The Booking system is in a calendar format separated by Month. You can book a swim month in advance if you wish to secure a Wave slot. 
5. A WAVE is a swim group of up to five boats with up to four swimmers per boat. Each Wave allows for a one-week swim window.
6. Each Wave will have several boats and each boat will have up to four swimmers. 
7. When booking a swim or a group of swimmers: 
   1. Make sure everyone is registered on the website as a member.
   2. Select the month you wish to swim.
   3. Select a Swim Wave – your week swim window.
   4. Each boat must have an expected swim time so the group swimming with that boat can stay together during the crossing.
   5. You may wish to join an existing boat – make sure it’s the category you swimming in and the expected crossing time is within your swim pace.
   6. If you are part of a group – enter your group based on the expected time of crossing.
   7. All swimmers in one boat must stay together from the start to the end of the swim. Therefore the swim pace of swimmers on the same boat must be similar.
   8. It is possible to book several swimmers and several boats. 
   10. Once the group booking is done, you need to confirm all bookings (one button press).
   11. You will be directed to a payment gateway.
   12. You need to pay within  7 days to secure your Wave. Else the administrator has the right to cancel your bookings and make the Wave available to others.
   13. If you pay and are unable to swim you will not lose your fees. We will find you another slot in the season. If you opt to miss the season you will lose your fees. 
   14. An email confirmation will be sent to FS Admin and to all the swimmers.

Swimming Rules

SWIM WAVE CALL

The Wave Swim call will be done at least 7 days in advance following the weather forecast.

Swim Wave swimmers must be on standby for their slot.

A final call will be made 24h before the swim, following wind, swell, and water temp conditions.

Swimmers must bring their own feed and warm clothing. 

The swimmer will meet at the Oceana boat club. From there we will go to the Island and start the swim from land, on a rock near the start. 

The Swim will end in Blouberg on dry land. The swimmer can choose to swim back to the boat and go to Oceana or arrange for someone to pick them up at Blouberg beach.

SWIMMING CATEGORIES

1. Solo

A single swimmer swimming the entire distance unassisted.

The Solo Skins/Wetsuit category will be in line with the CLDSA rules.

A group of 4 swimmers alternating as long as there is one swimmer in the water at all times. Interval can’t be longer than 40minutes. Handover is done in the water with a Hi-5 exchange. All the swimmers must swim the last 200m of the swim together. Time will be taken of the last swimmer touching dry land. 

2. Half

Swimmers will be ferried to the start, which is approximately 3.5km from the mainland, Blouberg. Swimmers will start together and swim near the support boats to land.

2. Relay

Relay comprises of 4 swimmers. At any given time one swimmer must be in the water swimming. Each swimmer's swim rules are teh same as a solo unassisted swim. Swim intervals can be decided by the team. First Swimmer starts from RI and hand over every interval happens in a high 5 style in the water. At the end opf teh swim, all swimmers join teh last swimmer and finish together at teh beach. Teh swim time will be teh time teh last swimmer is on dry land. 

SWIMMING WEAR

· There are two Swimwear options:

o Skin – a standard swimming costume. The costume mustn’t extend over the shoulders or below the crotch. No Neoprene allowed.

o Wetsuit – a wetsuit with a maximum of 5mm as per Triathlon rules.

· Caps

o Skin swimmers only allowed one silicon cap

o Wetsuit swimmers allowed max 2 silicon caps

· Goggles

o Standard swimming goggles

· Ear plugs, nose clips, Swim watch are allowed.

· Muscle strapping is allowed. 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

A swimmer must prove that he/she is fit and capable of attempting the distance and prevailing temperature.

The qualification is based on an honesty system. A swimmer that is not fit or capable will be pulled out if required.

PULL-OUT PROCESS

• A swimmer can pull-out at any time during the swim – (DNF – did not finish)
• The support boat should pull out its swimmer if the observer deems the swimmer is at risk.
• A paddler can alert the official support boats at any time, should the swimmer require assistance
• Events officials may pull-out any swimmer at any time if they deem the swimmer to be in danger. 
• Once a swimmer has been instructed to pull-out he/she will be DNF or DQ.
• Swimmers who refuse to follow a pull-out call will be automatically disqualified for the swim and the committee reserves its right to penalise the swimmer

AGE LIMIT

1. Solo category – 12y on the day of the swim with both parents' consent. 
2. Relay 10y on the day of the swim - with both parents' consent. 
3. There is no upper limit on age as long as the swimmer can prove that he/she is fit and healthy to Swim. 

SAFETY and RECOVERY
The Swim comprises various risks. The organisers and observers reserve the right to pull swimmers, redirect the route, and call off the swim if it deems the total risk to the event unmanageable.
Risk assessment for the event includes safety in and out of the water. The Event must be able to handle all swimmers, boats, boatsmen, recovering swimmers, and safety on the beach. A decision to call off a swim will take all the above into consideration.

 

OBSERVER AND PILOT

Freedom Swim all allocate a boat and Pilots at the time of the swim. An Observer can be someone other than the pilot. The Observer will submit a swim report to Freedom Swim with each Swimmer name, time, condition, water temp, and more. 

 

 

Please download this declaration, read it, and sign it (or by your legal guardians) before the swim :

Click here to Download the Covid-19 Declaration & Indemnity From 

 

 

 

Click here to Download the Freedom Swim Observer report