Swim Course - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In-water start. The participants in each start wave are grouped in the start chute on the beach right at the edge of the water. The group then moves about 20 yards into the Lake where the water is about 2.5-feet deep. At the start horn, participants can push off the bottom and begin swimming. You may also get into the water and swim around prior to the start of the race to warm up. But you'll need to get out of the water and enter the start chute with your wave.
By first weekend in June the water in Lake Sammamish is typically 68 to 70 degrees. However, the water temperature is rather dependent on recent weather. If we've had a lot of rain, nearby Issaquah Creek will carry chillier water into the area and the water temperature can be up to 3 degrees cooler than the rest of the Lake. We take the water temp the morning of the event and post it at the Information Station and at the swim start chute. You can monitor water and weather stats by checking this weather link. Finally, since our triathlon is a season opener for most people and we know the water temp is cool, we purposely keep our swim distance short at just 1/4 of a mile.
Wet suits are allowed by not required and we find
that about 60% of our participants at least bring a wetsuit with them. Whether you
should wear one or not, is hard to answer. Admittedly the water is a bit brisk ...
but it's also only a 1/4 mile swim, so most folks are in the water for only about
10 to 12 minutes, or less. Unless you get cold deeply and easily, you probably won't
need a wetsuit for this distance. Many competitors like a wetsuit for the extra
buoyancy and speed it gives them. But for 1/4 -mile swim, many don't get much of
an advantage when they add in the time to take off the wetsuit back at the TA. If
you have a wet suit available and you're accustomed to swimming in it, I recommend
you bring it with you on race day. We take the water temp the morning of the event
and post it at the Information Station and the swim start chute. You can make a
last minute decision to wear it or not. One of our Key Sponsors
Sammamish Valley Cycle in Redmond rents wetsuits.
Other rental shops around the area include Speedy Reedy in Seattle and Everyday Athlete in Kirkland.
You may use any stroke to propel yourself through
the water and you may tread water or float.
Wear the swim cap that you receive in your race
packet. You may also wear swim goggles or a face mask. You may not use any artificial
propulsion devices such as fins, gloves, paddles, or flotation devices.
From water's edge, the beach slopes to the 4-foot
level at about 25 feet, and then continues a gradual slope. At the turn buoys, the
water is just over 30 feet.
The biggest difference between swimming in open
water and training in a pool is that there are no lane lines! And there is no side
to hang on to if you get tired. Our swim course is a rectangular loop that you swim
in a counter-clockwise direction. The course is marked with buoys. It is important
to sight (look up and see where you are) every so often so you swim fairly straight.
The wave start can be tricky - if you're uncomfortable being shoulder-to-shoulder
with 40 or 70 other people, just count to 10 or 20 when the start horn sounds and
let everyone else get out on the course. Or stay to the outside of the pack. Set
up of the course is done on Friday (day prior to Race Day). The buoys are typically
in their final position by 6:00 pm-ish. We can NOT set the buoys up earlier, because
this is a public lake. In the meantime, practice open water swimming within the
swim lines at Swim Beach.
First of all, you'll lose time. It's important that
you look up every so often, sight the turn buoys, and then adjust your swim direction
as needed. The Swim Course Marshals will alert you if you are significantly off
course and swimming out into the Lake. But their main job is to keep all of the
swimmers safe, not to act as course guides.
You may stand on the bottom or rest by holding an
inanimate object such as a kayak or the swim platform on the tournament boats. You
may not use these inanimate objects to gain forward progress.
You may stop and rest during the swim, but you
must not interfere with the progress of other swimmers nor are you allowed to use
the inanimate object (i.e. the kayaks or boats) to make forward progress on the
course. Where the water is shallow, you are also allowed to stand on the bottom.
The Swim Course Marshals are carefully watching
the swimmers for this situation. Raise your hand as high as you can and wave it.
If you can, yell for help. A Swim Course Marshal will come to you, and, if appropriate,
throw you a flotation cushion. Depending on your situation, you will rest until
you can continue, be carried/towed to shore, or moved onto one of the speed boats.
If this were a USA Triathlon event, you would be
required to withdraw from the remainder of the race. But we're not USAT and we want
as many folks as possible to get to participate. Therefore, if you can't finish
the swim, check in with the Swim Course Captain working near the swim start chute.
The Captain will determine if you may continue. If so, your race number will be
noted and you'll be told how to re-enter the race. You will be listed as a "Did
Not Finish" (DNF) on the results sheet, but we'll also list as many split times
as possible.
Everyone must wear a swim cap for safety reasons.
A swimmer is easier to see in the water if they're wearing a swim cap. The Swim
Course Marshals/Lifeguards are looking for the specific colored caps assigned to
the participants in our race.
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