Swimming the Channel

So how do you go about swimming the English Channel then? Well, first off you book a boat and a pilot. There are two organisations - the Channel Swimming Association (CSA), and the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation (CSPF). My dude is with the CSPF.

What does the pilot do? He's the guy who knows the channel, owns a big boat, and chugs along beside the swimmer so that the swimmer's crew can support him/her. His word is law and if thinks the swimmer is in trouble and can't finish, he will order them out of the water and will turn for home. We say 'please' and 'thank you' to The Pilot.

Can you swim at any time? The swim season is usually from the end of June to the end of September. Swims are usually during Neap Tides, so the tidal pull is less than during Spring Tides. Summer means warmer water and longer days. The number of neap tides and the number of pilots are both limited, so you have to book well in advance. I booked in March 2011 for a swim in the neap of 10-18 July 2012. That gives the swimmer plenty of time to train, or not (see Excuses section in sidebar).

Who else is on the boat? There is a volunteer observer from the CSA or CSPF who times the swim and makes sure you're not cheating or about to expire. Then there is your own crew - usually 3 or 4 people that organise everything for you and who feed you during your swim. They get seasick a lot, as the boat is going so slowly (see red line from previous blog entry), spend a lot of time shouting at the swimmer (who is wearing earplugs) and they also update Facebook about the progress of the swimmer. Chief amongst the support crew is the Loyal Spouse, who is there to abuse the swimmer if there is even a hint that he wants to get out of the water early (see Excuse sidebar). An incomplete swim would mean another year of training to make another attempt, and that's not going to happen.

What's that about cheating? Ah, there are rules for a proper channel swim. Foremost is not being allowed wear anything that would be warm or buoyant, as that would give you an advantage.

What, no wetsuit then? Afraid not. You're allowed a swimsuit, one hat, and goggles. Other rules are that you can't touch the boat, that you start and end the swim from dry land, and that you can't use an MP3 player.