4.1 Swim planning documentation

The swimmer and crew should be in contact in the weeks and even months leading up to the swim so they can discuss how the swim is organized and what planning is needed. If you're crewing or swimming a big swim for the first time, you're probably wondering how much planning ahead of time you'll need to do. Great question - it all comes down to what you feel is useful and would help things run smoothly. You can use the templates below to produce your own swim planning documents, if you like. None of these are required and mandatory for any swim, but they are helpful if you're someone who values being organized and think they would be beneficial. These can also be found on the Document templates page, with additional explanation.

QUESTIONS TO THE SWIMMER, BOAT PILOT, SWIM ORGANIZATION

This document contains questions the crew can ask the swimmer, boat pilot, or swim organization to help prepare for the swim. They're all in one place here so that you don't have to send a zillion messages each time you think of something you need more information about. The crew can send this to the swimmer, or talk through it on a call.

SWIMMER AND SUPPORT CREW PACKING LIST

This document contains a list of the key items the swimmer and crew will need for the swim, and should be adjusted to the swimmer's own needs based on how they feed and the gear they prefer to work with. The list focuses on the swimmer's needs, it's expected the crew will each know best what personal items they want to bring. Build out the list with as much detail as possible, it really comes in handy later when you go to pack! For a completed sample, click here.

FEED AND MEDICATION SCHEDULE AND TRACKER

This document contains the swimmer's planned feed and medication schedule, and space for the crew to write down the actual times and quantities of each item consumed, and other important elements that need to be tracker for the observer/crew log so they don't get forgotten. Adjust the interval time as needed. For a completed sample, click here.

SWIM PLAN

This document contains the most pertinent information about the swimmer and swim, and includes their contact information, general feed plan and medication plan. The swimmer can complete it, or the crew can complete it as a way to learn the swimmer's needs. For a completed sample, click here.

SWIMMER CONTACTS, INSURANCE AND MEDICAL INFORMATION

This document contains information that would be valuable for hospital administration and medical staff should the swimmer need medical support. The swimmer fills it out, prints two copies, places one copy in their "after bag" along with the swimmer’s passport and insurance card and provides one copy to the crew chief.

CREW CONTACTS, INSURANCE AND MEDICAL INFORMATION

This document contains information that would be valuable for hospital administration and medical staff should a crew member need medical support. The crew member fills it out, prints a copy and places it in the personal bag they bring on to the boat.

4.2 The swim window

It’s especially important for the swimmer to identify the arrival and departure days and times for the swim, so they can ensure the crew they are inviting to join them are indeed available. Most marathon swims have a “swim window” of several consecutive days, and the actual date of the swim won’t be decided until very close to the start of that window, sometimes even just a day or two before. This allows the swim organization and swimmer to choose the date within the swim window that has the best weather conditions. Some swims are organized so that multiple swimmers head out onto the water within the same swim window and they all swim on the same date once it’s chosen, whereas other swims provide individual swim windows to swimmers and they each make their own decision as which date is best.

As an example, the swims we were planning for as I was writing this required the crew and swimmer to arrive by late afternoon two days prior to first day of the swim window, and not plan their return home until at least the day after the last day of the swim window. This is for travel planning purposes, and I imagine making sure there’s no pressure or squabbles over choosing a date that’s more convenient over a date that would give the swimmer the best weather conditions. The swimmer agrees to this when they sign up for the swim and must make sure the crew members agree as well. But if the actual swim day ends up being early in the swim window and provided everyone gets enough rest after to safely travel back home, we could leave, we weren’t expected to stay for the remainder of the window.

Lac Memphremagog, VT USA

It helps to know the following:

How much space will the crew have on the boat deck?

...to get a sense of how much gear you can bring

Is there a hold under the deck or benches on the deck the crew could nap on?

...if not, bring a sleeping mat

Are there any bathroom facilities or portable toilet bucket?

...if not, wear bathing suits and hang off the back ladder

Any cover on the part of the boat the crew occupy?

...if not, pack rain gear and sun protection

Any means of heating water that the crew can use?

...if not, bring your own

4.3 The boat

It’s a good idea to find out a little about the boat before you arrive for the swim, if you can. A few ways you can do this – ask the swim organization if they are the ones providing it, the boat pilot you hired under contract if they aren’t providing it, anyone who has done the swim or been on the boat before, or check social media for pictures and information.

On board Lucky

4.4 Safety briefing and crew meeting

There are typically two meetings the swimmer and crew should be ready for: a safety briefing with the swim organization, and a crew meeting to go over the swim plan and gear. You can also think of it like 2 different streams, no matter how many meetings or even email communications there are – there’s info coming from the swim organization, and info shared amongst the swimmer and crew.

Swim organization safety briefing:

The crew and swimmer will meet with the swim organization to review important details about the swim and decide which date in the swim window offers the most suitable conditions. This might take place by email, video call or as an in-person meeting. The crew can ask the swimmer to forward any questions they have to the swim organizers at any point ahead of this, but sometimes face-to-face meetings give you an easier way to discuss details or get clarity. The meeting should cover the following, at minimum:

Swim date, start time and when to arrive at the boat dock
Estimated duration of swim, and any hard limits for the swim organizers or the swimmer
How the start signal will be given from the boat
Swim organization’s safety protocol

In terms of choosing the swim date, ideally the crew and swimmer should review the weather forecast and come to the meeting with a proposed swim date in mind as there may be differing views as to what conditions are best. The swimmer may need to advocate for themselves if they feel concerned about the date chosen, but ultimately everyone needs to come to an agreement and in some cases the swim organization will make the final decision.

Crew meeting:

The crew and swimmer should consider holding a crew meeting to review the details of the swim plan one last time and work out any final adjustments that may be needed. This can be done virtually on a videoconferencing call if needed but it can be helpful to do it once everyone is in-person together so that you can look at and handle the gear and supplies being used to run the swim. Try to hold this meeting at latest half a day before the swim starts (even earlier if possible), to ensure everyone has time to rest and relax enough afterwards to be ready for the start. Discuss the following, at minimum:

Swimmer’s goals and intentions for the swim, are there hard lines the swimmer will not cross
Swimmer’s feed and medication plan, how best to deliver things using the feed line, feed bottles and containers
Swimmer’s typical stroke rate and responses to fatigue and cold, questions to use to monitor for hypothermia
Swimmer’s preferences, such as encouragement style, likes/dislikes, how to handle things if the swim ends abruptly
Location of the crew’s passports, and the swimmer’s passport, medical information, insurance card, spare hotel room key card
Crew plan for organizing the boat and taking shifts (e.g. 2 hours on, 2 hours off), so that each have time to rest
Crew plan for getting the swimmer, supplies and gear down to the swim start
Do an inventory of the feed supplies, swim gear and crew gear
Start feed prep if needed

The crew meeting is also a good time for everyone to talk about how to best support and communicate with one another on the water. Despite your best laid plans, there will likely be something that goes sideways on the swim, some issue, miscommunication, or stress that comes into play unexpectedly. Remind everyone that you’re all there with the best intentions, and that part of a successful swim is everyone working together as team. Keep it light, have fun, enjoy the adventure!

4.6 After care to prepare before the swim start

The crew and swimmer should consider preparing a few things at the hotel before heading to the swim start to make things easier once they get back afterwards. Here are some ideas that might be helpful:

The swimmer should eat a small meal before they go to sleep after the swim, so have something ready to heat up as you may be too tired to make anything when you get back. If you’re short on prep time, a frozen tv dinner or can of soup will do. Make sure you eat too! You will have been up and on a boat for hours. Protein, carbs, fats, water and electrolytes.

The swimmer may be too tired to shower before going to sleep, and if they still have zinc oxide on them, it might make a mess or make the hotel bed kinda stinky. Large towels or a spare sheet or blanket can be spread out on the bed for them to flop down on. They can worry about cleaning themselves up after a good nap.

The swimmer will likely be famished in the hours after the swim, but their arms might be sore or seize up and they may not feel like getting up out of bed just yet either. Consider having a stack of yummy snacks and a few bottles of water on the nightstand or even on the bed, so they can refuel if needed without having to reach too far for anything. Granola bars and tasty chocolate treats are good options, meal replacement shakes, electrolyte beverages too. You can fish out empty wrappers in the morning.

Our Swimmer and Support Crew Packing List template includes a thermometer, place it somewhere close by in case they become unwell and a temperature reading needs to be taken.

SWIM COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS - PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

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Working together was a lot of fun, regardless of whether we were splitting tasks down the middle or sharing them! When issues came up we strategized together on solutions, we walked through the swimmer's feeds and medications schedule in between feeds to make sure the swimmer was definitely getting the right things on time, and we adjusted things that weren't quite working out as we had planned. We were a lot busier in between feeds than we thought we'd be!

During the crew meeting, the crew should discuss how to divide responsibilities once on the water. The crew can take shifts so that 1 person is always “on” and responsible for monitoring the swimmer for a certain number of hours and then they switch up, or they can work together for periods and share the tasks, with each taking breaks as they feel they need to. 2 hour increments seems to work well.

Be flexible with each other though, and adjust as needed. On one of our crossings of Lake Memphremagog, we split tasks down the middle for about 7 hours until nightfall, with one person throwing the feed line and holding up the whiteboard with motivational messages and the other taking stroke rate and filling in the observer/crew log. The first of us to get tired (me!) slept for 3-4 hours while the other did all support tasks, and then we switched it up so she could get some sleep too.

4.5 Sharing crew responsibilities

Crew Sarah Dobbins

Add your own ideas, photos and videos! Send me an email at wildbigswim@gmail.com