Feeds and medications are typically delivered to the swimmer by attaching bottles and containers to a feed line. We'll cover the use of feed baskets further down on this page, but note that feed lines are easiest and more commonly used because the swimmer gets to stay a little further away from the side of the boat, which is especially useful in rough weather or strong currents.

The feed line should ideally be made of thin floating nylon boat rope and be at least 50 feet long for any feeds delivered from a boat and 25 feet long for any feeds delivered off a kayak. The one shown below in the center and right-hand pictures also happens to be glow-in-the-dark, which is handy for night feeds. Use rope that is on the thinner side, because the thicker and more absorbent the rope is, the more water it will bring up on to the boat or kayak when reeled in after each feed.

The feed line can be constructed by attaching large metal clips on each end. The crew clip one end of the feed line to or around the railing of the boat, so that it doesn’t accidentally slip off the boat and into the water. If a kayak and paddler are delivering the feeds to the swimmer, the feed line could be attached to the feed bag on the kayak or to the kayak itself if needed. The crew clip the other end of the feed line to the bottles or containers being used to deliver feeds and medication to the swimmer.

The feed bottle will be heavy when full and will likely sink partially into the water, making it hard for the swimmer to find it, especially if it lands with the drinking end facing down. Rough water can also make the feed bottle hard to locate. To help with these issues, attach a small colourful float to the feed line, which helps the swimmer spot both the feed line and the bottle. The float could be a small piece of pool noodle (feed line in the lefthand pic) or a purchased boat float (feed line in the middle pic).

There should be at least 2-3 clips on the swimmer's end of the feed line, a primary clip for the feed bottle at the very end and secondary clips further up for adding extra things at the same time such as medications or treats. The feed line illustrated above (middle pic) has the secondary clip close to the float which is about a foot away from the primary clip. This allows the swimmer to comfortably get the feed bottle up to their mouth while the extra things on the feed line stay floating on the water and out of their way. Consider using clips with really strong springs or even locking mechanisms, sometimes the force of bottles or containers hitting the water can pop a weaker clip open and the feed ends up dislodging and floating away from the swimmer.

Attach things to the feed line in order of heaviest items from the bottom of the feed line and then upwards. Typically, the feed bottle is heaviest and gets attached to the clip at the very end of the feed line, whereas other lighter items get attached to the secondary clips. This will balance out the weight of the feed line and make throwing it out in front of the swimmer easier.

For feeding in the dark, attach a waterproof light or glowstick to the feed bottle by clipping it to the loop on the bottle or securing it to the bottle with waterproof tape or strong elastics. Keep in mind though, the more you secure to the bottle itself, the harder it can be for the swimmer to grip and hold it. An extra light or two can be clipped to the feed line itself as well, if desired. Light things up well and use bright colours, so that the feed is easy for the swimmer to find.

Keep the feed line coiled up in a bag or laying on the boat deck/kayak next to the feed kit when not in use. Keeping the feed line neatly coiled up after each feed will prevent tangles and make it easier to throw out to the swimmer when the next feed comes around. A feed line with tangles may not be long enough to reach the swimmer or give them enough slack if the boat drifts.

A feed basket can be used instead of (or in addition to) a feed line, but the biggest challenge in making one is finding a rod that is short enough to fit into your luggage but also extends long enough that it easily reaches the swimmer on the water. But if having a feed basket serves your needs, it's pretty easy to make (pics below, left and middle). Purchase an extendable rod from a hardware store meant for for painting or cleaning, a plastic basket, and a nut that fits the end of the rod to keep the basket on. Drill a hole in the plastic basket big enough so it slides on to the end of the rod, start with a small drill bit to create the hole and then move up in size to make the hole bigger. Slide the basket on to the rod, and attach the nut. If there's a gap between the basket and nut, drill a hole into a small piece of wood or pool noodle and slide that on between them to bridge the space. You could also put a flat piece of wood on either side of the hole to give support to the basket.

A simpler option for a makeshift feed basket, provided the items being delivered can get wet, would be to use a scooper net with the excess netting tied up by an elastic (pic below, right). If you don't tie up the excess netting, the net will be too deep for the swimmer to easily reach in and get whatever you're delivering to them, it will take too much time and they'll probably get frustrated. The boat pilot might already have a scooper net on the boat, check ahead of time and ask if you can use it.

7.2 Feed bottles and containers

Liquid feeds:

Liquid feeds are given to the swimmer using a plastic feed bottle, which usually has a built-in loop of some kind or a clip attached with thick waterproof tape so it can be securely clipped to the feed line. The feed bottle can either be a squeeze bottle or have a flip-top opening, which some swimmers find easier to use than a squeeze bottle, especially when their hands get cold. Swimmers will choose their favourite type of bottle based also on how quickly liquids flow out of it and how much air they take in while drinking. A favourite bottle type can be a treasured and fiercely guarded thing.

Here’s a few approaches to consider for liquid feeds:

Single feed in the feed bottle, poured into a dedicated feed bottle one feed at a time: in this scenario, the feed is mixed separately in large bottles and poured one serving at a time into a smaller feed bottle that stays always attached to the feed line. The larger bottles can be plastic bottles, or insulated thermoses to keep the feed mix cool/warm. Pros: Less bottles needed on the boat, crew can switch up different feed mix types or flavours at the swimmer's whim without much waste, the crew can easily monitor exact feed intake which is great for swimmers that typically have issues feeding. Cons: requires pouring from one bottle into another at each feed stop, if the feed is being delivered from a kayak instead of a boat this could become messy, especially in rough water.

Single feed in the feed bottle, pre-mixed and using multiple bottles: in this scenario, the bottle would be on the smaller side, just big enough to carry a single feed. The swimmer would have many bottles, possibly enough for the duration of the entire swim. Once the swimmer is finished a feed, the empty bottle is removed and replaced with a new full bottle for the next feed. Pros: simple approach and requires little for the crew to do, great for swimmers that drink the same feed mix throughout without issues, the crew can easily monitor exact intake. Cons: Lots of bottles needed on the boat, harder to switch out feed mix or flavours if the swimmer experiences issues and wants to switch things up at some point.

Multiple feeds in the feed bottle, pre-mixed and using multiple bottles: in this scenario, mix multiple feeds in the feed bottle itself, and the swimmer drinks a single portion of feed at a time until the bottle is empty. Pros: less bottles on the boat. Cons: Bigger bottles needed, maybe be harder for the swimmer to hold, especially in rough water or when hands get cold. The bottle should contain no more than 2-3 feeds in this case, because it can be difficult for the swimmer to take the right amount of feed without having to keep checking and if they don't take the full amount, the crew will have a harder time calculating what the swimmer consumed at each feed.

Consider also having extra feed bottles handy for providing plain water, tea or hot chocolate if the swimmer might want it.

All the above scenarios work well, but the one that works best is the one that works best for the swimmer - and the kayak paddler, if the swim uses one. The swimmer knows what bottle type and size they prefer and how they want to receive and consume the feed once on the water, and the paddler knows what they will reasonably be able to handle doing while in the kayak. Asking a paddler to mix feeds while in the kayak is not reasonable, and pouring feeds from one bottle to another is possible but may be tricky in rough water, keep things simple wherever possible and talk to the paddler about their preferences and the likely weather and water conditions. If the feeds will be delivered from the boat and not using a kayak and paddler, then the crew on board the boat have more room to move around and should be able to accommodate the swimmer's preferred approach for feed bottles.

When is a single feed in a bottle at a time system a good idea? When the swimmer can’t be trusted to finish their feed. Yeah, that’s me. I have a delicate tummy, it shuts down after 5-6 hours or so of feeding, and I stop being able to take in as much as I should. My feed bottle will start going back with less and less taken from it, and the crew need to monitor my intake closely because it’s likely to become an issue. Giving me a single feed at a time is like giving me a task to complete: “here, drink THIS now!” Even if I don’t finish it all, they can quickly see what was left in the bottle and can send it back out to me to drink more if they aren't happy with my intake. I also use two feed bottles if I’m taking in both sweet and savoury liquid feeds on a swim. Because my tummy’s sensitive, I can't stomach the smell or taste of soup broth residue in a sweet feed – yuck! The bottle lids are different colours and are labelled, so there’s no confusion about which one to use. The fill line for my typical feed volume is marked on the side of the bottle, to make pouring in the right amount foolproof. Here's my personal set-up for feeding off a boat (this might not work well from a kayak):

Solid foods and treats:

Some swimmers take in solid foods throughout their swims as part of their feed plan, and some swimmers will do it only towards the latter half and sometimes just to have something other than fluids sloshing around in their tummies. Chewing solid food and messing around with containers adds time to a feed stop but sometimes that's what the swimmer wants or needs.

Make sure containers are leak-proof to keep water out, anything with a silicone seal would likely work well. Consider using containers with a tab opening so the swimmer's fingers can easily flip it open and a hinge holding the top and bottom together so the swimmer doesn't need to screw the lid back on after they've taken out the food or treats. Add a metal loop or clip to the container by using strong elastics or waterproof tape. If any part of the swim will be at night, use glow-in-the-dark (not just fluorescent) waterproof tape to attach a clip and put a small piece on the tab opening as well so the swimmer can find it easily.

For solid foods and treats, consider food storage containers and candy or electrolyte tab tubes.

For mashed or liquid foods and treats, consider reusable baby food pouches or ziplock baggies with a corner snipped off.

Here are other ways that solid foods and treats can be handed to the swimmer:

By clipping it to the feed line if there’s a loop on the packaging.

By putting it into a small drybag or small leakproof food thermos and clipping it to the feed line.

By putting it in a ziplock freezer bag, tossing it out to the swimmer or attaching it to the feed bottle with a rubber band

Do whatever is easiest and quickest for the swimmer!

The swimmer’s hands may become tired, cold or fumbly and not be able to manage much more than flipping open the lid of the container. If they end up not being able to properly close a hinged container, they can just leave it open and the crew will pull it back in when they bring in the feed line. If the container doesn't have a hinge and the swimmer can't screw the lid back on, they can toss it closer to the boat and the crew can use a long-handled scooper net to pick it up. Try to make sure every bottle or container used on the water either attaches fully to the feed line or can float if it gets detached from the feed line (a screw lid, for example). It’s important to respect the waterway and not leave any plastics or garbage behind, so do everything possible to avoid this. But anything out of reach of the scooper net may have to be left behind as the boat (or kayak and paddler, if applicable) needs to stay with the swimmer, so it may not be possible to chase down a wayward bottle or container.

Medications:

The same principles as discussed above apply for containers being used for delivering medications - they should be leak-proof, and ideally have a tab opening and hinge so that they are easy to open and close without any parts of the container floating away. The container type may also depend on whether the medication being provided is in dry pill or liquid form.

For dry pill meds, consider using empty candy or electrolyte tab tubes (pic on the left), or empty supplement or prescription medication bottles - remove the old labels so as not to confuse the crew responsible for providing medication to the swimmer! The tube shown below was wrapped in glow-in-the-dark waterproof tape and a metal clip attached with a strong elastic.

For liquid meds, consider using small squeeze bottles, such as mini salad dressing containers (pic in middle and on the right). The ones shown here have a flip-top lid and the liquid meds can be squeezed out, and they were modified with tape and a hair elastic to attach them directly to the feed bottle. Liquid meds can be thick and sticky, so as the swimmer I will sometimes squeeze the container to push out a little air, pop it under the water to suck in a little water, swirl it around, and down the hatch it goes. Liquid meds can also be added directly to a feed bottle, but they usually taste very sweet and the swimmer will need to take the entire feed to be sure they get all the medication (and this isn't always guaranteed to happen).

To make sure the crew don't exceed the total maximum daily dosage of any medication the swimmer intends to use, and to simply make life less chaotic on the boat, the total maximum dosage for each medication can be measured out in small containers and placed in a ziplock bag in the feed kit. Bring extra of each medication in case something gets dropped in the water, but put them in a separate bag elsewhere amongst your gear so that there's no confusion that it's "extra just in case".

If you decide to use this approach, fill each container with a single dose based on the swimmer's instructions for how much they plan to take at a time, and use masking tape and a marker to label them as you fill them. Bring an extra plastic bag to store your empty containers in after you've given the meds to the swimmer.

New swimming gear:

The swimmer may want you to get new swimming gear ready at the same time as feeds and meds. Goggles can be clipped to the feed line or tossed out to the swimmer, a cap can be tucked under a rubber band on the feed bottle, and earplugs can be placed into a ziplock bag and tossed out or into a feed container and clipped to the feed line.

If the swimmer requests a different pair of goggles while still swimming in the dark, they MUST have a light on them, make sure there’s a spare pair with a light attached to them in the swim kit. Note that swimmers often prefer clear goggles in the dark and they may ask to switch to dark mirrored goggles during the day if it’s sunny out.

7.3 Feed mixing, cooling, warming

Feed mixing:

The crew need to have a plan for mixing feeds before the swim gets underway, but know it may change once you're on the water depending on how the swimmer's feeding actually goes and if they start to experience issues.

The crew can either...

Pre-mix some of the feeds and mix more later on the boat as needed, or

Pre-mix all the feeds needed for the swim before getting on the boat.

If the swimmer expects to have issues with their feeds at some point during the swim, or perhaps even as a good precaution regardless, mix only some feeds ahead of time so that you can switch up flavours or products later if needed. See below Section 7.4 Assume the feed plan goes to shit for ideas on what to do when feeding doesn't go well. Even if the crew don't mix all feeds before getting on the boat, they could still measure out single portions of carb/electrolyte powders into empty feed bottles, containers, or small ziplock bags before the swim to make mixing later on an easier task to do. If the feed powder clumps up when you pour in the water, put a whisk ball into the bottle and give it a good shake. No matter what approach gets taken for pre-mixing all feeds ahead of time or doing some mixing during the swim, be absolutely sure to bring enough water to mix feeds for the maximum possible amount of time on the water, and then some.

If feeds are being delivered off a kayak, please don't ask the paddler to mix the feeds on the kayak! The crew should provide the paddler with pre-mixed feeds at the start, and mix more on the boat as needed and hand those over to the paddler.

Feed cooling and warming:

Cool feeds are typically consumed by swimmers in warmer conditions and during daytime hours of a swim (provided it's warm out). Pre-mixed feeds will likely warm up on the boat if the air temp is hot and it's sunny, and pee warm feeds can be a real turn-off to chug. The crew can put the feed bottle (or a couple of them at a time) in a cooler with some ice and pull it out a few minutes before the feed stop, just make sure it's not too icy cold though or it could be a shock to the swimmer's system.

Warm feeds are typically used by swimmers in colder conditions and during dark hours of a swim, for a warming effect or sometimes even just for the psychological benefit of feeling warmth. The swimmer may be able to guesstimate the timeframe they want warm feeds to start and end, but that could easily change based on the water and ambient conditions, so be prepared to heat or have extra hot water on board the boat. Note that large metal thermos bottles are not suitable for delivering warm feeds to the swimmer, they could injure the swimmer as they are being thrown out onto the water, they are heavy to hold up and feed from, and the crew will not be able to easily see how much feed has been consumed at each feed stop (especially in the dark).

Here’s a few ways to prepare warm feeds on the boat:

Pre-heat and pour: mix warm feeds separately in a large thermos bottles and pour one serving at a time into a smaller feed bottle attached to the feed line. If it's too hot, add a little cold water or pour it into the feed bottle a few minutes before the feed stop so it cools down enough before. Pros: easy to prepare and pour. Cons: It might cool down too much if poured too far ahead of tossing it to the swimmer, you'd need to keep monitoring the thermos feed temp and how far ahead to pour it.

Top-up with hot water: feed bottle contains cold feed, but leave enough space to pour in 1-2 inches of hot water from a thermos just before the feed stop. If the bottle contains multiple feeds, on the next feed stop add another 1-2 inches of hot water to warm up the remaining feed. This works best when the bottle is a bit smaller (eg 20oz) and holds a maximum of 2 feeds, otherwise it’s hard to heat the whole bottle on the first feed when it’s totally full. Pros: easy enough to prepare and pour. Cons: less precision on feed volume as the total volume may vary depending on how much extra hot water has to be added to get it warm enough.

Heat as you go: have a water boiling system on board the boat and heat up hot water or the feed mix itself prior to handing it to the swimmer, a few feeds or a few thermoses at a time. Pros: feeds will be good and hot which is really nice! Cons: more work for the crew, and what happens if the water boiler stops working? If you're definitely needing hot water and planning to rely on a water boiler, the safest bet is to have a second water boiler on board as a backup system and to pre-heat at least some hot water or pre-mixed feeds before getting on the boat.

The approach I like best for a swim where lots of warm feeds are needed is to pre-heat some feeds in thermos bottles, which will stay hot enough for a total of 14hrs - broken down by our swim schedule is usually 3 hours before the swim, and 11 hours once on the water. The crew then pull out the water boiler and re-heat any lukewarm feeds or mix up new warm ones. If your swim is a cold one and you're relying on having warm feeds, be sure to test your bottles to know how long they will actually keep feeds warm!

The ability to feed well on the water can easily make or break a swim, as the swimmer needs a consistent source of calories, electrolytes and fluids to keep moving forward safely but even with that aside, good feeds can help lift up a swimmer's spirits if they're struggling too. Some swimmers can take in the exact same feed throughout the swim without issues, but for many swimmers their carefully designed feed plan starts to fall apart at some point, leaving the crew looking for other ways to get much-needed fuel into their body and keep them happy, safe and swimming.

As part of the planning for the swim, the crew should ask the swimmer what back-ups they will be bringing in case their feed plan falls apart and they are no longer able or willing to consume their normal feed product. A variety of other options is a good idea, and bring both salty and sweet things in case the swimmer craves different things throughout the swim. The crew can also raid the fridge and pantry before they head down to the swim start to see what other goodies they can bring along - cooked ravioli, leftover mashed potatoes, quiche, cookies, crackers...bring anything that might work. It's not ideal to give the swimmer things they've never tested in training before, but if their regular feeds aren't going down or staying down, trying something is better than nothing. Be sure to ask about food allergies ahead of time though, the last thing you want is an unplanned trip to the emergency room!

So how warm is “warm”? Lukewarm? Piping hot? The crew should ask the swimmer for an approximate temperature range of what they like best, as a guide. Feeds at the temperature the swimmer likes best can really perk up their body and mind. The swimmer’s mouth may be cold depending on the water and air temperatures, and it’s important to provide liquids that are not too hot as they could burn their mouth and throat. Keep in mind that the swimmer's perception of "cold" and "warm" may change depending on the conditions and even their fatigue level, so make sure the swimmer knows they can provide feedback on the feed stop and be ready to adjust your approach to the feed temperature for the feed stops to follow if needed. Stick a clean finger in the feed and go by feel when checking the feed temperature or use a thermometer from your feed kit.

Using a water boiler to heat water is fairly simple, but I have to be especially careful on the boat because I'm clumsy, it's tight quarters and things can tip over easily. I put the water boiler on top of a table, the ice cooler or any other hard flat stable surface, I sit and stay in place until it's done boiling and poured into feeds so that I don't knock it over, and I place the bottle on the floor of the boat to pour the boiled water in to be sure it doesn't topple over and burn my hands or feet.

Below is a video of the water boiler I use:

7.4 Assume the feed plan goes to shit

The plan for mixing and cooling/warming feeds may also depend on the swim’s start time. If the swim starts in the dark, the crew can pre-mix and heat all warm feeds needed for the dark hours of the swim before getting on the boat to avoid needing to boil water in the dark. However, if the swim starts in daylight hours, any pre-heated feeds may cool down a little even if they are in thermoses, and the crew may need to re-heat them shortly before it turns dark to keep them warm overnight.

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7.1 Feed line and feed basket