Questions From The Community: Why Aren't Alcatraz Swims On Alcatraz Island

We love being part of the open water swimming community in northern California. Odyssey Open Water Swimming takes pride in answering questions from the community as soon as we possibly can, and from time to time, we answer questions from the community here on our blog. 

Odyssey Open Water Swimming has hosted hundreds of swims since we began in 2013, with many of those swims having been Alcatraz crossings. Odyssey provides safe, fun private and public open water swims in the East Bay, from weekly swims in Berkeley to our new Splash & Dash duathlon. However, we’re known for our world-famous Alcatraz swims, which athletes travel from across the world to participate in, and we’re very proud of that fact! 

Question: Why do Alcatraz swims start from a boat and not begin on Alcatraz Island? 

Answer: When hearing about the “Alcatraz swim” for the first time, it’s only natural to think that the swim begins on land near Alcatraz prison and ends as swimmers reach the shore in San Francisco. All Alcatraz swims, however, start 100 yards or more off of Alcatraz Island, with the exact location depending on the current. 

Swimmers enter the water from a boat, and make a two-smile swim to San Francisco. All of our large group swims take place with an ebb (outgoing) tide, which pushes swimmers west toward the finish at the St. Francis Yacht Club. Private Alcatraz swims can have the same course or a different version that ends at Aquatic Park. 

Alcatraz swims do not begin on Alcatraz Island due to its status as a national park and bird sanctuary. The island is protected, and only pre-approved tours can dock and step foot on the island. 

If you’re coming to San Francisco to participate in the Odyssey Alcatraz swim and get the full Alcatraz prison experience, we recommend planning a trip that includes a tour of the prison and the Odyssey Alcatraz swim. Please note that the Alcatraz tours, like the swim itself, can fill up months in advance.

Learn more about swimming from Alcatraz here. If you’re ready to join us for an Odyssey Alcatraz swim, learn more about our 2020 Odyssey Alcatraz swims and register here.