2021 Event Preview and COVID-19 Implications
2020 is coming to an end, and we’re looking forward to 2021. As we finish off a season of smaller, altered swims, we can still look back at the past year as a success in terms of continuing to help swimmers experience open water swimming in a fun and safe environment. We want to thank each and every one of you for your patience and continued support as we work with local officials and create new processes and policies to keep our staff, swimmers, and the community safe.
One thing we learned from 2020 is to take nothing for granted. While we are planning a year full of exciting events, we have no way of knowing what the pandemic will look like in the spring and summer. However, we’re not going to let uncertainty stop us from planning ahead and giving you as much information as possible on what to expect from Odyssey Open Water Swimming in 2021.
After being forced to cancel events early in 2020, we were able to hold several of our most anticipated events later in the year, including the Splash & Dash, the first ever Bay Bridge Swim, the Bridge to Bridge swim, and several small Alcatraz Swims. Each swim was limited to 30 participants, which was a big decrease from our record-breaking swims in 2019, including a 140-person Alcatraz swim. We expect the 30 swimmer limit to continue into 2021, at least for the first part of the year. As we open registration for events, they will all have a 30 swimmer cap. The Bridge to Bridge Swim will be capped at 20 due to the nature of the event, and each swimmer will be given a member of our support staff to guide them on their swim.
If you would like to participate in any event, but it is full, please join the waitlist. If capacity regulations change and you’re high enough on the list to get in, you will receive an email and have an opportunity to complete your registration and secure your spot. There is no commitment required to join the waitlist. If you are on the list and decide not to do the event, simply remove yourself from the list.
We are also going into 2021 expecting that other safety precautions will remain in place. Most are minor and do not impact the swims themselves. For example, swimmers write their swimmer number on their hands instead of us writing it for them. The only significant change is for the Bridge to Bridge Swim, where the course has been slightly altered to start and the finish will be on the shore, as we can’t safely fit enough swimmers on the boats with social distancing. See details here. Of course, if we’re able to relax this requirement and return to the original course, we will.
On the off chance that we are forced to cancel an event, all swimmers who are registered will receive a refund in account credit that can be used for any future event or membership.
As we have for most of 2020, we are continuing to hold private swim events and lessons, with COVID safety procedures in place. Please let us know if you’d like to schedule your own Alcatraz Swim, other event, or one-on-one lesson with one of our coaches. You can email Warren at warren@odysseyopenwater.com.
Happy swimming, and stay safe! See you out on the water in 2021 and thank you for your continued support!