CHANNEL SWIM INFORMATION SHEET
NEAP TIDES -- WEB SITES -- PILOTS CONTACTS -- WEATHER -- SWIM PERIOD
Below is some of the information that might help in the preperation and registration involved in getting started with the searches, reservations and registration systems reference swimming the English Channel.
It will give you a starting point and assist in answering most of the questions that someone seriously contemplating swimming the English Channel needs to know. There is a lot more information within the web site pages on this site and the CS&PF web site www.cspf.co.uk plus the various archive files on the web.
You can translate the content of this web site to your own languge using "Goolg Translate" and copy and paste.
English Channel swimming is part of the "open water swimming sport" and is divided into 2 main groups at the moment:
Our escort boats and pilots/crews complete our standard swims within the CS&PF structure, registration and rule.
2. "Wet suit swims" ---- swims attempted in a wet suit. Neither the CS&PF or the CSA ltd will register or ratify English Channel swim in a wet suit. We can assist and escort Wet Suit swims under the CS&PS structure (Channel Swimming & Piloting Services).
Wet suit swims CS&PS - The registration for and recognisation of Wet Suit swims is available through Pedro Boats UK / CS&PS (Channel Swimming & Piloting Services). See the page link in the Left Hand Panel.
"Standard swims" CS&PF - These swims are the swims completed under the CS&PF rules. See the CS&PF web site www.cspf.co.uk
The CS&PF is now the bigger of the 2 organisations reference "standard" English Channel Swimming.
The CS&PF office database has a comprehensive list of "standard" English Channel swims that have been ratified by a recognised organisation.
It includes the latest list of the swimming records for all the ratified swim attempts since Captain Webb in August 1875.
The Federation is run by volunteers - not paid staff - to help swimmers realise their dreams of attempting to swim the English Channel. While It does Its best to manage things efficiently please remember that the volunteers all have other work to do and full time businesses to run or jobs to go to. The CS&PF are now recognised as one of the Governing bodies of English Channel Swimming as well as being a world wide club offering assistance and guidance to anyone who has a "English Channel dream"
Please understand that Channel Swimming is both an “Extreme & Endurance” sport. Safety has to come first, second and third. This is the reason there are rules that the pilots and organisations work under and the paperwork requested which is to make your swim attempt as safe as possible. There are also regulations and requirements in place with regard to both the British and French authorities.
You have a "Duty of Care" to yourself and your team to be as 'best prepared' as possible and understand the task you are taking on.
If you need help and information setting up your swim, training or general advise the best way to get it is through the web pages. That way you can ask questions, add your comments, and get a lot of help and advice from other swimmers and trainers. You can also find out if anyone local to you is training for a swim or has tried one. There are a number of "chat/swim" sites open to swimmers via the internet that can be found by searches.
You check the availability of CS&PF / CS&PS pilots and reserve places by going to the pilots direct, the organisations offices do not ave any involvement with the swim reservation process.
For our escort vessels see the "Pilots & Escort boats" pages and the "Contact Us" pages.
By going direct to the pilot you will find out first hand what is still available and the terms they operate under.
Do not commit yourself to a pilot booking until you are sure you want to make an attempt. You will be signing a legally binding agreement and any fees paid are usually NON REFUNDABLE. You will usually have to pay a booking fee to confirm your place. Once you have decided to make
your commitment agree terms and dates with the pilot and pay the booking fee or deposit to confirm your reservation. Your pilot will advise you what happens next. Make sure you understand how the pilots work and what their terms of business are as laid out in their contracts. Confirm payment methods and when the deposits need to be paid by.
Your pilots swim contract is an agreement between you and the pilot. The pilots all run the own businesses.
The CS&PF and Pedro Boats UK / CS&PS recognise and register the pilots included on their list but It has no involvement in setting up, arranging or
collecting any pilots fees.
You should keep a copy of everything in a personal file for future reference. Always keep a copy of the pilot contract and the CS&PF registration information plus any medical forms.
The swim CS&PF / CS&PS registration and swim fees are a separate item to your pilots fees.
You will be sent out or given the online links to this paperwork once you and your pilot has confirmed your reservation and contact details. The pilot will inform the office when they have received the completed contracts and deposits.
The registration paperwork is sent out from the beginning of January in the year of your swim for completion in the year of your swim. This is usually a online link by e-mail from the CS&PF for "standard " swims and by e-mail from the CS&PS for "wet suit" swims
The REGISTRATION system starts from 1st JANUARY in the YEAR OF YOUR SWIM.
YOU MUST complete the paperwork and return it to the relevant office as soon as possible.
CS&PF "standard swim" Application forms must be submitted by the 1st April
ALL PAPERWORK MUSt BE COMPLETED BY THE 31st MAY
If you can not work within this time frame YOU MUST talk to the office well in advance to see what can be arranged.
ALL CS&PF SWIM APPLICATIONS NOT COMPLETED ON TIME CAN BE CANCELED BY THE OFFICE AS OF THE 1st JUNE. NO REFUNDS OF ADMIN OR MEBERSHIP FEES PAID WIILL BE MADE.
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SWIM PERIODS
We often get asked, "When is the best time to swim"? This is a complicated question to answer.
Open water extreme endurance swimming , by its nature, is a challenge against the elements and very unpredictable.
English Channel swimming in considered to be the "EVEREST" of open water swimming and possibly the worlds top recognised swim. You are up against a micro climate that is subject to quick changes - the wind and the tides - cold water - distance (around 20 nautical miles - 40,000yards - 37000 metres). You need to understand your own abilities as these very considerably from person to person and you need to best best prepared within your abilities with an understanding of the extremities you are setting yourself against.
The period you choose to swim is a personal one and often depends on what Lance, Tana and myself have available between us. We reserve swims for 2 of our escort vessels and usually take reservations for 2/3 years in advance.
As to when is a good time to swim - there isn't one.
The weather in the English Channel is very unpredictable and there are no known "calm periods" as such. It has a micro climate of its own which is effected by wind direction and strength - tidal direction and flow rate - sea conditions swell and wave height. Condition - plus high and low pressure areas. Then there is the clod water - the distance - the marine traffic. You need to understand that you take it all as it is thrown at you and should be prepare for every eventuality.
As a guide!
The Channel Swimming season usually starts in mid June and runs until the beginning/ middle of October.
In June and early July the water is still warming up and can be anything around the 14°C to 16°C (58 to 61°F) mark - but the days are longer and
the air temperature usually "warm".
At the end of July beginning of August the water is warming up - around the 17°C (62°F) and the air temperature is still good but the weather can
be unsettled.
End of August and beginning of September the water should be about 18°C to 19°C - but the days are getting shorter and the air temperature is
often dropping to the 15°C 58°F mark.
Mid to the end of September even into October the water is often at its warmest but the days are short and the air temperature during daylight is often around the same as the water temperature or lower. The nights are cold.
A quick summery is that ---
No time is a good time and you cannot predict what is going to happen with the weather and conditions much more than 5 days in advance, a couple of days in advance is often the limit. Cancellations on the day can happen
This applies to any time of the year for the Channel.
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WEATHER FORECASTS and SEA CONDITIONS
Weather Forecasts can be obtained from many different sources on the internet.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk ----- Is the main one on the pilots use. Most of the other sites are based on this Met office data.
Everything can be sourced from this site but it can be technical and involved.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather --- A simpler version of the above with lots of information. Gives you the shipping forecast - inshore waters forecast local forecast - coastal weather forecast (up to 12 miles out to sea) - the synopsis charts for both the British isles and the Atlantic (use Atlantic charts) - a 5 day perdition of local weather (not very often right).
This site also explains weather peculiarities and has a lot of interesting reading in it's articles.
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.phtml?$station=62304 --- Sandette lightship weather site - 24 hour record of what is happening in the Channel. (With reference to the wave height readings - these are about ½ of the wave height.)
http://www.xcweather.co.uk ---- A interesting site for weather around the UK and Europe. It is linked to the data buoys like the one above and gives you a five day prediction. This site is good to watch but is not very accurate for forecasting in advance.
It is a good example of how the "predictions" vary from the "actual" wind. It will help you realise the Channel is a very unpredictable and temperamental place.
Just -- "Hope for best and prepare/ expect the worst." – That’s Channel swimming.
We tend to use the internet professional sites -- www.windy.com & www.ventsky.com as they give very localised conditions and updates
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WEB SITES
www.cspf.co.uk --- Is the official CS&PF web site for "Standard swims". This site has the "standard" swim rules plus the Federstion setup and a lot of other useful information - plus the pilot information and, during the swim season, the escort vessel live racking site.
www.channelswimming.net & www.channelswimming.uk --- They are now linked web sites and the official Pedro Boats UK/ CS&PS web sites.
Both site cover "Wet Suit swims" and their registrations plus other information for Channel Swims and the other work aspects of Pedro Boats UK -- Seacraft/CS&PS
www.Pedroboatsuk.com --- is a general information site and one of our Dover sea school web sites
www.doverseaschool.co.uk --- is the Dover Sea School web site
www.adventurerowing.co.uk --- Is our Adventure Gig open water rowing web site for extrwme endurance rowing
There are a large number of web sites and internet links for swimming plus swim videos on u-tube that can be easily searched for via google.
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OUR ESCORT VESSEL & PILOT/CREW information
See the "Escort Boat" and "Contact Us" klinks on the left hand page.
Our pilots swim fees are usually set around the end of October in the year before your swim season reservation.
This is because this is usually the earliest period when the pilots can assess their expenses for the coming year.
As a guide, our pilot/escort boat fees for the 2021 season are set at £3300 for a 1-way crossing -
The non-returnable booking fee of £500 to secures your swim reservation. You then need to agree, sign and your return your pilots contact along with your deposit to confirm your booking.
We send out our pilot contracts at the beginning of November in the year before you swim reservations and you will have until mid December to return them. We then send our swim list to the CS&PF office at the ends of December/ beginning of January.
If you are booking a swim with another pilot be aware that the pilots have slightly different systems for contract wording and payments.
Check the contract terms and conditions with your pilot BEFORE you commit to a reservation place and make any payment of booking fees and deposits as they are all are usually non- refundable if you cancel after their payment.
Confirm when your pilot sends out their pilot contracts and the payment arrangements. Some pilots send out the pilot contracts when they have an idea of their expenses and decide to set their fees.
The deposit confirms your booking and is one of the the references used by the offices to send out the application and medical forms.
The pilot has the right to re-book the place if deposits and contracts are not completed and returned within their set dates. For your own peace of mind complete your paperwork early. The office decision is final reference all registration matters not covered in the rules and once any set completion dates have past.
The 6 hour assessment swim for solo swimmers can be completed at any time up from 18 months to 14 days before your swim tide starts.
The 1.5 + 1 hour assessment swim for relay team members is the same - completion can be from 18 months to 14 days before your swim tide starts
The team leader of any relay swim is responsible for co-ordinating and collecting the proof of assessment swims. These assessment swims are to make sure swimmers are aware of the challenge they are taking up and to give them a taste of what to expect. They are short swims compared to the actual crossing and should become a distance that is often exceeded while training. DO NOT treat them as a training target for a successful swim, they should by part of your personal risk assessment and Duty of Care program.
English Channel Swimming is an Extreme endurance Sport that can result in injury or even death. By confirming the assessment swims you are confirming you are trying to understand the risks involved and you accept the responsibility of assessing your abilities to make your attempt.
Team leaders are undertaking the responsibility of the risk assessment on behalf of the relay team swim members they are organising. Make sure everything is completed correctly and your assessments are rationalised and valid for the attempt you and / or your group are undertaking.
All assessment swims have to be ratified in writing by the swimmer and the person who has observed while the swim took place.
There is a swim assessment form on the CS&PF web site that can be easily downloaded.
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PILOT BOOKING PRIORITY SYSTEM;
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE YOU (and your relay team members) ARE AVAIABLE FOR ALL OF THE TIDAL PERIOD YOU HAVE CONTRACTED TO SWIM IN REGUARDLESS OF THE SWIM POSITION YOU ARE BOOKED IN.
The usual system used by the pilots for booking priority is that pilots book up to 4 places per each set of neap tides and, usually 3 places on the Spring tides. Check with your pilot to confirm his system.
These swims are in order of number 1 first then down in priority to number 4.
This is the order in which the swimmers are "OFFERED A CHANCE TO SWIM".
The Swimmers abilities and wishes are all different and Channel swimming is very dependant on the weather so if the pilot thinks the conditions are good enough for a Channel swim to go ahead first swimmer in line is offered the chance to swim. If they decide not to swim and say “No” the swim place will be offer to the next in line - and so on until someone accepts the offer or everyone has turned it down.
On the next good swim day the system starts again with the 1st in line being offered the swim and then to the remaining swimmers in their priority.
This system means that the number 1 person can choose the day they want to swim on but if they decline to swim other swimmers get the option offered to them on that tide. Once a swimmer has been offered an option to swim the pilots contract will be considered to have been honoured.
PILOTS CONTACTS
The pilots swim contract is made directly with the pilot you choose and is between you and the pilot. The pilots are financially independent and
operate as businesses in their own rights. All the CS&PF skippers/pilots are qualified as required by the MCA to captain their vessels and pilot a Channel swim attempt. The Skippers hold the required commercial endorsements on their qualifications. All the pilot vessels are commercially
certificated as required by law. They are registered with the British and French Coastguard's annually by the CS&PF and CS&PS.
A Guide to the successful booking procedure
1. Select the year and tidal period you want to book. Check with the pilots to see which pilots have places free. Confirm the reservation with the pilot for the tidal period you want.
2. The pilot will then hold the position, (if it is available) for a short period and e-mail/confirm with you the booking fee request.
3. AGREE TREMS and confirm your acceptance of the position offered, pay the booking fee and complete and return any paperwork involved.
4. The pilot will confirm the reservation and send you instructions and advise as to when the pilots contract will be sent to you.
5. When you receive your pilots contract - Sign and return your pilots contract with your deposit to Finalise your booking.
6. The pilot will inform the office once you have completed and returned your pilots paperwork. You need to tell the office you have completed the pilots paperwork and supply your contract details. This can be by e-mail to office@csps.co.uk
Make sure you are definitely prepared to commit yourself to booking the place before finalising it. Please note the pilots booking fees and deposits
are non returnable and payment is usually required to confirm the swim place reservation.
If you have a problem with the deadlines talk to your pilot and the office - They can not guarantee to be able to solve your concerns but they will try.
Applications and bookings made after the deadlines can be processed by the office but only by arrangement and they can not guarantee they
will be completed in time for the swim if at short notice.
Talk to the office before committing to a booking with the pilot if you are making a late reservation.
Please read the swim rules - pilots escort contracts - and the forms fully and understand them before completing and signing them. They are legally binding and explain what you are committing to. If you need conformation ask for it and confirm any decisions in writing.
Please keep a copy of all your paperwork.
NOTE: The main points are often repeated more than once above to try and make sure you know exactly what you are contemplating and how the system works.
You can translate the content to your language using "Google Translate" then copy and paste.
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