It is not "either-or".
The race director has a responsibility to research swim conditions (esp. in winter) and to educate athletes; AND
Athletes are responsible for knowing exactly what they are getting into - and preparing fully. (Or not signing up.)
As for race director's responsibilities, here are some additional thoughts after reading some of the thoughtful comments in this thread, and talking to more people personally involved in swim monitoring/rescuing/pulling on that day:
1. Not yet mentioned: Expected ebb was a fast 4.1, according to tide table. Experienced swim clubs in San Francisco do NOT schedule Alcatraz crossings with strong ebbs like that - especially in the spring, when ebb can actually turn out much faster than indicated on tide table. The ebb swept more people than usual towards the Golden Gate, and also resulted in a strong eddy offshore, making it hard for swimmers to land. As a result (and also because of the big windchop and cold water), swim rescue staff had to pull 150 swimmers from the water - many just to reposition swimmers to jump back in farther east and make it to land. In a normal year, they pull an average of 50 swimmers.
2. The tide table, as well as average water temps on a given date, is information easily available to a race director well over a year in advance.
3. Having to pull 3x the normal number of swimmers made the swim rescuers (by their own accounts) frantically busy! This could create a difficulty in briskly reaching someone who is truly in medical trouble.
4. I'm fine with being accused of being a wimp here or splitting hairs, but: There is a BIG difference between "52-54" and 51 degrees. Under 55, each degree is noticeable and affects the length of time most of us are able to stay in the water. I swam at Aquatic Park on the day of the Escape, and was able to stay in 15 minutes longer because it had warmed ONE DEGREE from the weeks' prior average of 50. (Early March has 52-54 temps only in an uncommonly warm-water, heavily El Nino year - maybe one out of four years.) Jumping into 51-degree water is a real shock to the system.
5. I'm glad the race directorship sent out so many great videos and emphasized that people must watch them. As many here on ST have pointed out, a responsible athlete furthermore is going to scour the web for former race reports, including reports on swimming conditions, before even signing up for the race. Where the race director could have further assisted athletes here is by CLEARLY STATING THAT WHILE THE ESCAPE USUALLY TAKES PLACE IN SUMMER CONDITIONS, a first-week-in-March race placed this SQUARELY INTO THE CATEGORY OF A WINTER-CONDITIONS RACE. Therefore, scouring past-year (summer) race reports would not adequately capture what to expect. Responsible race director might have offered specifically that...
a. Race temp expected to be mean of ~51 degrees (48-54) based on prior year mean temps.
b. Ebb stronger than usual, 4.1, might mean even more likelihood than usual, of being swept out towards the Golden Gate, and fighting eddies while approaching shore.
c. Big winter swells as well as wind-driven waves are far bigger and more likely than in a summer race.
March was the worst possible month to schedule this race. Even in February, when the water is maybe one degree colder, the spring winds haven't picked up as much. The chop wouldn't have been as bad. At least on an average day.
I stand by my assertion that the race organization made a mistake to schedule this in March. If it is going to go ahead and do that anyway, then burden is on the race organization to explain, before people have registered, that this is not the usual summer Escape but a winter version of the Escape.
- Oleander
The race director has a responsibility to research swim conditions (esp. in winter) and to educate athletes; AND
Athletes are responsible for knowing exactly what they are getting into - and preparing fully. (Or not signing up.)
As for race director's responsibilities, here are some additional thoughts after reading some of the thoughtful comments in this thread, and talking to more people personally involved in swim monitoring/rescuing/pulling on that day:
1. Not yet mentioned: Expected ebb was a fast 4.1, according to tide table. Experienced swim clubs in San Francisco do NOT schedule Alcatraz crossings with strong ebbs like that - especially in the spring, when ebb can actually turn out much faster than indicated on tide table. The ebb swept more people than usual towards the Golden Gate, and also resulted in a strong eddy offshore, making it hard for swimmers to land. As a result (and also because of the big windchop and cold water), swim rescue staff had to pull 150 swimmers from the water - many just to reposition swimmers to jump back in farther east and make it to land. In a normal year, they pull an average of 50 swimmers.
2. The tide table, as well as average water temps on a given date, is information easily available to a race director well over a year in advance.
3. Having to pull 3x the normal number of swimmers made the swim rescuers (by their own accounts) frantically busy! This could create a difficulty in briskly reaching someone who is truly in medical trouble.
4. I'm fine with being accused of being a wimp here or splitting hairs, but: There is a BIG difference between "52-54" and 51 degrees. Under 55, each degree is noticeable and affects the length of time most of us are able to stay in the water. I swam at Aquatic Park on the day of the Escape, and was able to stay in 15 minutes longer because it had warmed ONE DEGREE from the weeks' prior average of 50. (Early March has 52-54 temps only in an uncommonly warm-water, heavily El Nino year - maybe one out of four years.) Jumping into 51-degree water is a real shock to the system.
5. I'm glad the race directorship sent out so many great videos and emphasized that people must watch them. As many here on ST have pointed out, a responsible athlete furthermore is going to scour the web for former race reports, including reports on swimming conditions, before even signing up for the race. Where the race director could have further assisted athletes here is by CLEARLY STATING THAT WHILE THE ESCAPE USUALLY TAKES PLACE IN SUMMER CONDITIONS, a first-week-in-March race placed this SQUARELY INTO THE CATEGORY OF A WINTER-CONDITIONS RACE. Therefore, scouring past-year (summer) race reports would not adequately capture what to expect. Responsible race director might have offered specifically that...
a. Race temp expected to be mean of ~51 degrees (48-54) based on prior year mean temps.
b. Ebb stronger than usual, 4.1, might mean even more likelihood than usual, of being swept out towards the Golden Gate, and fighting eddies while approaching shore.
c. Big winter swells as well as wind-driven waves are far bigger and more likely than in a summer race.
March was the worst possible month to schedule this race. Even in February, when the water is maybe one degree colder, the spring winds haven't picked up as much. The chop wouldn't have been as bad. At least on an average day.
I stand by my assertion that the race organization made a mistake to schedule this in March. If it is going to go ahead and do that anyway, then burden is on the race organization to explain, before people have registered, that this is not the usual summer Escape but a winter version of the Escape.
- Oleander