I’m going to be in Kona for a couple of days next week and I want to swim the IM course as close to its race day layout as possible- are there permanent buoys or moorings out there I can follow or are there landmarks I can use to approximate the turnaround point?
Is this a stupid idea on account of boat traffic (I can probably get one of my grown-up nephews or bro-in-law to follow in a kayak or paddle board if that helps.)?
It’s one of the best places to swim EVER. No boats.
Head to the pier, you’ll see a line of buoys that take you out past where the boats can go. If you look out, you’ll see a couple more buoys. the last one “kings buoy” is a 1/2IM swim out and back. You sight it by sighting where the point of the land meets the water on the horizon.
When in doubt, show up at 8 and there are swimmers there all the time.
Awesome! I can’t wait; I’m not likely to ever get there on race day as a participant but I’ve dreamed of that swim for decades so it’s going to be a milestone for sure.
Cheers!
oh wait, you want to swim the actual course?
Nope. No buoys. There is an IM buoy, but it’s not the actual course. Again, from the Kings, just sight the horizon land line and you’ll get there, especially if you have a kayak or SUP with you that can sight better. Super nice swim, but past the Kings, it’s game on for the boats so most don’t do it without support or a big group.
Hope that helps
Oh OK, good to know. If I were going to swim downshore from the pier WITH an escort, what would be a good landmark to start the return swim to the pier?
King Kam hotel is good. Big and white. Then when closer, I liked the green roof from the convenient store on the corner.
Excellent, thanks again. I might even do a snorkel for the viewing potential 
You will have to swim beyond the Royal Kona Resort (the big ship-looking hotel on the left) from the pier. Swim with an escort as someone said–I had a HUGE sting ray (or manta) swim about 2 feet under me once out there. Scared the bejeezus out of me. Lots of things that can go “bump in the day” swimming around there. Make sure you don’t have any cuts on you when you go.
You’ll be fine…it’s a great swim. Keep your eye out for pods of dolphins in am.
Albert
There is one permanent buoy at the 1/2 way-out (0.6 miles) and another at the turn-around (1.2 miles). There is a group (3 to 5 swimmers) that often swims 7am on each Thursday - well they did last year!
Looking south to the horizon (from the pier), where you see land in the distance, there is a “bump” in the land-formation as it approaches the sea - aim for this bump and the turnaropind bouy and you will be good. The turnaround point lines up with the Royal Kona Sea Cliff resort.
Sighting on the return leg back to the pier is the KK hotel, or the taller communications tower in the distance.
Fun swim - even for a shitty swimmer like me.
Wife and I did the swim everyday for a week about a month ago while on vacation. The turnaround buoy is really tiny and hard to spot but it is out there. Shoot for the blue roofs out at the point and it will be out there somewhere. Swam with enormous amounts of dolphins on 3 mornings. Typically they were at the large black/white buoy perpendicular to the Royal Kona resort in the AM. It’s a great place to swim. Boat traffic is minimal and not a worry IMO. Not sure why you would need an escort unless it makes you feel better.
We also did the swim from the parking lot at Kaeblahblahblahblah bay to the Captain Cook memorial south of Kona. That was some deep water out there!
There is a group that swims it regularly
Head into bike works and they will tell you the days they swim.
Last time I did it I swam into 2 turtles.
Scared the crap out of me
Thank you sir; I will be seeking out some Kona Nightingale while in the Islands.
Thank you all for the excellent suggestions. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of creatures; off shore NorCal is about the murkiest and coldest soup in which one could ever hope to swim. Out here you don’t even get to see the one that gets you!