I got this in the mail, and I checked the Santa Cruz site and the last date of a test was September 5th. Does anyone from SC remember when and if this has happened before, and can it resolve quickly? I hope they consider moving the start to Cowell’s beach to the west…it would not be fun to remove the swim from the race.
After several days of unusually warm temperatures, the Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Department has issued a swim advisory for the Main Beach at the Boardwalk and Cowells Beach at the Wharf based on high levels of Red Algae and bacteria found in the water. These levels currently are impacting the swim location for the IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Cruz triathlon.
IRONMAN is working with local authorities to monitor the levels and are preparing adjustments to the swim course if a change should be needed. Please continue to check the IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Cruz event website and** Facebook page** for updates. Information will also be posted at registration check-in and announcements will be made during the athlete briefings on Friday and Saturday.
For more information on the current water quality advisories please refer to the Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Department.
According to a teammate who went to the athlete briefing this afternoon, the swim is ON, but the location changed slightly. I haven’t seen anything official yet, but I’m really hoping that’s the case.
The water has been quickly returning to norma and I don’t see the swim being cancelled. I think the Alexandrium HAB is what has been causing concern in the most recent samples. We did our normal Wednesday swim around the pier and no one had any issues.
any word what happened with the swim? Swim times are like 10 - 12min so looks like they let them in water but was a silly short swim.
Reading posts from the race, and pictures, the fog was so bad they first delayed the start, then had to shorten the swim. When I did the dip and dash there in july, we had the same issue. Would have been impossible to swim around the pier then, and was impossible to do that today. Sure takes away from the race, but, what do you do.
I have yet to see how short it was, but if you say 10 minutes, they basically swam out to a buoy set not far off shore because that is all you can see.
Yup. Fog was thick this morning. I’m glad at least it wasn’t cancelled. The swim was moved north of the wharf. When it finally started it was still difficult to see the turn buoy.
Yup. Fog was thick this morning. I’m glad at least it wasn’t cancelled. The swim was moved north of the wharf. When it finally started it was still difficult to see the turn buoy.
Same experience we had in July. We could not see turn buoys from shore. Sounds like you had the same. Did the red Algae impact the swim also or was it gone?
I don’t think it was an issue. Water was cloudy but more of a blue gray green. I have no idea if the water changes with it. Way more red during last years swim.
I was surprised at the amount of people that either wanted the swim to be cancelled or were happy with the shortened course. I suck at swimming but really enjoy swimming around the wharf.
Think it was smart, and the right choice to change the swim. The fog was so bad you couldn’t see the first bouy. Then it lightened up a little, then came back in strong. Made for a crazy time before the start, but give the organizers credit for making it work, even if only about 800 meters!
I heard one person say that the person the were watching race, was disapointed that the swim was shortened, to the point that he was considering not even racing. Might have been a little bravado??? Did hear comments about happy it was short, but kinda expect a little of that. I was watching my daughter-in-law, she was happy to at least get some swim even though shes not a fast swimmer (2min/100)
While waiting to enter the water (which took very long, about 45 minutes) I was thinking that they could have waited and let the swim proceed as normal as opposed to putting people through the chute one at a time and keep the course as-is. But in the end I had to agree they made the right call, you couldn’t see anything past the pier until the sun was out at 8:30, and they had no way of knowing it. And you had police and permits held to the time limits. Yes, my swim time was short, and I wanted to swim the whole wharf, but you can’t change the weather that you’re given and if they had the swim as-is and someone died…
Oddly enough, the biggest challenge was the sun during the run, it got hot out there by Wilder Beach and the trail was kind of a bitch to run already.
Kudos to have a plan B for the swim. Much appreciated and count me impressed about them setting an new course and making it safe.
Great run race, fantastic volunteers and a great vibe. Being made fun of by fat out of shape 'whale-watchers" was just doubling the fun.
Negative:
Crowd control:
They need to do a better job to separate spectators and athletes at the start. It was a free for all and I had to fight my way to the swim start through spectators mingling in the start corral.
Communication:
They also need a stronger and louder PA systems. You couldn’t hear the announcements 50 feet away.
Lost and found:
Shoe-drop at the swim. Was not able to locate/find the shoes I had dropped off at the swim exit and moved due to Swim/Finish Reorg. I know it was a risk and that they got stolen, but IM staff giving me and my tired legs the run-around after the race instead of just flatly stating they got discarded was a turnoff.
Parking:
It was a shit-show and people who followed local parking regulations got ripped off, whereas those who parked illegally close to transition got the additional bonus to crop-dust people finishing up.
