NYC SWIM

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a photo headshot to my profile?

Adding a headshot to your profile is relatively simple. If you do not have any photos uploaded into your profile:

1. Login to your account
2. Click the "Add Photo" link under the box showing "no photo available"
3. Click "Browse" button to select a file from your computer (JPG format, maximum size 500Kb/800x800; if your file is larger than this, you can reduce it using an online editor such as Pixlr or contact info@nycswim.org for assistance)
4. Click "Save" button

1. Login to your account
2. Click the "Photos" tab
3. Choose one of the pictures and click the "Make this my headshot" link for that photo
4. Confirm that you want to make this your headshot by clicking the "OK" button when prompted

How do I upload a photo to my profile?

Follow these eight steps to upload a photo to your profile:

Are fins, snorkels, and other swim aids allowed?

Fins, snorkels and other swim aids (including, but not limited to, items such as swim paddles, gloves, kick boards, flotation devices, etc.) are not allowed in any of the NYC Swim swim events or races.

Are wetsuits allowed?

We take a very simple approach by instituting some very basic swimsuit eligibility rules. Like baseball with the wooden bat, we favor very basic bathing suit designs in lieu of new fabrics and technologies. This has many benefits, including ensuring that proper swim attire is affordable to all economic strata and available at nearly every sporting goods store, and upholding designs and styles used back in the 1920s when open water swimming was in its heyday.

For the Manhattan Swim and the Ederle Swim: All swimming costumes for solo swimmers, 2-person relays, 3-person Team Pursuit teamsn, and NYC Traditional relays must be made of a porous material and conform to the "traditional" swimming suit style. These events do not allow attire that increases buoyancy or heat retention, including wetsuits, neoprene caps, or neoprene socks. Caps shall be defined as headgear conforming to traditional swim cap design and not extending to protect the neck or shoulders. Please consult the Race Rules on the MIMS Policies and Ederle Policies pages for additional details on permitted swimwear.

For the Manhattan Swim NYC Catch'em Relay Teams: Teams may compete in either a wetsuit or a non-wetsuit division. Non-traditional suits, including wetsuits and jammers, are allowed for swimmers on NYC Catch'em Relay Teams competing in the wetsuit division. Teams will be classified as participating in the wetsuit division if one or more swimmers wear non-traditional swim attire during the race.

For the Swim Series: When the water temperature is 68°F (20°C) or higher, only swimmers wearing traditional-style swim suits will be eligible for awards. A traditional-style swim suit is one that is made of a porous material, is sleeveless, and is legless. Women may wear suits that come up to their necks, with the zipper up the back. Men may not wear jammers (since they are not legless) or suits that cover their torsos. Any suit that extends to the thighs or shoulders, reduces drag in the water, increases buoyancy, or improves heat-retention is considered non-traditional. Suits in the non-traditional category (which means they affect award eligibility) include jammers of any type; Speedo LZR Racer, Speedo Aquablade, Speedo FS II, Speedo Fastskin, TYR Aqua Shift, TYR Aquapel, TYR Fusion2, Nike Liftsuit, blue seventy zeropoint3, and suits with similar materials. When the water temperature is below 68°F, all swimmers will be eligible for awards, regardless of whether they wear a traditional swim suit or wetsuit.

For the Aquathlon: Non-traditional suits, including skinsuits, speedsuits and jammers, are allowed for the Aquathlon provided they conform to USAT standards for approved swimwear. When the water temperature is 78°F (25.56°C) or higher, swimmers wearing wetsuits will not be eligible for awards.

For each swim, an official announcement regarding temperature and award eligibility will be made on the website and in a final email to participants no later than two days before the event.

Can I listen to my MP3 player, waterproof radio, or tempo trainer while I'm swimming in the event?

No, headphones and other audio devices are not allowed.

How can I use my swim as a fundraiser?

NYC Swim’s swim events are excellent opportunities for individuals and companies to raise funds for their preferred charity. Participants may fund-raise for one non-NYC Swim charity per event, and all donations must be processed, tracked and publicized via NYC Swim’s web site.

The NYC Swim Preferred Charities are a select group of charities whose missions align with goals we support and who receive a percentage of donations on behalf of swimmers fundraising at NYC Swim events. In 2010 and continuing through the 2012 season, NYC Swim introduced the first of its Preferred Charities, Swim Free™, a charity dedicated to the health improvement of children and adults through swim. With its well-respected, independent board and staff and activities that include learn-to-swim, water safety and enjoyment, water cleanliness, and overcoming fear of the water, such as is addressed in its Swim Free Angel initiative, it was the perfect match for us. Donations made through our website are currently received by Swim Free™. The organization issues donor receipts and ensures that third-party charities receive the appropriate payouts at the end of the season. If your organization is interested in being an NYC Swim Preferred Charity, please contact us.

For the swim series events and the Ederle Swim, fundraising is completely voluntary.

Participants may choose to fundraise for one of NYC Swim's Preferred Charities only or to include a charity of their choice. In that instance, proceeds are split 50/50 between Preferred Charity (Swim Free™) and the selected charity and will be disbursed by NYC Swim's Preferred Charity (Swim Free™) after fundraising is complete.

Donations received via the NYC Swim website go directly to the NYC Swim Preferred Charity (Swim Free™), which will issue receipts. A fundraising minimum of $150 or 5 donations over the course of season is required in order to qualify for a payout to a third-party charity. While there is no administrative charge for processing donations, those made by credit card are subject to deduction of credit card transaction fees (Direct Transaction Expenses). Donations will be split with third-party charities after (Direct Transaction Expenses) have been deducted. Checks are not subject to transaction expenses and may be sent directly to the NYC Swim Preferred Charity (Swim Free™).

For the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and the Manhattan Island Relays, there are two classes of fundraising: voluntary and obligatory.

Voluntary fundraisers apply and are accepted through the open enrollment process and may choose to fundraise for one of NYC Swim's Preferred Charities only or include a charity of their choice. In that instance, proceeds are split 50/50 between NYC Swim's Preferred Charity (Swim Free™) and the selected charity and will be disbursed by NYC Swim's Preferred Charity (Swim Free™) after fundraising is complete.

Donations received via the NYC Swim website go directly to the NYC Swim Preferred Charity (Swim Free™), which will issue receipts. A fundraising minimum of $150 or 5 donations is required in order to qualify for a payout to a third-party charity. While there is no administrative charge for processing donations, those made by credit card are subject to deduction of credit card transaction fees (Direct Transaction Expenses). Donations will be split with third-party charities after (Direct Transaction Expenses) have been deducted. Checks are not subject to transaction expenses and may be sent directly to the NYC Swim Preferred Charity (Swim Free™).

Obligatory fundraisers apply and are accepted for one of the relay slots reserved for fundraisers and have minimum fundraising requirements and distribution arrangements. The full 2012 MIMS policy can be found here and the 2012 Manhattan Island Relays policy here.

All fundraisers (voluntary and obligatory) may enter a charity at the time of enrollment or e-mail info@nycswim.org to add a charity to an existing enrollment.

Violations of this policy may prevent the swimmer from participating in MIMS and other NYC Swim events.

How do I apply?

Applications for each swim and aquathlon in the summer series are available online at www.nycswim.org. Registration remains open until 3 days prior to the event unless the maximum number of participants allowed has already been reached.

How do I upload my pool certification?

The pool certificate template can be found at http://www.nycswim.org/Template/poolcertificatetemplate.pdf. You may complete your pool swim at any suitable pool as long as the lifeguard is willing to monitor your swim and sign the pool certification form.

Once you have completed your qualifying pool swim and filled in the form, you can upload it by clicking "Add new pool certificate" from within the "Swimmer" section of your user profile (PDF files only) or fax it to 212-784-6850. Please note that the pool certification for events is generally due two weeks in advance or, if you are enrolling closer to the swim date, within 24 hours of your enrollment.

How much does it cost?

Please check the Overview tab of the event page for the event you are interested in.

I'm a collegiate swimmer with lots of experience; can I have the qualifying swim requirement waived?

For both safety and liability reasons, we are unable to waive the qualification requirements for any prospective swimmer. In addition, we use the swim time information to place swimmers in an appropriate starting wave.

If you have completed an NYC Swim event of appropriate distance within the past three years, your participation may automatically qualify you for the race that you would like to enter. If you have non-NYC Swim open water swim experience, you can enter the information under your user profile (click on the “My Events” tab, page down to the “Swim History (Non-NYC Swim Events)” section, click on “Add Non-NYC Swim Event”) and it will be reviewed to ensure that it meets the standards set for the race that you would like to enter. You may also qualify for a swim by completing a monitored pool swim as detailed in the race requirements section. (Log in to your swimmer profile, click on the “Swimmer” tab to see the requirements for the different races as well as to access the pool certificate template.)

I'm doing my first NYC Swim event. What do I need to know?

You're in for a treat! Here are some pre-event guidelines to help you make your first (or twenty-first!) race the best experience possible.

I'm new to open water swimming. Do you have any tips for me?

We polled the readers of our newsletter Cross Currents and came up with these tips:

I'm not American & have never swum in the US. Can I qualify using a swim race in another country?

Yes, we accept the results of open water swims done anywhere in the world as long as they meet the qualification standard (date and distance completed) for the event that you would like to enroll in, as specified in the Experience Requirement section on the event Overview page. Please see http://nycswim.org/About/FAQ.aspx#37 for instructions on uploading your qualifying result to your user profile.

Is there a medical requirement for NYC Swim events?

Most swims do not require any shots or a medical exam. We recommend that all swimmers have up-to-date tetanus shots, and that they be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. Our marathon swims – the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and the Ederle Swim – require solo swimmers, two-person relays, and three-person Team Pursuit teams to submit a medical form completed by their doctor. The medical form is not necessary for any other swim, though we recommend that you check with your doctor before trying any new athletic endeavor.

Steps to Upload Non-NYC Swim Results to the User Profile

Login to your account
Click on "My Events"
Scroll down to "Swim History (Non-NYCSWIM Events)"
Click on "Add non-nycswim event"
Enter the name of the event that you participated in and have a finishing result for.

If the event’s name is in our database, it will appear in the pop up box for you to select (this may take a few seconds to load).

Click the "Submit" button if you see the name of your event.

Next you will be prompted through drop-down windows to select the year, date, and distance of the event.

If your event is already in our database, you will be prompted to add your swim time and swim placement.

If you do not see the event’s name, date, or distance listed within the appropriate drop-down box, then select the "Add new" box at any stage of the process and complete the required fields to add your event and finishing result to your profile.

Certain events may be included in your self-reported user bio but cannot be used to satisfy experience requirements for NYC Swim events. These include events without publicly posted results, triathlons with pool swims rather than open water swims, and relay triathlons where the results do not specify which participant completed the swim leg. Please see What type of results can I list in my profile and use to qualify for an NYC Swim event? for more details.

Under what conditions would NYC Swim cancel a race?

NYC Swim always endeavors to hold events as scheduled and rarely issues cancellations in advance. However, because our events are tide-specific, and require the cooperation of many shore-side and on-water agencies, certain conditions must be met in order for us to proceed as planned.

What are the qualifications to race?

All applicants must fill out an extensive application detailing their swimming and personal background.

For the Manhattan Swim: Applicants must complete a qualifying swim in a prescribed water temperature and include recent workouts and their training plan. They must also write an essay about why they want to participate; a medical exam is required as well. For additional information on qualifications for solo swimmer and relay applicants, check the MIMS web page.

For the Ederle Swim: Applicants must complete a qualifying swim and include recent workouts and their training plan. They must also write an essay about why they want to participate; a medical exam is required as well. For additional information on qualifications for solo swimmer and relay applicants, check the Ederle web page.

For Swim Series: Applicants must meet the swim standards determined for the event. Check the race you are interested in the "Experience Requirement" section on the event Overview page. There is no medical requirement for swim series events, though it is always a good idea to check with your doctor before embarking on a new fitness plan.

What happens to my personal belongings once I get in the water?

At swimmer check-in, you may also check a bag of personal belongings to be transported to race finish for you. You should bring an inexpensive bag and leave your valuables at home. NYC Swim is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

What time does the tide change?

If only there was an easy answer to that one! NYC Swim races are scheduled with tidal conditions in mind, which is one reason why start times and race dates shift from year to year. However, while general tidal conditions are largely predictable, there are many variables at play to keep our open water swimming interesting.

The times listed in annually published tide charts are based on past observations and the forces of gravity between the moon, earth, and the sun, which play a large role in determining the movement of water in oceans, estuaries, bays, and other tidal bodies of water. Winds, recent rainfall, and barometric pressure also make a difference, as does water depth and distance from shore at a specific location. At one point upstate in 2010 for an extended period, the tide was off over 30 minutes from the predictions. In other words, just like the weather, the tide is not fully predictable.

On race day, NYC Swim’s race organizers will wait or even rush to start a race based on the actual tide speeds reported by the GPS speed readings provided by the boat captains from multiple locations along the race course. Invariably, these start times will rarely correspond to the layman read of the tide charts and will vary from year to year and event to event.

Take a look at NOAA's site to begin to learn more about this, and take it with a dose of saltwater if anyone ever tells you they know exactly when the tide is going to change.

What will the water be like?

The water temperature will probably be in the mid 60's during June, the beginning of July and September, but in the 70's during the end of July and August. There can be a substantial amount of chop in the water from wind and tide action. The waterways are saltwater and there is shipping traffic. There may be random jetsam and flotsam in the waterways.

Why don't I have a green check by my entry?

If your name has a green check by it in the swimmer listing, you are all set for your upcoming swim. If not, mouse over the icon(s) in the "Notes" column to find out what's missing, or read on for the translation.

Please add a photo to your user profile. If you do not have any photos uploaded into your profile:

Would you cancel a race due to water quality concerns?

If water quality is an issue, swimmers would be advised on site so they can decide whether to participate. After a severe storm, such as one involving torrential downpours over an extended period of time whereby water quality in an entire region is compromised, we will not permit swimmers to go in the water. An indication of such a situation would be the closure of many local beaches, as the water quality at various locations is interdependent. If an event is canceled in advance, information will be posted on our home page as soon as it is available. [Cancellation Policy]