Our rules for successful swims are consistent with the traditions of our sport since Matthew Webb first crossed the English Channel in 1875: complete the swim, shore to shore, without assistance.
For generations, swimmers, pilots, and crew have interpreted "assistance" in light of their local conditions and changing technologies, but we all share a common commitment to swimming under our own power, without aids that provide artificial buoyancy, warmth, or forward motion.
The Marathon Swimming Federation provides a clear statement of the principles and values we all share in upholding the traditions of marathon swimming. Our rules are consistent with these principles. The Solo Swims swim master for each swim is ultimately responsible for compliance and interpretation of the rules below.
The swimmer shall be at least 14 years old at the start of the swim. This requirement also applies to the Trial Swim.
The swimmer is permitted to wear a standard nylon/lycra bathing suit, one bathing cap (not neoprene or cellular), swimming goggles, and may apply some form of grease to the body before a swim.
No swimmer shall wear a swimming suit that is made of neoprene, rubber, or any other non-porous material designed in any way to contain body heat and/or aid buoyancy and may be subjected to a buoyancy test. The swimsuit shall end at the neck, top of the shoulders, and the crotch – i.e. no sleeves or shorts – no “jammers”. The bathing cap shall be normally designed swimming headgear.
The swimmer shall wear two SSO-supplied lights for identification in the dark. One shall be attached to the goggle strap and the other shall be attached to the swim-suit.
No swimmer shall use or wear any device or swim-suit that may aid his/her speed, buoyancy or endurance during an SSO-recorded swim. Included in, but not limited by, this list of aids are fins, flippers, webbed gloves, pull-buoys, kick-boards, feedback devices for timing, heart-rate or blood-pressure.
Any kind of material (e.g. tape) on the body, that provides muscular or structural-bracing, is not permitted unless approved BEFORE the date of the swim by the Swim Master upon consultation with the SSO Risk Management and/or Medical Officers.
The swimmer must enter the water from the shore at the departure point, swim across the body of water until there is no further water beyond, and touch the mainland of the opposite shore.
For a multiple crossing, the swimmer must land as above. The swimmer must then immediately return to the water and is permitted to stand or sit for up to 10 minutes. During this time, the swimmer must not be touched by any person, but may be handed food, drink, grease, medicants, or swimming apparel to be administered by the swimmer. At the end of the allotted rest period, or sooner if the swimmer wishes to continue, the swimmer, in agreement with the Swim Master, will make the most direct and reasonable way to water deep enough to swim, and recommence swimming. The time spent in shallow water during the rest period shall be included in the total time of the swim.
During the swim, no physical contact with the swimmer is allowed by any person. Unintentional touching of the swimmer during feeding and re-greasing of the swimmer while in the water are both allowed, but the swimmer cannot be supported or aided in any way. The swimmer is not allowed to touch or hang on to any part of any of the boats, although unintentional touching or pushing away during feeding or in rough water will not result in disqualification.
No drafting (following closer than 2 metres) behind another swimmer or boat will be permitted. One warning will be given before disqualification, unless the violation is blatant and/or deliberate.
No pacers are permitted during the trial swim. During the main swim, one pacer at a time will be permitted with the swimmer, but only after five hours have elapsed, and only during daylight hours. Pacers must be 14 years of age or older. The Swim Master shall have the final say regarding any accompanying swimmers.
The Swim Master shall be in sole charge of timing of the swim and shall be responsible for compliance and interpretation of the rules. The Swim Master's ruling will be final, subject to official ratification by Solo Swims of Ontario Inc.
The timing of the swim shall start from the moment the swimmer enters the water until the swimmer touches the opposite shore.
The timing shall be recorded to the nearest second.
A record-breaking swim shall be required to improve upon the previous best time by 60 seconds.
To ensure the provision of proper timing that will enable ratification of a time as a new record, notification of a potential record-breaking swim MUST be made BEFORE the start of the swim. For the monitoring of such a potential record time, times must be taken by three timekeepers appointed or approved by the Swim Master.
Prior to the start of the swim, all watches shall be certified as accurate to the satisfaction of the Swim Master.
The Swim Master shall instruct the selected Timekeepers as to the Start and Stop conditions for the timing:
Timekeepers shall start their watch at the starting signal and shall stop it when the swimmer has completed the course.
If requested by the Swim Master, each Timekeeper must present their watch, with its recorded time, for inspection by the Swim Master.
The Swim Master has the right to disallow any timing device (s)he believes is out of calibration. The final Official time shall be determined as follows:
If two of the three watches record the same time (to the nearest second), and the third disagrees, then the two identical times shall be the official time.
If all three watches disagree, the watch recording the intermediate time shall be the official time.
If all three watches disagree, and no individual watch is widely different from the other two, then the watch recording the intermediate time shall be the official time.
With only two of the three watches working, the average of the two (rounded-up, if necessary, to a full second) shall be the official time.
In the case of any problem with the interpretation of the recorded times, the Swim Master shall record all of the details and report them to the SSO Board for their guidance.
Any swimmer found using any substance banned by the Sports Medicine Council of Canada will be immediately disqualified. Alcohol, sedatives, and contraband drugs are NOT permitted to be consumed by anyone on any of the boats at any time during the swim.