Observer

International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame coach, handler, and observer Thomas Watch of Great Britain

Steven Munatones served as an observer during Diana Nyad's DNF attempt across the Straits of Florida in 2010

Course taken by Forrest Nelson, Becky Jackman-Beeler, Mike Mitchell, Kent Nicholas, Emily Evans, and Tina Neill were members of Team FTD that completed a 6-way crossing of the Catalina Channel that was captained by John Pittman aboard the Outrider, ratified by the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation and Carol Sing, Donald Van Cleve, and Adam Moine who served as official observers. Source: Marathon Swimmers Forum by Evan Morrison

noun - Observer is an authorized individual from a governing organization or an independent swimming organization who confirms that the open water swimmer(s) or an open water swimming relay members confirm to the existing rules and regulations of the swim. The observer is primarily responsible for documenting adjudicating the solo swim or relay, and for completing, submitting, and authorizing an official Observer Report.

Usage

The Observer signed off on the report that the swimmer completed the swim in 10 hours 1 minutes.

Governing Organizations with Observers

• Channel Swimming Association
• Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
• Catalina Channel Swimming Federation
• ACNEG
• Irish Long Distance Swimming Association
• British Long Distance Swimming Association
• International Ice Swimming Association

Independent Organizations with Observers

• Marathon Swimmers Federation
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• World Open Water Swimming Federation

Synonyms

steward, official

Observation Methodology

Observers are responsible to provide the following information to the governing body for official ratification or verification of an open water swim. The documentation is also useful for historical purposes, especially for unprecedented swims or record-setting swims.

• Provide the full name, age, birthdate, and nationality of the swimmer (or swimmers).
• Provide the name of the open body of water where they swam and the direction (e.g., north to south, or east to west, clockwise or counterclockwise).
• Describe where they swam, including the name or location of the start and finish.
• Provide the dates and times when they swam.
• Describe how they swam (e.g., freestyle or breaststroke with or without a wetsuit, neoprene swim cap, ear plugs, fins, tow float, etc.).
• Provide the names and responsibilities of all individuals on their escort support crew, both on land and in the water. Very importantly, include the name(s) and contact information (e.g., email address or telephone number) of their escort pilots and escort kayakers.
• Describe the course (e.g., point-to-point course, one-way crossing, two-way crossing, circumnavigation swim, stage swim).
• Provide the straight-line tangent distance from start to finish in kilometers.
• Describe the rules that the swimmer(s) followed.
• Provide the swimmer's official time (in days, hours, minutes, and seconds).
• Provide the dates they swam including the time of the start and finish.
• In the Observer Log, describe the water temperature, air temperature, wind speed, wave height, any precipitation (if raining or snowing), water conditions (e.g., clear or murky), marine life if visible (e.g., sharks, dolphins, whales, jellyfish, sea lions), for each hour of the swim - or in other reasonable and regular time intervals.
• Provide the GPS tracking data from a tracking device, either on the swimmer(s), on the escort kayaker, and/or on the escort boat.
• Obtain a narrative description of the swim by the swimmer.
• Provide photos and videos of the start, finish, and various parts of the swim.

External links

• Ratification, Verification, Certification, Authentication, Confirmation, Sanction, Documentation, Observation ... What Do These All Mean?
• Shocking Start, Tough Middle, Great Outcome for Tsanko Tsankov
• An Aquatic Life of Extremes with Spyros Chrysikopoulos
• The Most Influential Open Water Swimming Personalities from 1950 to 2020
• Norman Trusty Passes Away, Leaving a Legacy in the Open Water
• Steve Sutton and Steven Munatones Pioneer Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim
• CCSF Has So Much to Give, Offer and Share
• Official Observers On Ice
• Remembering Lynn Kubasek with Her Legacy in the California Channel Islands
• The Swimming Evolution – From Briefs To Jammers
• The Special Race Of Rondi Davies Around Manhattan Island
• New Zealand Open Water Swimming Association Kicks Off With Record Swim By Jonathan Ridler
• Against The Current, For A Greater Cause
• Catalina Channel Is Open For Business
• Strong Together - Even Apart With Phil White At The Virtual Winter Swim
• Ram Barkai Announces New Freedom Swim Wave Series In South Africa
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Daily News of Open Water Swimming
• Marathon Swimming
• Jim, Joe, John Put On Quite A Show Around Manhattan Island
• Carol Sing On Enjoying The Channels On WOWSA Live
• David Clark Talks Safety And The Catalina Channel Season On WOWSA Live
• Sing Their Praises, Team Is Defined By FTD
• Thank You Very Much, Peter Frayne
• All Hands On Deck
• Open Water Swimming
• Boat Assisted Swims Around Manhattan Island
• Channel Swimming, 100% Perfection Personified
• Keeping Good Lookout - Can't Be Done Without Them
• What Is A Safety Briefing?
• Marathon Swimming
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Swim, Sleep, Snooze
• Chocolate Indulgence In A Coffee Cup
• The Parting Touch In Open Water Swimming Relays
• Marathon Swimming
• Open Water Swimming
• Paul Lundgren's Transformation Off The Grid Into The Wild
• World Record Recognition Is A Long Time Coming
• Expect The Unexpected Déjà Vu
• Peter Bales, A Navigating Giant Of South Africa
• 100 New Year's Resolutions For Open Water Swimmers
• Dangers, Risks: Who's Responsible In The Open Water?
• D-Day Anniversary Relay Commemorates The Courageous
• Veljko Rogošić's Moje Najteže Milje - His Hardest Mile
• When Two Open Water Swimmers Marry
• 10 Hours Around Manhattan Leads To A Lifetime Together
• NYC Swim
• Why People Swim Alone No Matter What The Risks
• Observe The Challenge Of Channel Swimming
• Honoring Pilots Around The World
• Supporting And Crewing On Sarah Thomas' Century Swim
• Learn, Observe, Escort, Enjoy The Catalina Channel