The Catalina Channel Swimming Federation announced new safety measures.• The age limit for support crew on any swim is now 14 years old. Swimmers with young family members will need to make arrangements so that children under 14 can cheer from the shore.
• A companion swimmer is allowed in the water for a total of 3 hours in 1-hour increments. Under these restrictions, the maximum time of a pace swim is 60 minutes. Further, that particular pace swimmer may join the swimmer for a total of 3 hours. The swimmer can opt for multiple pacers which could extend, if staggered properly, for the entire channel crossing.
• The application packets including medical certificate, payment of fees, membership dues, signed waiver forms, swim summary, and ‘plan your swim’ is due at least 60 days before the scheduled swim date. Incomplete applications will not processed.