Swim Streamers In Open Water Swimming
Courtesy of WOWSA, from the Tsugaru Channel in Japan to the Straits of Florida in the Caribbean Sea.
Traditional marathon swimmers have critized the use of swim streamers by Diana Nyad in the Straits of Florida or swimmers crossing the Tsugaru Channel in Japan.
“It is considered an assisted swim by marathon swimmers because it helps the swimmer stay on course, instead of having to look up and alway self-correct their direction in order to swim by their escort boat,” explains Steven Munatones. “On the other hand, the channel swimming community has always respected the decisions of the local governing body. So in the same way the Cook Strait allows swimmers to get out for up to 10 minutes in the presence of a shark or the North Channel does not require a walk-in from shore at the start or a walk-out at the finish of a North Channel crossing or allowing for two kayakers or two pace swimmers both on either side of the swimmer in the Catalina Channel, there are occasionally exceptions to the traditional English Channel rules. Even in the English Channel community, there are differences that can make time differences.
The Tsugaru Channel season coincides with the tuna fishing season. The Tsugaru fishermen’s union set its net for longline fishing and these nets always change their location. To protect their very expensive nets, the fishermen’s union orders swimmers to use two escort boats. One guides the swimmer staying close and one to scout ahead to make sure no longline nets are damaged or crossed. It’s not a wish to abide by their decree. It is a flat-out order that all swimmers must follow at the risk of having all future swims cancelled due to the power of the local union.
A swim streamer has been used in the Tsugaru Channel and throughout Japan to protect against sharks and other marine life and is accepted as optional equipment by the Tsugaru Channel Swimming Association.
A streamer was introduced in America by Diana Nyad during her Xtreme Dream swim attempts across the Straits of Florida in 2011.
A weighted streamer will be used by Ben Lecomte in The Longest Swim, a transpacific stage swim across the Pacific Ocean scheduled to start in May 2018.
Swimmer’s streamer (or sarashi or さらし (in Japanese) is a piece of cloth or illuminated material that is runs parallel alongside an escort boat for the benefit of a marathon swimmer during an ocean swim.
The cloth is used during daytime hours; the illuminated material is used during the nighttime hours for easier viewing. The navigational aid is hoisted from the escort boat and anchored in the water so the cloth or material runs 1-3 meters underneath the surface of the water.
The Daily News of Open Water Swimming has described and covered swims that use a swim streamer including swims by Stephen Redmond, Darren Miller, Adam Walker, Chris Kraus, Brian Ross, and Rick Gaenzle across the Tsugaru Channel in Japan to Diana Nyad in the Straits of Florida in the Caribbean Sea.
The photo on left shows a swim streamer with red LED lights. The color of the swim streamer that we have seen are white, baby blue, or white with red lights. “Historically, the tradition came from Japanese swimmers and its sailors and fishermen from what I have researched,” said Steven Munatones.
The Daily News of Open Water Swimming articles can be seen here:
* Streaming Straight In The Open Water
* The Shark Diver Controversy In Ocean Swimming
* Why Are Two Boats Used To Cross The Tsugaru Channel?
* It Takes A Team And All Day
* Chris Kraus, Brian Ross, Rick Gaenzle Cross Tsugaru
* Streaming Along Marathon Swims
* Swim Streamers In Open Water Swimming
* Stephen Redmond Achieves The Oceans Seven
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