Is there a rest day between Stages 4 and 5?

Not exactly. There are two “rain” days built into the schedule: one after stage 4, which accommodates a delay of stages 1, 2, 3 or 4 due to an extreme weather event, and one after stage 7 which accommodates a delay of stages 5, 6 or 7. While rain, even if heavy, will not be reason to cancel, electrical storms and very strong winds will be cause for delay or cancellation. Every effort will be made to proceed as scheduled.

How do the “rain” dates work?

In the case of a stage being cancelled due to high winds or electrical storms, we will endeavor to reschedule the stage for the following day in which case subsequent stages will also move ahead one day. For example, if Stage 2 is cancelled due to extreme weather, it will be moved to the date scheduled for Stage 3. Then Stages 3 and 4 will be moved forward a day to occur to their rain date. The 8 Bridges schedule has a buffer day after Stage 4 to accommodate a delay of Stages 1, 2, 3 or 4, and one after Stage 7 to accommodate a delay of Stages 5, 6 or 7.

Is there a non-traditional swimsuit (e.g. wetsuit) category for this event?

No. None of NYOW’s marathon events allow non-traditional swimsuits of any kind.

The swimsuit (for both genders) shall be made of porous, textile material. For males, the suit must not extend below the knee or above the waist. For females it must not extend below the knee, onto the neck, or beyond the shoulder.

The cap shall not offer thermal protection or buoyancy. The Observer will have to approve the suit and cap. The Swimmer must make sure their suit and cap are of an approved type before starting, as the swim will not be recognized if they do not conform.

Can I wear KT (kinesiology) tape?

No. KT tape anywhere on the swimmer is not allowed for any reason.

Can I wear a Watch, Garmin, Smart Goggles, Heart Rate Monitor, or other types of informational/tracking/data devices?

No devices of any kind (digital or analog) are allowed.   

Can you rank the 7 swim stages by degree of difficulty?

The following is a comparison of the degree of difficulty for the seven 8 Bridges stages and some of the more well-known swims in the area. Listed from easiest-to-most-challenging:

  1. Spuyten Duyvil 10k
  2. Coney Island Loop (3 miles)
  3. Chesapeake Bay (4.4 miles)
  4. Stage 6 Tappan Zee to George Washington Bridge
  5. Stage 3 Mid-Hudson Bridge to Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
  6. Boston Light (depending on water temp)
  7. Kingdom 10 mile
  8. Stage 4 Newburgh-Beacon Bridge to Bear Mountain Bridge
  9. Rose Pitonoff
  10. Ederle-Burke (depending on water temp)
  11. Stage 1 Rip Van Winkle Bridge to Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge
  12. Stage 7 George Washington Bridge to Verrazano Bridge
  13. 20 Bridges
  14. Stage 2 Kingston-Rhinecliff to Mid-Hudson Bridge
  15. Stage 5 Bear Mt Bridge to Tappan Zee Bridge
  16. Tampa Bay

Note that opinions — as always — will vary.

Which stage(s) should I swim?

Each stage of 8 Bridges is unique and has its own special attributes which is part what makes it such a great event. Below we highlight some of the features of each stage to help you work out which stage/s you’d like to swim:

  • The stage with the least current assist is 5 — swimmers typically start this stage late in the flood tide.
  • The more peaceful and rural stages are 1 and 2.
  • The most urban stages are 6 and 7.
  • Stage 7 has the most iconic scenery and intense boat traffic being that you are swimming through the heart of the NY Harbor; you swim past the Statue of Liberty and have spectacular views of the Empire State Building and other great NYC landmarks.
  • The most fun and social stage is 6; being so accessible to the city. Stage 6 gathers a lot of contenders coming out to ride the fast currents.
  • Stage 4 has the most majestic scenery with the Bannerman’s Castle, the towering Hudson Highlands fjord, and West Point.
  • Stage 3 is the most simple, straightforward and relaxing stage.
  • The most difficult stages are 5 and 2 for their sheer distance (20 miles).
  • Stages 1 and 2 have the best lighthouses.

How difficult is it to swim a marathon swim day-after-day?

If you are considering taking the 7-day, 120-mile challenge, or swimming two or three stages, be assured it’s not as hard as it sounds. Yes, it’s hard to get going each morning after swimming four or five hours the previous day, but provided you pace yourself swimming day-after-day becomes second nature. One way to approach the magnitude of back-to-back marathon swims is to consider it as a long hike, say on the Appalachian trail, and to pace yourself as such.

Recommended pace is an estimate of the pace (not current-assisted) you need to hold for the duration of a stage (4+ hours) in order to finish the stage before the tide turns and you cannot complete the swim. Being a tidal estuary, the Hudson flows in two directions twice a day. Each morning the swim starts on the ebb (outgoing) tide, which provides a window of four to seven hours to complete a stage.

Recommended paces range from 27 minutes per mile (Stage 5) to 44 minutes per mile (Stage 6). See the 7 Stages for the recommended pace for each stage.

Should I tip my kayaker?

8 Bridges pays kayakers a per diem to cover their logistical expenses. But yes, by all means please show your gratitude however you see fit.

Can you help me to find crew?

Please reach out to us as soon as possible and we will provide some guidance to help you find experienced local crew.

My friend is swimming one or more stages and I’d like to watch and support them. How can I?

You can crew for them or volunteer to support the event.  When supporting the event, you will be assigned where needed and it is possible that you will not be with your swimmer.  

Is there a set starting point and time for the swim or is it determined by tides?

The start time of the swim can vary based on the tides and other factors. This information will be communicated to you well in advance of the swim.  

The starting point of all stages is the south end of the bridge except Stage 1 which is the north end.

Is there a schedule of the timings for the swim available?

This information is sent out to the swimmers as soon as it’s available, but at least a week prior to the swim.

What does my entry fee pay for?

8 Bridges takes place in a busy commercial waterway and so we take the safety of swimmers and their support team very seriously. Most of your entry fee pays for our safety boaters. We also pay kayakers and observers a modest stipend. The rest of your fee goes toward expenses including insurance, dockage, spot tracking, and administration. NYOW is a non-profit organization.

Where should I stay?

There are several accommodation options from hotels, motels, campsites, and homes. Check the following websites for information about accommodation in the Hudson Valley. In addition, feel free to contact the race directors for suggestions:

Do escort boats have warming or icing facilities (e.g. microwaves, coolers, or water boilers)?

Assume that they do NOT! Swimmers and their crew are responsible for bringing their own sustenance (e.g. feeds, hot water, etc).  Also, do not ask the kayakers to mix feeds during the swim, this should all be done beforehand and feeds handed to the kayakers complete.

Any other important tips?

Don’t be LATE! The schedule is based around the Hudson’s currents and has little buffer for lateness. We start each stage at the start of the outgoing ebb (and sometimes the end of the flood) in order to give swimmers every opportunity to finish the stage before the flood on the other end pushes them back. Getting to the starting bridge late will shorten the time for the swim and the possibility for all swimmers to finish the stage.

Pack light and put it all in one marked bag. Please keep all of your personal belongings contained in a bag (waterproof recommended).

Use your bag tag. Please use the identification bag tag we give you as it’s likely we will need to move your bag around during the day. Also, pack light. Space is limited.

Have your feeds organized in a small soft cooler bag or mesh bag that you are able to hand off to your kayaker. We request that you give this to your kayaker before boat loading to simplify water entry. Be sure to explain your feeding system clearly to your kayaker…. simple is better. We encourage you to make your crew aware of your feeding plan in advance so they can communicate with your paddler; there will be very little time to discuss details of feeding and communication prior to the start of the stage.

Since you will be feeding from a kayak, ropes, feed poles, etc. are not necessary, though if you are using heavy insulated bottles, please ensure that there is some way to retrieve it if it is dropped…. (float, string, etc).

Tracking your swimmer. NYOW will provide each swimmer with a SPOT GPS tracker. This must be kept in the waterproof case provided and be placed in the kayak. At the end of each stage the SPOT tracker must be returned to Rondi. All swimmers can be tracked using this link: 

https://track.rs/NYOW

Communicating with your swimmer. Kayakers are swimmers’ immediate support crew and will be reporting into the support boats every 30 minutes via marine radio. We will establish a communication system to keep our event channel 06 from getting “cluttered”.

Communicating with kayakers. During the event the kayaker coordinator is Alex Arevalo (alex@nyopenwater.org).

Navigation maps for kayakers. Navigation maps of the course we will take can be downloaded at the following link:

https://www.nyopenwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/8B-Maps.pdf

Swimmer-kayaker assignments will be communicated prior to the beginning of the event.

Volunteers, make sure to bring sun protection and gear to deal with the elements as most of the boats do not have any cover. Volunteers can get in the water to relieve themselves or swim with a swimmer (for up to an hour at a time) as long as the swimmer and the paddler is ok with it.  The volunteer can stay beside the swimmer but please obtain prior approval from a race director.

Boaters for Stage 7 are required to transport their swimmer, observer, kayaker and kayak to the start of Stage 7. At the conclusion of the stage they should pick up the swimmer, kayaker and kayak and return them to La Marina. Staten Island and Brooklyn boaters do not need to return to La Marina after Stage 7. They will need to unload their passengers onto the main support vessel.

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