The Annual Swim Around Key West is presented by the founder Anna Fugina. It is an independent swim, acknowledged by the U.S. Coast Guard. In order to secure Coast Guard approval, the organizers must submit a safety plan that must be approved by the local sector of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard holds the authority to pull the permit at any time if they sense the event is unsafe to any participants. If the event fails to successfully execute the plan, the Coast Guard has the right to deny the permit for the following year’s date.
We are pleased to report that we have an amicable working relationship with the local sector of the U.S. Coast Guard and that they have always approved our requested date.
We make great effort to make sure a sufficient number of “Committee Boats” to assist swimmers on the course. These boats are identifiable with yellow flags prominently displayed. They are tasked with nothing more than observing and attending to our swimmers and their escort vessels. All swimmers will be given the cell phone number of our race director, as well as his radio frequency, and the escort boaters are urged to keep those numbers in a handy place. Additionally, there will most likely be a “Committee Boat” within distance in case of any emergency.
A copy of the safety plan will be available to any participants upon request. As mentioned, the Coast Guard has the authority to cancel the event if they deem the conditions too severe to carry on. The race director also has the authority to terminate the event if weather conditions are unacceptable. There is no alternate date and there are no refunds. The race director’s decisions are final. The 36th Annual Swim was extremely rough, and we were closer to canceling the swim than ever in the history of the event. Since that year, conditions have been much improved. Lastly it is critical that the support kayaker or boat captains maintain a safe distance at all times during the swim to render immediate aid to the swimmer if necessary.
Critical safety information will be discussed at the pre-race meeting on the day before the swim. All swimmers and kayakers are required to attend the pre-race meeting together.