Island Escape

Information, Logistics & Rules

Introduction

Island Escape has been created to provide both, novice and experienced, swimmers with the opportunity of ticking off that bucket list Robben Island crossing while participating in a formal event. The format has been carefully planned to ensure:

  • Value for money by including support boats with highly experienced skippers in your entry fees
  • We avoid weather related cancellations by each group being allocated a swim window

Event Format

The event will run monthly from October to June every year accommodating one group of 10 swimmers per month. Results from the entire period will be collated after the final swim each year and recorded accordingly.

We encourage swimmers to enter individually, in pairs or to form their own group of 10 swimmers and book an entire slot.

Entry and Registration

  • Registration portal – bigbayevents.co.za
  • Initial entry secured by deposit at the time of registration
  • Balance of entry fees payable on invoice 7 days prior to your swim window
  • Entry fees include administration fee and SanPark permit fee

Entry fees include 1 support boat per 2 swimmers plus an additional support boat to provide non dedicated support if necessary. This format was chosen to accommodate the flexibility of the swim date while still guaranteeing availability of sufficient skippers and boats. Pairing of swimmers will be mutually discussed and planned prior to swim date.

Swimmers are welcome to arrange their own support boats with prior approval from the event management safety team.

The event has been designed to ensure cancellation is highly unlikely. We are avoiding fixed dates by using swim windows to ensure weather related cancellations are no longer a factor.

In the event of exceptional circumstances (e.g. COVID-19) all swim windows will be moved to the first possible appropriate date accounting for swimmer’s preparation, fitness and the meteorological season.

Cancellations and withdrawals by swimmers will be considered on an individual basis depending on time frames and ability to find replacement swimmers.

Island Escape will follow CLDSA swim rules (see www.cldsa.co.za)

Event groups will be differentiated by including the month in the event name, example “Island Escape OCTOBER” In the event of more than one group per month we will include numerals after the month name and these numerals will determine the order in which the group swims in that month.

  • Swim window will open on the first day of each month unless otherwise scheduled for a group booking
  • Event management and safety team will monitor weather forecasts starting 1 week prior to swim window and communicate possible swim date to all entrants on a regular basis.
  • Actual swim date will be scheduled as follows:
    • Red Light – no likelihood of a swim for following 5 days
    • Amber Light – Standby for 4 days’ time
    • Green Light – Swim scheduled for 3 days’ time
  • Swim day will be based on safety for both the swimmers and the support crew and will take the following into consideration:
    • Ocean swell – size, frequency, and direction
    • Wind strength and direction
    • Ocean temperature
  • Race briefing will be readily available electronically on bigbayevents.co.za with a final briefing and race marking to be held at Oceana Power Boat club on the morning of the swim
  • Swimmers after-swim bags to be handed into race organisers – NO BAG NO SWIM policy strictly enforced
  • Swimmers will be transported to the island from Oceana Power Boat Club where you will engage with your support pilot prior to starting the swim
  • Swim will finish in Big Bay using the Big Bay Surf Lifesaving Club as a base for medical support and recovery.
  • No swimmers to depart from Big Bay Lifesaving Club without prior consent of event safety team.
  • Event results will be posted immediately after the swim, making them available for Discovery Vitality points.