Equipment and conduct

3.1 Skin#

In the Skin category, the swimmer may wear and use exclusively:

• a textile swimsuit that, for men, does not extend below the knee or above the waist and, for women, does not extend below the knee, does not cover the neck, and does not extend beyond the shoulders;
• a latex or silicone swim cap;
• goggles, earplugs, nose clips;
• sunscreen and grease;
• safety lights for nighttime hours;
• a watch, under the conditions of Art. 3.4.

Any other item shall result in registration in a different category or must be declared pursuant to Art. 3.4.

3.2 Wetsuit#

A crossing performed with the following shall be registered in the Wetsuit category:

• a wetsuit;
• any neoprene garment, such as a cap, booties, or gloves;
• a swimsuit that exceeds the limits of Art. 3.1, including a full-body anti-jellyfish suit.

A swimsuit that exceeds the Skin limits is equated to a wetsuit because it increases thermal protection and buoyancy; the difference compared to a thin wetsuit is one of degree, not of nature.

3.3 Assisted#

A crossing performed with any performance aid, including fins, hand paddles, pull buoys, a shark cage, the playing of music or a metronome, and devices that pace the stroke rate via vibrations or sounds, shall be registered in the Assisted category.

A crossing during which the swimmer leans on the boat, the safety buoy, or a person shall also be registered in the Assisted category.

The Assisted category does not constitute an evaluation of merit: it is a distinct category with its own ranking.

3.4 Elements to be declared#

The swimmer shall declare before the start the use of the following elements, which are permitted, do not modify the category, and are recorded as an annotation on the crossing:

• a watch that displays time, elapsed time, pace, distance, or stroke rate. Such information may also be communicated to the swimmer from the support boat; access to it on the wrist therefore does not constitute an aid. A watch set to pace the stroke rate falls under Art. 3.3;
• a tow-behind safety buoy, with an indication of whether it is mandated by the local authority or adopted by the swimmer. The buoy serves the function of visibility;
• shark deterrents;
• an accompanying swimmer, under the conditions of Art. 3.5.

The annotation allows those consulting the ranking to know the conditions under which the crossing was performed.

3.5 Conduct in the water#

The swimmer shall not have physical contact with the boat, the buoy, or any person.

The swimmer may receive drinks and food by means of a pole or a container secured to a line, provided that they do not lean on it and are not towed by it.

The accompanying swimmer shall remain beside or behind the swimmer, never in front, and shall not touch them.

The swimmer shall not swim in the wake of the boat or in that of other swimmers. In a mass start, the wake of other swimmers is inevitable: for this reason, race results are registered in the "In a race" category, distinct from crossings performed in accordance with these regulations (Art. 6.3).

The presence of the boat, the buoy, or an escort does not in itself have any consequence on the category: only the act of leaning is relevant, which the observer is required to record.

3.6 Interruption#

Boarding the boat or exiting the water outside of the route's landing points shall interrupt the crossing. A crossing resumed after an interruption shall be registered in the stage swim format.

Decisions regarding safety are the responsibility of the pilot. Exiting the water as ordered by the pilot shall interrupt the crossing pursuant to the previous paragraph.