Event Details

Welcome to the Alcatraz Swim for Sight!

We welcome all swimmers to join the Alcatraz Swim for Sight 2023 Edition to help us fund research that will allow the doctors to save and restore sight for more than 250 million people plagued by blindness worldwide.

Lorie Hirson who is legally blind and losing her sight to a genetic, progressive disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa believes in a world where everyone can and will one day live in the light. Together, we will swim across the SF Bay and with each stroke get closer to reaching our goal of eliminating blindness.

WAIVER

DONATE

Event Details:

Date: Sunday, October 6th, 2024

Registration Fee: $150 per adult and $75 per student swimmer and we encourage each swimmer to raise or give $2,000 for adults and $500 for students

Timeline

Registration: 6:15 AM

Executive Swim Director Coach Briefing: 6:45 AM

Walk to the Boats: 7:00 AM

Board Boats: 7:15 AM

Boats Travel Out to Alcatraz: 7:30 AM

Jump & Enjoy Your Swim!: 7:45 AM

(Note: Coaches will determine best jump time based on vessel traffic, currents and tides)

Event Check-In Location: Aquatic Park on the Bleachers (700-898 Beach Street, SF, CA 94105)

Important Logistics

What to Bring: If swimming skin, arrive with your swimsuit on and warm clothing over it. If swimming in a wetsuit, come with the wetsuit halfway up with a warm top on. You'll have time at check-in to finish getting ready. Everybody bring the following:

Warm clothes for afterwards
Anti-chafing glide if a wetsuit swimmer
Something hot to drink in a thermos and a snack
A beanie/warm hat
Neoprene/thermal cap (optional, we’ll be providing all swimmers with a required colored cap to wear over it)
Earplugs (we’ll have some on hand if you forget)
A towel

Parking/Ride Share (Uber/Lyft):

New update: We are going to end the swim at Aquatic Park. The same place that we'll depart. No need to do the shuffle between Crissy and Aquatic Park.

We'll be on the beach at Aquatic Park for the finish. Tell your family and friends to look for the Alcatraz Swim for Sight flags to ensure they are in the right location.   Click HERE to see Aquatic Park (the finish) on Google Maps.

Personal Belongings

At check-in, you will be given a bag to put all your personal belongings that will have your name and swim number. Please ensure all personal items are put securely in the bag. These will be stored and waiting for you at upon completion of your swim.

Important Note: It is a short walk to the boats from check-in, so you will not need anything after the executive coaching briefing. However, if you choose to take something on the boat, please note it will take a while for it to return to Aquatic Park. The boats need to be returned to the docks by Aquatic Park, unloaded and then any items left behind brought to the bleachers at Aquatic Park. Based on our experience, we recommend not bringing anything on the boat unless it is absolutely necessary.

Event Swim Cap & Finish Line

Each swimmer will receive an event swim cap at check-in and will have their number written on your hand. All swimmers MUST wear the official cap for safety reasons. When you cross the finish line, please ensure that you check-in with the Water World Swim representative to ensure that they check you in as completing the crossing.

Friends and Family

If you have family and friends meeting you at Aquatic Park to cheer you on, we recommend asking them to arrive at 8:10 a.m., which is when we expect the first swimmer to cross the finish line!

Swim Course

The swim course is approximately 1.25 to 1.5 miles (depending on how straight you swim), but is swum with a favorable current and tends to be an easier swim for most. It is favored by the Bay Area's triathlons for speed and ease.

Questions

Please contact Ari or Noah Hirson, ari hirson@gmail.com or nhirson@gmail.com, with any questions.  