Swim Hobbs Island

Swim Hobbs Island is Part of the “Triple Crown of the Tennessee” series of swims, representing the three largest open water events to take place on the Tennessee River. Any swimmer who completes all three races will achieve a Triple Crown award, depending on how quickly they achieve this feat. Complete all three events in a single year – gold. Two years – silver. Three years – bronze. Learn more about prizes and completing the Triple Crown and see a list of past finishers here.

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Swim Hobbs Island

Sunday, Sept 8, 2024

1,  2, & 5 Mile Open Water Swim

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Overview

The 8th Annual Swim Hobbs Island open water swim through the Tennessee River hosted by the Team Rocket Triathlon Club (TRTC) will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024.  The 5-mile swim will begin at 8:30 am, and the 1- and 2-mile swim will begin a few minutes later in waves (See Schedule of Events below). Swim Hobbs Island is entirely a fundraiser for lcoal nonprofits

The swims offered in this event will be sanctioned by U.S. Masters Swimming (18 yrs and up, typically).  NOTE: Use of audio or visual recording devices, including a cell phone, is not permitted in changing areas such as our portable  restrooms. Deck changing is prohibited. Personal drones other than those used by our safety staff are prohibited over venues any time athletes, coaches, officials and/or spectators are present.     

Race Location

Ditto Landing, On the Tennessee River, Just South of Huntsville, AL.  Address is 293 Ditto Landing Road Southeast. (http://dittolanding.org/)

Closest Hotels: Here are some great options for places to stay about 15 minutes from Ditto Landing:

Registration

  • Registration for SWIMMERS AND KAYAKERS will be going LIVE on May Day! 4/15/2024 – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!  IF YOU ARE IN THE 5 MILE CATEGORY YOUR KAYAKER MUST REGISTER ALSO! It’s ok to put TBA at first, but we need to know by 8/25/24. Kayakers register at this same link, the same place you registered. It will show a $0 balance for them when they check out.
  • ALL VOLUNTEERS EXCEPT KAYAKERS REGISTER SEPARATELY – when live, the link will be HERE! (Kayakers register at above link, same as swimmers)

**Swimmers may register online until Friday 8/25/24 at midnight!**

Early registration incrementally raises as the race nears. It is FREE to be a volunteer kayaker for the 1 and 2 mile swim flotilla and also for the accompanying kayakers on the 5-miler! All kayakers for both the 5 mile and for the flotilla must register on THIS registration site just as the swimmers do – it will just show a $0 balance at the end of registration. Enjoy t-shirts and all you can eat ice cream bar at the end for everyone, kayakers, swimmers, and volunteers alike.

Schedule of Events

There is no packet pickup – cap pickup and check-in is on race morning as described below.

Race Day: Sunday, Sept 8, 2024

6:30 AM – 7:30 AM:  Cap pickup and check-in at south end of parking lot at Ditto Landing nearest greenway – south of boat launch ramps.

7:30 AM: Mandatory Swimmer & Kayaker Safety Meetings (kayaker meeting is at dock, swimmer meeting is at race start)

7:45 AM:  Kayakers for 5 Mile Swim begin entering the water.

8:00 AM: National Anthem at race start

8:15 AM:  5 Mile Swim lineup and final check-in

8:20 AM:  5 Mile swimmers enter the water.

8:30 AM:  5 Mile race begins

shortly thereafter…  2 mile race begins

shortly thereafter…  1 mile race begins

9:30 AM – 2:30 PM:  Swimmers, kayakers, spectators, volunteers can enjoy complimentary food/drink

10:30 AM or as soon as results are finalized: 1 & 2 Mile Swim Awards

11 AM or as soon as results are finalized:  5 Mile Swim Awards

NOTE:  5 Mile Swimmers MUST Complete the Swim in Under 5 hours (1:30pm) and MUST be at the tip of the island (the turnaround point) at 3.5 hours, or 12:00pm. Race Director reserves the right to pull you after that time.

Course Description

5 Mile Swim: Around Hobbs Island

This is a five mile circumnavigation of Hobbs Island that will start just south of the Ditto Landing Marina along the Tennessee River Greenway. Swimmers will enter the water via a boat ramp on the shoreline and will swim clockwise around Hobbs Island and finish at the same location as the start. Because the first few miles are against the river current, this swim will take longer than a typical 5 mile swim in the pool.

 5 Mile Swim Rules:

  • FOR EVERYONE: NO WETSUITS ALLOWED.
  • FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AWARDS: NO SUITS WITH A ZIPPER OR FASTENER. NO DEVICES OR SUBSTANCES that aid speed, pace, navigation, buoyancy, or endurance (such as pull buoys, webbed gloves, fins, snorkels, audio players, etc.). No tape on the body unless approved by the referee. You CAN use personal safety buoys such as New Wave Swim Buoys but not instant self-inflating equipment such as the “Swim-It”. Medical identification items may be worn.
  • FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT CARE ABOUT ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARDS, you MAY wear a suit with a zipper or fastener; however, for safety reasons, the other items discussed above are still not allowed (no pull buoys, webbed gloves/fins/snorkels/ audio players, etc).
  • FOR EVERYONE: You may touch or hang onto a kayak for safety with no penalty against awards, but making forward progress with a kayak will be grounds for disqualification from awards. No touching other people other than incidental contact unless for safety reasons. Have your kayaker carry hydration and nutrition, and also carry extra nutrition with your kayaker in case this swim takes longer than you planned. The 5 mile time cutoff is the tip of the island at 3.5 hrs or 12 noon and finish by 5 hrs or 1:30 pm.

Kayakers:

ALL FIVE MILE SWIMMERS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN KAYAKER TO ACCOMPANY THEM. If you do not have a kayaker, you will not be allowed to swim. This rule is for your safety as the river will be open to boat traffic. Boats will be unable to see you if you are swimming alone. YOUR KAYAKER WILL NEED TO REGISTER ON THE SAME REGISTRATION SITE WHICH IS THE SAME ONE THE SWIMMERS REGISTER ON (It will show a $0 balance at the end of registration). and specify who they are kayaking for (it will show a $0 balance at the end of registration). Your kayaker will receive a race t-shirt as they are a vital part of this race. All of this is included in the race fee that the swimmer pays. We have a very limited number of kayaks donated by various members of the local endurance community that can be allotted on a first-come first-serve basis, so, swimmer or kayaker, indicate in your registration if you need one.

KAYAKERS MUST HAVE AND WEAR LIFEJACKETS AT ALL TIMES.

5 MILE KAYAKERS ESPECIALLY: Here is a blog post by a friend of ours who is a very experienced open water marathon swimmer, sharing her tips and experiences on how to support your swimmer best. We recommend you review this! It’s simply fantastic! Thanks Sydne Didier! 

2 Mile Swim Event

This is a two mile out and back that will start just south of the Ditto Landing Marina along the Tennessee River Greenway starting just after the 5 mile swim start. Swimmers will enter the water via a boat ramp on the shoreline. Swimmers will swim upstream approximately 1 mile and then turn around. The finish location will be the same as the start. Because the first mile is against the river current, this swim will take longer than a typical two mile swim in the pool. Please be aware that this is NOT an event for beginner swimmers. You should be able to swim 2.5 miles continuously in a pool before tackling this 2 mile event.

2 Mile Swim Rules:

Two categories of swimmers are available, WETSUIT and NON-WETSUIT.

  • FOR NON-WETSUIT CATEGORY: Rules are the same as the 5 mile swim rules above.
  • FOR WETSUIT CATEGORY: you MAY wear a wetsuit or swimskin with a zipper or fastener; however, for safety reasons, pull buoys, webbed gloves, fins, snorkels, or audio players are not allowed.
  • BOTH CATEGORIES: Safety equipment such as NewWave Swim Buoy are allowed, but no self-inflating devices such as the “Swim-It” and no pull buoys. You may touch or hang onto a kayak for safety with no penalty against awards, but making forward progress with a kayak will be grounds for disqualification. No touching other people other than incidental contact unless for safety reasons.

Kayaks:

Kayaks for individual swimmers are not allowed (see below FAQs). The swim will have several dozen roving kayakers, SUP, etc that will provide roving support to all swimmers. These kayakers will need to register on THE REGISTRATION SITE WHICH IS THE SAME ONE THE SWIMMERS REGISTER ON (It will show a $0 balance at the end of registration).

KAYAKERS MUST HAVE AND WEAR LIFEJACKETS AT ALL TIMES.

1 Mile Swim Event

This is a one mile out and back that will start just south of the Ditto Landing Marina along the Tennessee River Greenway starting just after the 2 mile swim start. Swimmers will enter the water via ramps on the shoreline. Swimmers will proceed upstream 0.5 mile and then turn around at the turnaround buoy. The finish location will be the same as the start. Because the first half mile is against the river current, this swim will take longer than a typical one mile swim in the pool.

 1 Mile Swim Rules:

See 2 mile swim rules above.

Kayaks:

See 2 mile kayak rules above.

Event Strategy

Current and Time Cutoffs: Current in the Tennessee River normally varies greatly because this stretch of the river is controlled by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) via flow rates from the Guntersville Dam. However, every year we submit a flow reduction request to TVA for the race. NEVERTHELESS, they do not have to honor this, and they may not, and we have minimal input into this decision. We are grateful that they are often able to do this for our safety and comfort. For your information, typical TVA-adjusted flow rates for this race in the past have been ~19,000 cubic feet per second, which translates to a very reasonable current for most open water swimmers. That said, be prepared to swim longer than a typical 1, 2 or 5 mile swim in the pool. The 5 mile time cutoff is the tip of the island at 3.5 hrs or 12 noon and finish by 5 hrs or 1:30 pm. No time cutoffs for 1 or 2 milers.

Temperature: Water temperatures are typically between 75 to 83.  IMPORTANT: If water temperatures exceed 78, wetsuits and neoprene caps will be disallowed for safety reasons. We would also encourage you to stay well hydrated before and after, select an appropriate pace for your temperature and comfort. If water temperature exceeds 87 degrees (extremely unlikely given historical conditions), we will cancel the swim due to safety.

Spectators: Because of the configuration of the riverbank, you can stand along the edge of the Tennessee Valley Greenway and see for about a half mile up- and downstream in the river. If you would like to see the entire race close-up, consider being a safety kayaker.

Miscellaneous Info
Awards will be as follows
5 Mile Swim
Top 3 Male Swimmers
Top 3 Male Masters (40+ years old)
Top 3 Female Swimmers
Top 3 Female Masters (40+ years old)

2 Mile Swim
Top 3 Male Swimmers
Top 3 Male Wetsuit Swimmers
Top 3 Female Swimmers
Top 3 Female Wetsuit Swimmers
Top 3 Male Masters (40+ years old)
Top 3 Female Masters (40+ years old)

1 Mile Swim
Top 3 Male Swimmers
Top 3 Male Wetsuit Swimmers
Top 3 Female Swimmers
Top 3 Female Wetsuit Swimmers
Top 3 Male Masters (40+ years old)
Top 3 Female Masters (40+ years old)

Past Results

Find past results HERE. 

Refunds & Category Switching

We have Event Cancellation Insurance which, if claims are accepted, provides refunds for event cancellation according to the insurance company’s requirements on this page. Team Rocket Policy is that no refunds are given for personal reasons.

NOTE: The Event Cancellation Insurance policy does NOT include COVID-related cancellation. If the in-person race should need to be cancelled for COVID reasons, everyone will be switched to virtual and swag pickup will ensue at Fleet Feet Huntsville, with swag shipped to anyone living outside a 50-mile radius. No refunds will be given, as we will need to reimburse ourselves for shipping, and moreover, all Swim Hobbs Island monies always go directly to charity after we pay our bills! Thank you for supporting our local non profits.

 

—

Ryan Rhoades
Swim instructor/coach
256.690.9761
 

FAQ:
Q: Do I need a personal kayaker if I am swimming the 5 mile event?
A: Yes, absolutely! AND they need to register here just like you (registration is free for kayak pilots). Our Kayak Wrangler volunteer matches 5 mile swimmers to their kayakers to make sure all have identified their kayaker. Get them registered quickly to keep her sane.

Q: Can I have a personal kayaker if I am swimming the 1 or 2 mile event?
A: No. We cannot allow kayaks for individual swimmers because individual kayaks may impede safety, and there is a large flotilla of roving kayakers and rescue boats that provide great support to all.

Q: Can I wear a “speedsuit” that has floatation, a swimskin, or floaty shorts? A: See 1, 2, and 5 mile Swim Rules, above.

Q: Can I wear a “New Wave Swim Buoy” or “Swim-It” floatation accessory, fins, snorkel, or paddles, or similar?
A: See 1, 2, and 5 mile Swim Rules, above. No fins, paddles, or pull buoys. You can use personal safety buoys such as New Wave Swim Buoys but not instant self-inflating equipment such as the “Swim-It”. You may touch or hang onto a kayak for safety with no penalty against awards, but making forward progress with a kayak will be a disqualification. No touching others unless for safety reasons.

Q: Can I bring my drone?
A: No. No drones allowed without express written permission from the race director and/or USA Swimming.

Q: Can I wear a waterproof ipod or music player? A: No. You need to be able to hear safety staff.

Course Maps

1-mile

2-mile

5-mile

 

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