Swim Hobbs Island
Swim Hobbs Island is a charity open water swim through the Tennessee River hosted by the Team Rocket Triathlon Club (TRTC). It is organized by Ali Meeks and has 1-, 2-, and 5-mile distances.
Contents
2017 Video
Filmed by Huntsville Madison County Rescue Squad, Inc.
Distances
The 5-mile swim will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the 2-mile swim will begin approximately 30 minutes later.
Charity Swim
Swim Hobbs Island is a charity swim that fundraises for two organizations providing vital services to residents of Huntsville – Madison County. Proceeds will be split equally between the Huntsville – Madison County Rescue Squad and the Help our Homeless Veterans and Citizens of Huntsville.
Course Description and Rules
- 5-mile Swim: Clockwise loop around Hobbs Island beginning at the Madison County Boat launch that follows the English Channel swimming rules. This means no swimsuits below the knees or shoulders. No suits that provide any buoyancy, wetsuits or swim aids. No hanging onto the escort boat or touching other people other than incidental contact. All swimmers require a kayak to accompany them.
- 2-mile Swim: Out and back course that stays within the back channel behind Hobbs Island. Because the first mile is against the river current, this swim will take longer than a typical two-mile swim in the pool. Probably closer to 2.5 miles. Wetsuits are allowed (in a separate division) if the water temperature is below 84ºF per USA Triathlon guidelines. If water temperatures are too high, all wetsuit swimmers will be allowed to swim English Channel rules. Kayaks are not required on a per-person basis, but neither are they prohibited. The swim will have about a dozen roving kayakers, SUP, etc that will provide roving support to swimmers.
Event Strategy
Currents can vary wildly due to TVA flow rates from the Guntersville Dam.
Water Temperature
Water temperatures should be between 75º to 80ºF.
Awards
- 5-mile Swim: Top 5 Male and Female Swimmers
- 2-mile Swim: Top 5 Male/Female Non-Wetsuit and Wetsuit Swimmers
External links
- Swim It And They Will Come
- Swim Hobbs Island Facebook page
- Swim Hobbs Island registration
- Swim Hobbs Island solo
- Team Rocket Tri Club
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- John Becker, Blakeley Bunch Win Swim Hobbs Island
- Touting The Triple Crown Of The Tennessee
