We are always looking for experienced kayakers to play a critical role in supporting our BIG SWIMMERS. If you are interested in helping in a BIG way please email Waterops@givetolive.ca.
Please register as a kayaker for the 2020 BIG SWIM by clicking the button below.
Registration for kayakers opens March 3, 2020 at 12:00pm AST
The BIG SWIM is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2020. To commemorate this special year, we have a twist on our usual event: a two day, three-province crossing with an expected combined distance of 26km. Kayakers may register for either event or a combination of the two.
These events are:
Our start will begin in the Tidnish area ending in Port Elgin. Due to the sheltered area, it is likely that this will be a “fairly straight” swim. Start times will be set closer to the event weekend and will be based on weather conditions.
Our start will remain as years past, on the beach of Cape Jourimain Nature Centre and finish in Borden, Prince Edward Island. As we know from years past, the tides and currents take participants on a curved crossing which is why the distance varies from year to year. Start times will be set closer to the event weekend and will be based on weather conditions.
Please note that kayakers may be required on Friday, July 31 for safety details however our volunteer committee are continuing to iron out those details.
• Safety kayakers are key to the success of The BIG SWIM. You will provide your swimmer with food, hydration, emotional support, and safety support.
• Each swimmer is required to have a kayaker to escort them on their swim.
• If you don’t already know a swimmer, that’s OK. We will pair you with one. If you do, please ensure that you let us know who they are during registration
• Each kayaker must be able to meet our physical and equipment requirements. We have safety standards set to ensure that everyone is safe on the water and ask that you please respect those. We will be checking up on skills and equipment.
• Must be comfortable sitting in a kayak for 4-8 hours.
• Kayaker’s are required to hold a Paddle Canada Skills Level 1. Courses are available through local outfitters. We are planning to hold a number of training sessions through Spring & Summer.
• You are required to join us for our Mandatory Safety briefing. Those who do not attend, do not kayak. .
• If you have any questions on kayaker requirements, please contact waterops@givetolive.ca
• BIG SWIM t-shirt,
• Safety support on event day,
• Training and support from former BIG SWIM Kayakers.
14ft + Ocean compatible kayak with sealed hatches, secured deck lines and a cockpit skirt (*river kayaks, tandem kayaks and open cockpit kayaks do not qualify)
Two (2) Canadian approved PFDs. One to be worn by the kayaker and one secured to the kayak’s deck fitted for the swimmer.
One (1) safety whistle
One (1) Compass. Deck mounted versus hand held preferred
One (1) approved rescue throw line
One (1) bailer. Hand held or pump
One (1) Paddle float. Solid foam or inflatable
One (1) Spare paddle
One (10) Cockpit skirt
One (1) Smoke flair (Supplied on SWIM day)
One (1) VHF radio (Supplied on SWIM day if you don’t own one)
One (1) PocketFinder GPS unit (Supplied on SWIM day)
The safety of each participant (Swimmers, Kayakers, and Volunteers) is paramount in every decision made. Everything we do and every decision we make will be guided by safety. Nothing is worth the risk of injury or worse. Our #1 goal is: All swimmers in and all swimmers out safely.
This requires a team effort and understanding that all decisions made are based on safety and may override participants preferences. GIVETOLIVE has been running endurance events for eight years and we have an excellent safety record. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation to continue our record that includes no major incidents.
There is a MANDATORY safety meeting for all participants on the Saturday before the swim. Details of the safety plan, route and many other event day questions will be discussed in detail at this meeting. You must attend the meeting in order to do the swim.
We take safety very seriously. It is our #1, #2, and #3 goal for the event. On the day of the event, there is a chain of command that all participants and volunteers must obey. That chain of command is as follows:
Swimmers MUST OBEY everyone else in the chain of command. All other people in the chain of command are in a more senior position than a swimmer and all people can remove you from the water for safety reasons. This is imperative to the success of a safely run event. If anything goes wrong (weather worsens, waves pick up, someone gets sick), then all swimmers agree that it is not their call on whether they continue swimming or not.
Each participant is responsible for getting themselves to and from The BIG SWIM. The NB to PEI swim starts at Cape Jourimain Nature Centre, Cape Jourimain, NB and finishes on Beach Road in Borden – Carleton, PEI. Our start for the NS to NB swim will begin in the Tidnish area ending in Port Elgin. Exact details of the start and finish line will be finalized and communicated soon.
All meals that weekend are your responsibility. There is a limited selection of food at the Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area as well as a variety of restaurants in Gateway Village on PEI. We are looking into having a food truck on the finish line beaches but details are unconfirmed at this time.
All participants are responsible for their own food and drink on the day of the swim. Please pack everything you would need to keep you hydrated and nourished through the SWIM itself.
All participants are responsible for their own food and drink on the day of the swim. Please pack everything you would need to keep you hydrated and nourished through the SWIM itself.
There are a limited number of accommodations in the close proximity to the Confederation Bridge. You need to book your accommodations yourself and we recommend you do that right away. Here is a list of some recommended options where our participants have stayed in the past.
Tourism New Brunswick and Tourism PEI can be a great place to start as well.
The start times will be calculated based on tides and currents. A decision will be made closer to the event. The exact start times will be announced at the safety meeting.
Everyone will need to be at the start points at least 30 minutes before the first wave enters the water.
Swimmers will be starting in waves (no pun intended) based on their anticipated pace. There will be 3 waves and they will be launched at intervals of approximately 15 minutes. Please note that we monitor the weather, tides and currents carefully and that the launch times cannot be confirmed prior to the safety meeting on Saturday. Plan to be flexible with your schedule on your swim day.
Yes! Although you may be on the beach for some time before you start, the beginning of the BIG SWIM is exciting and everyone should experience it together. It is also possible that the heat start times may be adjusted in response to conditions so it’s important for everyone to be on the beach and ready to go.
Both swims are happening in open boating areas and there may be other boats on the water during the swim. However, we notify the Coast Guard and other boating agencies of the event well in advance and our logistics team will be in regular communication with the Coast Guard and the Marine Traffic Centre to ensure that all boats are aware of our presence and diverted away from participants.
Yes. There will be lifeguards on the safety boats and on the beach at the finish lines. There will be medical professionals waiting at the finish lines to check each swimmer and kayaker at the end of their swim. There is an emergency plan with local EMS personnel in the event of an on-water emergency.
Practically, no. Port-a-potties will be onsite at the start of the NS to NB swim and bathrooms are available before the start of the NB to PEI swim at the Cape Jourimain Nature Centre and port-a-potties are available at the finish area in PEI. During the swim, there are very limited facilities on the larger safety boats.
It can take an extended period of time for a safety boat to reach you for a bathroom break as we cannot sacrifice swimmer safety for the luxury of a toilet. We urge you to arrive early to the Cape Jourimain Nature Centre on the morning of the swim so you can make use of the facilities there before the swim.
The weather plays a key role in the safety of The BIG SWIM. We will discuss the weather forecast and the weather contingency plans in detail at the mandatory Safety Meeting on Saturday. There is a detailed evacuation plan in place in the event that weather degrades during the swim to the point that the event must be stopped. If required, the safety boats will remove all of the participants from the water and get them to shore.
Maybe. The Northumberland Strait is home to jellyfish, numerous types of fish and marine mammals. The timing of this year’s event means that it’s unlikely that jelly fish will be present in any significant numbers. In past events swimmers have encountered almost no wildlife. The occasional seal or dolphin has been seen in the distance by kayakers.