Online Open Water Swimming Certification Test

Under the leadership of Chip Carrigan (shown on left), John Kinney and the USA Swimming On-Line Testing Sub-committee, USA Swimming has added a new online Open Water Certification Test on its website.

Any registered member of USA Swimming is eligible and encouraged to take the latest and newest test at USA Swimming.org.

Instructions on how to take the test can be located here on the USA Swimming website (under Volunteers > Officials > Officials Online Test.

The purpose of this 50-question test is to certify the knowledge and understanding of open water swimming rules by officials who are working at USA Swimming national championship events and Local Swim Committee-sanctioned open water competitions.

The Open Water Certification Test has been years in the making and will prove invaluable to standardize and confirm the level of knowledge among open water swimming judges, officials and referees in the US. As an online test, any eligible USA Swimming member can take the test at their convenience. The ease of modern technology is being utilized effectively to help the sport grow and prosper.

Like most sports, most of the open water swimming rules are cut-and-dry. But like water polo, the dynamic nature of open water swimming requires its officials to be well-versed in the sport’s rules and how athletes tend to move in the water against their opponents. An experienced official can make the correct call and help create fair competitions, especially when large packs of swimmers are barreling down a straightaway towards the finish or fighting for position around a turn buoy,

But, similar to the foul of charging in basketball or pass interference in football, sometimes making a call in open water swimming can be difficult. However, unlike basketball or football, there are no replays in open water swimming. The open water swimming referee has to get it right the first time when he/she must make a judgment call on the spot.

The test combines a variety of cut-and-dry questions with questions that cover different scenarios that officials will experience in many open water swimming competitions. The test-taker will be questioned on a variety of real-world scenarios that will help them prepare for actual competitions.

Because open water races are held in venues with all kinds of shapes and distance under conditions that vary from oceans with heavy surf, lakes shrouded in mist and rowing basins under glassy conditions, open water swimming officials need to be confident in their knowledge of the rules – and the new USA Swimming online Open Water Certification Test is a great step to achieving this goal.

Upper photo of the famous photo-finish at the 2005 World Swimming Championship men's 25K finish by Dr. Jim Miller.

Lower photo of professional marathon swimmers in Lac St-Jean also by Dr. Jim Miller.

Measuring Marathon Runs and Marathon Swims

We were discussing differences between the worlds of marathon swimming and marathon running with double Olympic medalist Bob Seagren who runs numerous large marathon runs and open water swims.

Measuring a marathon running course is done by counter hooked to a bicycle (see photo to left). The precise calculation of the 42.195K or 26 miles 385 yards and is a time-consuming process.

Notwithstanding the popular GPS (global positioning systems) used by travelers worldwide, GPS is not used in the marathon running world. Details of the process used are found here. In the U.S., courses are certified by USA Track & Field authorized measurers.



The tools that are used include a bicycle, a Jones Course Measuring Device (shown above), a steel tape, a spring scale, a thermometer, notebook and pencils, a pocket calculator, lumber crayon or chalk, nails and hammer, spray paint, masking tape and bike tools to repair a bicycle tire flat.

A certified marathon running course is measured by the Jones Counter that counts every time the bicycle tire moves forward. Temperature readings are taken to make sure the steel tape is of the proper measurement and the bicycle is precisely calibrated four times along the course to assure an accurate measurement. The measurements can even be affected by changes in air pressure and air leaks in the bicycle tire.

A methodology that can be greatly appreciated by open water swimmers, the course is measured as the shortest possible route that a runner could run. That practically means that the course is measured diagonally between corners when crossing a street and measured straight through consecutive turns in the road.

After everything has been measured, re-measured, documented and certified by the state certifier, the marathon run course is certified for 10 years – but only if there is no road construction that may affect the course or changes to the course, start or finish lines.

So how does the marathon swimming world measure its courses?

In the Netherlands, according to Richard Broer, webmaster of the comprehensive Open Water Swimming in Europe website, writes that it is mandatory to use official landmarks to measure the distance of the swims, although GPS is a less expensive alternative.

In Australia, sanctioned 5K and 10K swims must be set by GPS. But, according to Greg Towle, Australia’s National Open Water Team Coach, sanctioned national championships in Australia have been recently held in rowing courses which makes course set-up straightforward, but the course is still checked by GPS.


According to Dr. Jim Miller, U.S. Masters Swimming national championship events are measured by GPS with the exception of the USMS cable swims that are surveyed. These cable swims are conducted on a ¼-mile cable course. The course is initially surveyed and an immovable post or pylon is set in the lake bed with the outside of the post being the actual ¼-mile course. In the open water races in the State of Virginia, the post is permanent, but some races in other locations replace the post every year with the need to resurvey every year.

The cable (with buoys) is placed in the water four days before the event and is tightened daily until the event, since it loosens up as the water soaks in the cable. Turn buoys are placed at the turn (inside the post) and mid-course.

Jay Thomas, a long-time open water referee with USA Swimming and FINA, reminds us that USA Swimming rules state, "[The race] course shall be measured as accurately as possible with the available navigational or survey equipment." According to Jay, many race directors plan their race course on a chart, or more recently, with Google Earth. Once the course has been set, the officials check it with a GPS and make adjustments as necessary to yield the appropriate distance.

USA Swimming has additional guidance for the Quarter Mile Straightaway courses (i.e., the cable swims). The allowable tolerance of the cable is ±6 inches measured from the outer edge of the turn point.

On the international professional marathon swimming circuit, FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup and FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix races are measured by GPS.

According to Philip Rush, races in New Zealand use both GPS and a map system that is more accurate than GPS.

The distances of many races in the oceans are affected by tides. The distances of some open water races held in dams, reservoirs and lakes are affected by the amount of rainfall (or snowfall) before the race. Tides and (a lack of or an abundance of) rainfall can change the starting and finish lines of open water races.

We wonder how local races worldwide measured. Are there any unique methodologies in measuring your local race?

Photo shows Valerio Cleri in the Singapore FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup.

California Open Water Swimming Clinics

John Dussliere, coach of Olympian marathon swimmer Mark Warkentin, and Jay Thomas, a FINA-certified official, gave a 2-hour open water swimming presentation at the Southern California Swimming Fall Clinic to 175 officials, coaches and parents.

Dussliere, who designed and produced the creative feeding sticks used by USA Swimming's Olympic and national open water swimmers, explained open water swimming on the national and international level and Warkentin's Olympic 10K training and preparations.

Thomas covered the rules and procedures of domestic and international FINA World Cup competitions and gave an open water swimming officiating clinic with specific training in Timekeeping and the responsibilities of Finish Judges, Turn Judges, Clerk of Course Assistants and Assistant Referees.

Their next presentation will be in Napa Valley, California in January, 2009.

Photo shows Dussliere (middle) at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships with fellow British and Australian open water swimming coaches.