Swim Around Lido Key 2015 - inaugural race

drmdive

Registration is now open for the 1st Annual Swim Around Lido Key open water race. This is a 7-mile race around the beautiful island of Lido Key in Sarasota, Florida at the Lido Beach Resort Hotel. Each swimmer will have a kayak escort to provide safety, navigation, and nutrition to the swimmer. Swimmers can enter as either a solo swimmer or as a 2-person relay, where each person swims and paddles the kayak.

The course starts in the Gulf of Mexico in front of the Lido Beach Resort Hotel and takes you north along the beautiful beaches to New Pass inlet where you’ll swim by large waterfront homes and Mote Marine Aquarium up to City Island where you’ll turn right heading west, south-west to Coon Key in the Sarasota Bay waters. Popular Bird Key will be to your left as you make your way to Big Pass and the beautiful Lido Park. Exiting Sarasota Bay waters through Big Pass, you’ll turn right and head north in the Gulf along sparkling white sand beaches to the finish line at the Lido Beach Resort Hotel.

Date: 4/12/2015
Pre-race meeting: 4/11/2015

For complete details and registration, go to: https://www.flowswimming.com

NOTE: Only accepting 100 entries, so don't delay. Discounted race rate for the hotel, so don't delay on making your reservations.

j9swim

this looks interesting, a good early long race for some of us up north. whats the expected water temp this time of year? how is it impacted by currents, what avg per mile do you need to achieve to not be swimming against the current, and have the race directors had previous experience - have they trial run this with swimmers of various speed? Thanks!

drmdive

Water temps will be 75-80 F. Much of it will depend on how late we get cold fronts showing up in March. We've looked at the tides for April 12 and feel that based on when the race starts, swimmers will get a little push once they get into New Pass inlet. Once in Sarasota Bay, the tide will go to high and then slack. A very, very small low tide is expected at 11:15 AM, but it's less than a foot. After 11:15 the tide will go slack and then eventually start to go high again. Once swimmers are in Big Pass, depending on how fast they swim, they may experience a slight current in their face or may not feel much at all. Race will start at 8 AM with a cutoff time of 2 PM. David Miner, one of the race directors is race director for another race, Tropical Splash, in Sarasota, sits on the USMS Open Water Committee, is the Florida LMSC Open Water Chair, and has done a lot of open water racing. We have not run it with swimmers of various speeds.

drmdive

Registration is now over 25% full for the 1st Annual Swim Around Lido Key open water race.

Get your registration in now! Spaces are limited.

drmdive

If you're looking for a swim partner to do the 2-person relay, please post on our Facebook page and we'll help to try and pair up swimmers. Please post your swim time (in minutes) for 1 mile in open water, unassisted so that you can be paired up with a swimmer close to your same speed.

Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Swim-...21503471368691

drmdive

The Swim Around Lido Key race continues to fill up. Get your registration in today because we're only taking 100 entries. It's going to be a great swim around the island Lido Key in Sarasota, FL. For more information go to: www.FLOWSwimming.com. Also, we just started a Twitter account, so make sure you Follow us...@FLOWSwimming.

drmdive

Registration for the Swim Around Lido Key race is over half full now. Don't miss out on this 1st annual race. Go to www.FLOWSwimming.com for race information and registration.

TomDock

Thanks to the Race director for putting this event together. Should be pretty awesome! Last year on April 12 the weather was great and the 7 am water temp at New Pass was 72 degrees.

SydneD

Any flight discount options? I looked into it but it wasn't affordable for me right now.

drmdive

re: TomDock, I hope this year the water temp is more around 75F, but we'll just have to see. Thanks for the kind words. We really want to make this a great event and expand upon it in 2016.

re: SydneD: Sorry, we don't have any sponsors offering discounted flights. Check into flying into Tampa as opposed to Sarasota. Only a 1 hour drive south. Sometimes the flights are less expensive.

Also, we're at just about 70% full now, so if you want to do this race, don't wait too much longer to sign up. Go to www.FLOWSwimming.com for details. We added Economy Tackle for kayaks, Road ID, and Hammer Nutrition as sponsors.

If anyone has any questions about our race, please let me know! Hope to see you on race day.

drmdive

Hello everyone. Just wanted to let you know that there are only 10 spots left in the Swim Around Lido Key race, so don't delay in getting signed up. If you have any questions, please let us know. We're working hard to put on a great race for everyone! Hope to see you next month and thank you for your support!

bcobb

The inaugural Swim Around Lido Key was a great event. They had a sold-out field of 100 swimmers/relays, their communication was timely and informative and the course was fun and at points challenging. Congratulations to the organizers and swimmers. It is one I will do again.

HollyT

Thanks for the report Bcobb! I know a few who did it as well, and all agree that is was a great one. I definitely want to do it....just have to get my kayaker all lined up again... He's a good guy but not "my guy" so we have to clear it first!