SERC for out of towners

tbaldi

Question for South End Rowing Club members. Is there any prohibition for out of town members joining? I used to swim quite a bit in Aquatic Cove when I lived in San Francisco and swam with SERC and Dolphin Club members in the cove. I even used their showers a few times despite never getting around to sending in my membership dues.

I saw they are having a Alcatraz swim on July 29th. I will be in town and figured I might just join instead and do the swim.

Any prohibitions against doing this? I asked the membership person and didn't get a really clear answer. Figured there might be some members on here who could give me some insight.

evmo

Anyone can join.

After a year at the regular member rate, people outside the Bay Area are eligible for a discounted out-of-town rate.

dpm50

I might look into this! Had a great experience there in February!

tbaldi

Thanks! Will look into it!

evmo

Bob Roper passed away this past weekend. If you've spent any time at the South End Rowing Club, you're probably aware of its distinctive culture and adventurous "devil be damned" approach to open water swimming.

Bob was not really a marathon swimmer in the literal sense. I'm sure he swam a few 10Ks+ over the years, but ultra-distance wasn't really his thing. His main claim to fame is a record that stands to this day: a Golden Gate crossing in 17 minutes, 21 seconds in 1969. But no one, not even close, has had as profound an impact on SERC culture as we currently know it (and by corollary, generations of SF-based marathon swimmers), than Bob.

He was such an unforgettable character, truly sui generis, respected even by those who couldn't stand him, and he bled South End red til the very end. An open water swimmer in the deepest sense.

Here's a great article in the SF Chronicle from 2006:
https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Clubs-help-ply-the-Bay-the-hard-way-2513435.php