PILOT INFO AND FAQ

Swim the Suck Seeking Pilots Do you have a kayak or SUP and want to go on a 10-mile paddle alongside an open water swimmer through the TN river gorge, get a free shuttle, 2 free meals (a pasta dinner and a taco bar), local kegs of tasty beer at the end, a t-shirt, an original art award, and make a new appreciative friend? REGISTER AT LINK ON REGISTRATION PAGE!

Swim the Suck is seeking volunteer kayakers and Stand Up Paddlers to pilot alongside a swimmer for the Swim the Suck 2023 (held on Saturday 10-07-23). Our 125 participant swimmers typically hail from 35 states. Your primary responsibility as a pilot for an open water swimmer is to guide your swimmer and keep them on course, provide them with a “feeding” or a little snack every 30 minutes, and to keep your swimmer safe from boat traffic.

Volunteer pilots are paired with their swimmer in September and introduced via email. There is a Friday night pasta dinner at Miller Plaza where you can meet your swimmer before the Saturday morning race.

Power Boat Pilots - If you have a power boat, we’d love to have you pilot! Your job will be to patrol up and down the course and watch after swimmers, communicate with kayak pilots, and pick up swimmers should they need to end their swim early and shuttle them to the finish line. If you can help with this, please email the Race Director at karahnazor@gmail.com

What is my job as a kayak pilot?

1) Keeping Swimmers Safe From Motor Boats

One of the primary responsibilities for a pilot is to keep your swimmer safe from power boats. Your presence helps makes the swimmer more visible. If a power boat is coming near you and your swimmer, wave your paddle in the air so the boat knows to stay away.
If needed, position yourself in between the swimmer and the boat.
We will have several power boat volunteers out on the water patrolling the swim and assessing any needs you or your swimmers may have. In case your swimmer needs to quit, please hold your paddle straight up in the air. Wave your paddle back and forth if it is an emergency. You can wave down or call a power boat on your phone to pick up your swimmer and take them to the finish line. You can paddle to the end of hitch a ride on the boat as well (if possible).

2) Where do I stay in relation to my swimmer?

This will be up to your swimmer. They might want you to stay beside them or slightly ahead of them either on their right or left side. Please communicate with your swimmer beforehand.

3) Keep your swimmer on the swim route/course.

Our permit with the United States Coast Guard mandates that we swim on the river left side. You do not need to hug the left bank exactly but just keep your swimmers left of the red buoys and orange course buoys to stay out of the main channel used by power boats, barges, etc. Also, no cutting the course allowed.

4) Feedings

Your swimmer will want to eat a little snack we call a feeding every 20- 30 minutes. Most swimmers feed every 30 minutes. One of your jobs is to keep time so at the 30 minute mark you wave at your swimmer, stop them, and say "Feeding Time!" The swimmer will come over to you next to the kayak and you will hand them a snack while they are treading water.
Do not pull over to the side and get out for feedings. Swimmers are not allowed to get out of the water or to touch you our the kayak.
Some swimmers may want to keep their snacks on the back of the kayak where they can grab it themselves (without touching the boat), but this depends on the kayak style. You may also keep their feeding in the cockpit near your legs or behind your seat.
Most swimmers will bring energy drinks, bars, gels, or even a thermos of hot chocolate. Most pilots will open the snack for their swimmers and hand it to them so it is ready to eat/drink. Please bring your own food and snacks for the race for your personal consumption. You also need to eat and drink! Pilots will need to collect the trash from the feedings in the kayak.

5) What to wear?

Dressing in layers for changing temperatures works best. You will see a couple of folks in traditional wetsuits, but most people wear synthetic river clothes (river shorts, rash guard, a rain/spray jacket and water shoes). A fleece and a warm hat packed away in a dry bag may be good idea. Sunglasses, hats and sunscreen for sun protection. Wear clothes that you don’t mind peeing through and that dry quickly in case you have to jump in and go number 1. Don’t forget your own decent and comfortable PFD (life jacket). You can find good ones on amazon for $30.

6) Kayaking Experience

You do need to have extensive experience in a kayak on a river with current, but you do need to feel comfortable sitting in a kayak for several hours and know how to swim. If you are from Chattanooga there are plenty of opportunities to come out and practice with our swim group the COWS on Wednesday evenings. The swim course is flat water (with some downstream current). There usually is a medium current of 18k that pushes us downstream on race day. You do not need to know how to roll a kayak.

7) When nature calls

Since the swim will take most people around 4-5 hours, most pilots will have to go number 1. My suggestion is to pull to the side of the river, get out, and stand waste deep in the water and go. The best time to do this is during a feeding. Feed your swimmer and let your swimmer go ahead and hug the left bank, you do your business, and then you afterwards you will have to sprint paddle up to your swimmer to catch them. If you have a sit on top, you can also pee through your clothes. Haha. Kidding not kidding. Also, just google “Urination devices” and there are some pretty good solutions for this problem.

8) Packing list

A watch for timing your swimmer’s feedings.
A dry bag or box if you have one for your cell phone, keys, spare clothes.
Your cell phone
wetsuit or synthetic river clothes to stay warm
hat (visor or warm beanie)
gloves
sunscreen
sunglasses/hat
fleece/synthetic top
snacks and drink for yourself

9) Can I SUP instead of kayak?

Kayaks are recommended for piloting. Stand up paddling is acceptable if you are used to it, but there can be wind in the gorge and kayaks tend to have an easier time in these conditions. It may become easier to sit down on the board if needed.

10) What do I do at the finish line?

The swim finish is at 10.35 miles at a residence/property called Wohali Nvya. This is where you leave your car in the morning. There will be a large orange finish line buoy. As you approach the finish line you will see the timing tent on the Barge Cell. Your swimmer will finish at the buoy and exit the water at the small beach on the left. There will be a changing tent, snacks, local brews, and food provided at the finish line.

11) What do I do in the morning of the race?

If you are paddling your own kayak or SUP, you will drop it off in the morning at the Suck Creek Boat Ramp, then drive to the finish line at Wohali Nvya and park your car there. You will ride a shuttle bus back to the swim start. This way, when you finish the race, you will be at your car and can leave when you are ready. The times and addresses for the morning routine can be found on the Fri/Sat Schedule Page on this Website.

If you are renting a kayak, you need to park at Wohali Nvya in the morning and ride the shuttle bus to the start at the Suck Creek Boat Ramp where your kayak will be waiting for you.

Questions? email karahnazor@gmail.com or call (423-488-3143).