Rules & Regulation

The currents in the Öresund can be fickle, mischievous and strong at times. Waves can be expected. Therefore, a swimming speed of at least 3 km/h is required for both solo swimmers and relay swimmers.

*The crossing is not a “tidal swim” like, for example, the English Channel. SwimÖresund is a current-based swim where you can expect to swim against the current.

Make sure you have at least one person who can travel with you during the given period. It is important that there is at least one support person on the boat during the crossing. In a two-way crossing, there must be at least two support people on the boat. The support person must take care of the swimmer’s well-being, energy intake and other various needs.

The swimmer and other companions participating in the crossing must be able to communicate in Danish or English.

Permission for Strait of Öresund are the sole discretion of SwimÖresund and Pilots. For more information, please read THE REGISTRATION INFO.

All applications must satify SwimÖresund and Pilots of their competence to make a realistic effort to undertake a successful attempt of the Strait of Öresund.

By registering, swimmers confirm that they agree that participation is entirely at their own responsibility and risk.

*Please also read responsibility and risk.

It is the responsibility of the individual swimmer and their companions to insure themselves against the risks that may arise during the crossing on board the boat and in the water.

SwimÖresund follows the international standards in marathon swimming. A medical certificate is therefore a requirement. The medical certificate must document that the swimmer is in good health and does not suffer from any kind of illness or other limitations that prevent the swimmer from completing the crossing. For safety reasons, the health certificate must be issued as close to the swimming window as possible. The health certificate must be issued 3 month at the earliest and 1 month at the latest before your swimming window.

Please forward the health certificate to [email protected]

SwimÖresund follows the international standards in marathon swimming. A qualifying swim is therefore a requirement. Documentation for the qualifying swim must be made and submitted to SwimÖresund 4 month at the earliest and 1 month at the latest before your swimming window.

Completed at least one of the following verified and witnessed swims. Water temperature must be 16 C° (60.8 F°) or less.

Solo swimmers:
1-way a 6 hour swim
2-way a 15 hour swim

Relays:

2 hour swim

Nota Bene (swimming speed):

*The currents in the Öresund can be fickle, mischievous and strong at times. Waves can be expected. Therefore, a swimming speed of at least 3 km/h is required for both solo swimmers and relay swimmers.

*The crossing is not a “tidal swim” like, for example, the English Channel. SwimÖresund is a current-based swim where you can expect to swim against the current.

Please forward the documentation to [email protected]

It is important that you and your companions bring your passports with you on the swim. Everyone must be able to confirm their identity to both Danish and Swedish authorities, as controls on the water may occur. In addition, your identity must be able to be confirmed to SwimÖresund’s observer.

Both Denmark and Sweden each have their own laws and regulations. SwimÖresund assumes that swimmers who register agree that there may be orders from Danish or Swedish authorities respectively that may affect the crossing.

Read the official SwimÖresund rules and regulations carefully below!

With the help of the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA), SwimÖresund solo and relay swimming operate under the following approved rules and regulations.

For a swim to be officially recognized, SwimÖresund and WOWSA sanctioning require compliance with rules and regulations. SwimÖresund and WOWSA will not ratify a swim if any rules are not followed.

If any situation arises which is not covered by the current SwimÖresund rules, the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) rules shall be referenced and followed. In all cases, SwimÖresund shall retain the right to interpret its rules relative to the swimmer’s actions.

Swims across the Strait of Öresund will not be recognised retrospectively.

SwimÖresund may not observe or recognize any marathon swimming of swimmers under the age of 18.

* Without neoprene
* Neoprene (wetsuit)

* Solo
* Relay

* One way
* Two-way

Standard swimwear and equipment

Swimwear made of tight-fitting porous textile material. The swimwear must therefore not be made of neoprene or have other buoyancy. Men are allowed to wear swimming trunks that do not go below the groin and above the waist. Women are allowed to wear a swimsuit that does not go beyond the groin and ends with shoulder straps.

A shower cap made of latex or silicone. Neoprene and bubble caps are not allowed.

Goggles and earplugs.

Swimming under the category neoprene (wetsuit)

In addition to approved standard swimwear, you can add a wetsuit with a maximum thickness of 5 mm. The wetsuit must not go beyond your ankles and wrists and must end at your shoulders.

Wetsuit swims are accepted as a form of assisted swimming.

Nota bene

*At least two illuminations are mandatory!

Nota bene

*No floatation devices, propulsion aids, protective swimwear or full-length swimwear are allowed.

*No mechanical devices e.g. auditory pacing aids (music players, metronomes, etcetera). Portable electronic devices that transmit information to the swimmer. Underwater streamers. No simple timekeeping devices e.g. ordinary watches, chronometers etcetera.

*No drones, photographers, or similar are permitted.

General rules

The SwimÖresund swim should be from coast to coast. Swimmers start and finish on land with no water behind. The soil must be part of a naturally occurring continuous part of the coast. Stopping at a pier or man-made pier is not permitted.

No physical contact with the swimmer may be made by any person, escort craft or other objects (fixed or floating).

It is allowed to train and give instructions from the swimmers representative.

Swimmers can be provided with fuel (food) and hydration (drink) by their crew or trainer from a follow-up boat. The fuel and hydration can be supplied via a feeding stick or water bottle on a rope.

Swimmers must be allowed to use skin lubrication or other such substances on the skin, provided that the substances do not serve to retain body heat. Lanolin, petroleum jelly, fat and other such substances are allowed. Check if the pilot accepts it.

A tempo swimmer / fellow swimmer is not allowed.

Drafting behind a follow boat on a solo swim and relay is not allowed. Swimming close next to a follow boat is permitted as long as the safety of the swimmers is maintained.

The escort boat must attempt to maintain a constant position to station the swimmer at or in front of the hub of the escort boat.

Swimmers can swim any style: any type of front crawl, breaststroke, backstroke or butterfly. The swimming styles must comply with FINA’s rules. A swim style must be chosen before the crossing starts.

A two-way crossing must comply with the rules of single crossing.

On a two-way crossing, the swimmer must completely clear the waterline at all stops. Swimmers can rest, sit or stand on land for up to 10 minutes while accepting fuel, hydration or skin lubrication from another person. It is not allowed to walk down the coastline.

Each leg counts as a single cross in identical crossings.

The first leg will be timed from takeoff to touching dry land. The second leg is timed immediately thereafter (i.e. the rest time between the legs is incorporated into the other leg).

The relay must comply with the rules of single crossing.

Nota bene

*The entire team must register in advance what stroke the team will be doing. For instance the entire team can swim front crawl or breaststroke or backstroke or even butterfly, but the entire team have to do the same stroke throughout.

The baton must have a team leader appointed. It is the responsibility of the team leader to keep his team fully informed and make sure that the medical forms are filled out.

The relay must consist of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 swimmers.

SwimÖresund must recognize only men, only women and mixed categories. If a swimmer is in a wetsuit, it should be considered a neoprene swim.

Each swimmer must swim for one hour each time he/she enters the water. This duration is called a leg.

Upon receipt of a time signal, the switch to the new swimmer should be made as soon as practicable (within one minute) after the previous swimmer has completed his leg. In the exchange, the new swimmer shall go into the water behind the previous swimmer and swim past him.

Team members must rotate in the same order throughout the swim.

Pace taking is prohibited in relay swimming.

Under no circumstances shall more than one team be allowed to make their attempts from the same pilot boat.

Swimmers may take any form of fuel, hydration, medication or sustenance during the swims as long as this does not include alcohol or drugs on Anti-Doping Denmark (ADD), Antidoping Sweden banned list or the World Anti-Drug Testing Agency (WADA) banned list.

Swimmers need to be aware that they may be requested to undertake a drug test at any time up until 24 hours after your swim.

SwimÖresund-sanctioned events respect the guidelines, recommendations and rules outlined by ADD, Antidoping Sweden and WADA unless there is a swimmer with a previously documented medical exception.

No alcoholic beverages, stimulants or drugs that are on the ADD, Antidoping Sweden or WADA shall be consumed by the swimmers during the swim or 12 hours before the swim start.

No alcoholic beverages or narcotic drugs shall be consumed by the observer, boat crew member, or anyone associated with the swim from dock to dock.

The official SwimÖresund observer is responsible for documenting the solo swims and relays and completing the observer report.

For a swim to be officially recognized SwimÖresund and WOWSA sanctioning require compliance with rules and regulations. SwimÖresund and WOWSA will not ratify a swim if any rules are not followed.

If the observer is unavailable, the captain is authorized to perform the function of observer. The captain may also appoint a responsible person on the boat to perform the observer function.

Swimmers, coaches and support teams must not knowingly contaminate any open body of water or its surroundings with debris or waste, including feed cups and gel packs, at any time before, during or after the swim, from start to finish. Swimmers must be disqualified if the swimmer or his crew members contaminate the open water with cups, gel packs, bottles, garbage or other waste before, during or after the solo swim or relay. It is the responsibility of observers to monitor the behaviour of swimmers and their crew.