Nantucket Island Open Water Swim

07.27.24

Swim as an Individual, or on a Team:

A person may elect to swim alone, or be part of a team. Many colleagues will form teams, or teams may be formed in honor or memory of a loved one. All teams are inspirational and rewarding for all of us involved with Swim Across America. Teams must have a minimum of 3 swimmers and each swimmer is still required to meet the individual fundraising minimum of $200. Each team has a fundraising minimum of $1,000.

WaveMaker Status: $1,000 minimum:

WaveMakers go above and beyond the call of duty by raising at least $1,000 regardless of your age. Anyone can achieve WaveMaker status - swimmers, volunteers or SAA My Way participants. WaveMakers get special recognition and an exclusive WM gift on event day. You can learn more about WaveMaker Status here.

Kids' Splash:

Swimmers ages 6-11 (exceptions made by the event director) are invited to join us for a Kids' Splash before the 1 milers start their swim. Kid swimmers will swim a short swim (about 50 yards) in the water to take part in the event. Kids must be able to swim 50 yards to enter the swim.

There is a $25 registration fee to take part in the Kids' Splash and we ask that you sign up ahead of time. The minimum fundraising requirement is $50 ($25 fee included). To register, click on the register on the home tab. Then you'll be able to select the Kids' Splash option.

Four-Mile Swim Experience:

We will host a four-mile swim along the North Shore of Nantucket. The swim will be limited to the first 12 registered four mile swimmers to raise $4,000 and to the first 12 registered 2x2 mile teams to raise $5,000 (each individual to raise $2,500). The swim will take place on Saturday July 27th with an inclement weather date of Sunday July 28th. An in-person pre-race meeting will take place on Thursday July 25th. Each swimmer must provide his or her own kayaker and be able to complete the swim within three hours. Relay swimmers will share the same kayaker who will kayak the entire 4 mile course. Any swimmer in the water after three hours (or 1 1/2 hours for the 2 mile relay legs) may be pulled from the course at the discretion of the SAA Safety Director and/or Co-Event directors.

Swimmers will verify their one mile swim time and past open water experience with Co-Event directors prior to the swim (email jimp@swimacrossamerica.org).

Angel Swimmers

For those who are hesitant about swimming in open water, we are happy to provide an “angel swimmer” to swim the course alongside you. Angel swimmers are experienced open water swimmers who encourage you, keep an eye on you and support you during your swim. If you think you may benefit from having an angel swimmer, please respond yes to the question presented in online registration. You may also reach out to jimp@swimacrossamerica.org to answer any questions.

Fundraising Requirements:

• 0.25-Mile, 0.5-Mile and 1.0-Mile Swims - $200
• WaveMaker Swimmer - $1,000
• 2x2-Mile Swim Relay - $2,500 (per swimmer)
• 4-Mile Swim - $4,000
• Kids Splash - $50
• Falmouth Runner - $1,200

Distance Options:

• 0.25 Mile
• 0.5 Mile
• 1.0 Mile
• 2.0 Mile
• 4.0 Mile

Registration Self-Donation:

Swimmers will be asked to kickstart your fundraising and let your supporters know you are personally committed to the mission of SAA. The registration self-donation is a 100% tax deductible donation that will be will be credited towards each swimmer's fundraising minimum. The minimum self-donation amount will change as follows:

• Register before April 29 with a registration fee of $50
• Register between April 29 and June 23 with a registration fee of $75
• Register between June 24 and event day with a registration fee of $100

Online registration will close at noon on Thursday, July 25th! Event day registration may still be available if space permits.

Wetsuits:

Wetsuits are encouraged but not required. The water temperature is expected to be in the low 70s. Orca is an SAA wetsuit partner offering a 20% discount on all Orca purchases with code SAA20.

Waiver:

All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here.

2024 Swimmer Packet:

The 2024 Swimmer Packet is now available here.

Course Map

Proceeds from the swim will support cancer treatment and patient care at Nantucket Cottage Hospital and Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket as well as research at MassGeneral Cancer Center. Through the efforts of these organizations and the support of SAA - Nantucket, residents and visitors alike can receive outstanding cancer treatment and support on the island.

Since 2013, SAA - Nantucket has raised nearly $5 million for our beneficiaries: Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket, and Mass General Cancer Center.

Read more about our impact in the SAA - Nantucket impact report.

Nantucket Cottage Hospital Program Details

This program allows island cancer patients to receive oncology services at Nantucket Cottage Hospital (NCH) rather than the mainland, saving them from burdensome and expensive travel while suffering from cancer. With the collaboration between the Mass General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and NCH's oncology department, patients are able to receive an academic level of care in a rural community hospital. The MGH link also brings access to breakthrough and state of the art technologies, drug therapies and clinical trials that would not be available to a rural community hospital. The program brings a team of cancer specialists to the island every week for patient consultations. In addition, a Board Certified Advanced Practice Oncology Registered Nurse is on-site to see cancer patients five days a week. Services, including chemotherapy, are performed at the Swim Across America Infusion Center at NCH.

Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket Program Details

This program provides direct care and services to patients and families who are coping with cancer. Care is provided through a Nurse Practitioner, a part time RN-Nurse Specialist, a Palliative Care Counselor, Social Workers, Program Assistant, Chaplain, Medical Director, and volunteers and is provided in any setting. Cancer support groups are also conducted twice/month. Services are provided free of charge and are fully supported through donations and grants. PASCON staff works directly with the NCH oncology staff to ensure the needs of all patients are being met.

MassGeneral Cancer Center Program Details

Proceeds from SAA-Nantucket will support the research of Dr. Bryan Choi, MD, PhD., who specializes in surgical care for patients with benign and malignant brain tumors. He also leads a research laboratory with the goal of developing the next generation of cell therapies and clinical trials in neuro-oncology. Learn about Dr. Choi's research on our blog.

What is SAA MY WAY?

SAA My Way is our virtual offering where you decide your activity and timeline. Register with a $50 self-donation and we’ll send you an SAA Swag Bag to show off your spirit. All donations raised for your My Way will support our SAA-Nantucket event. Click here to learn about all the ways you can have fun your way!

To sign up as an SAA My Way participant for our event, click the register button above and select 'SAA My Way' as your participation type.

SAA MY WAY IN YOUR COMMUNITY

"Our team at Nantucket Cottage Hospital wanted to give the opportunity for staff members who are not interested in swimming an option to participate in the Swim Across America mission. We decided that the best way to do this was a team walk! Nantucket, being the small island that it is has a few distinct villages that we decided to pick a road that is one of the longest on island. Starting in the sleepy village of Sconset we walked the seven miles to the main rotary on island. Team members had the option to walk the whole seven miles or meet the group along the way and walk for however long they wished. We had a total of around 20 participants and most walked the whole distance. We all wore Swim Across America gear to give the awareness to the community members we passed on the way either in their cars or on the bike path. It was a nice way to involve new team members who may feel intimidated by an open water swim!"

SAA-Nantucket has secured 10 bibs to participate in the Falmouth Road Race on August 18, 2024. The Falmouth Road Race was established in 1973 and has become one of the premier running events of the summer season. Each year the race draws an international field of Olympians, elite, and recreational runners out to enjoy the iconic 7-mile seaside course. The registration fee is $200 and each runner is required to raise an additional $1,000. Once receiving a bib number, runners are to register on the SAA-Nantucket website as a Runner. Runners will receive a unique runner jersey and will qualify for Wavemaker status after raising $1,000. For more information on the Falmouth Road Race please contact Erin Myers.

Volunteers are the backbone of the Swim Across America Family ensuring our event run smoothly from beginning to end. Even if you aren’t a swimmer, you can still help us in the fight against cancer. Don’t forget, volunteers can fundraise too if they want! Ready to volunteer with us? Click on the Register button and select the Volunteer participation type.

Land Volunteers

Land Volunteers staff all aspects of our event on land. You can anticipate helping with set up, swimmer check-in, finish line support, hospitality and post-swim events/clean up.

Water Volunteers

Water volunteers consist of kayakers, stand-up paddleboarders and angel swimmers that provide crucial logistical and safety support to our event officials and for our swimmers. They will monitor the swim lane, keep an active eye on all our swimmers and communicate any swimmer issues to our event officials.

Angel Swimmers

Angel Swimmers are experienced open water swimmers who are willing to accompany a nervous swimmer throughout the course. Angel swimmers must be able to swim all distances and help out if the swimmer needs. To register as an angel swimmer, choose “volunteer” and then select Angel Swimmer. The local planning team will have final approval of angel swimmers.

Questions about volunteering? Check out our SAA Volunteer Page or contact our Co-Event Director Jill Roethke.

If this is your first time participating or if you just need some tips to be a better fundraiser, click here. It will walk you through the participant center and teach you how to email donors, share on social media sites and download the fundraising app. You can find more helpful resources on our fundraising resources page.

NEW! Watch these instructional videos to learn how to register, update your participant center, connect to Facebook and more!

Be a WaveMaker by taking your fundraising to the next level and raising $1,000! Anyone can achieve WaveMaker status - swimmers, volunteers or SAA My Way participants. WaveMakers get special recognition and an exclusive WM gift on event day. You can learn more about WaveMaker Status here.

You may support the swimmer of your choice by making an online donation. Or you may send a check, payable to Swim Across America, to the address below:

Swim Across America - Nantucket
PO Box 3271
Nantucket, MA 02584

Make sure to include a note with the name of the swimmer you are donating to.

SAA Safety & Policies:

Participant safety is the most important component of all our events. All swimmers will be asked to follow specific safety procedures and policies to participate, as well as comply with SAA safety personnel, including local and government entities, Lifeguards, and water safety volunteers. Participants are responsible for adequately preparing for their registered event. We ask that all participants review the information packet provided in advance of event day, as well as attend the day-of safety briefing for important safety information.

Waiver:

All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here.

If you have questions about our policies regarding inclement weather, swim equipment or wetsuits, please consult our Policies page.

Wetsuits: Orca is an SAA wetsuit partner offering a 20% discount on all Orca purchases with code SAA20.

Schedule is tentative and subject to change.

6:30-7:30 am: Registration/Check in

7:30 am: Registration Closes

7:45 am: Mandatory Swimmer Safety Talk, Why I Swim Testimonials

8:15 am: Opening Ceremony and National Anthem

8:17 am: 1/4 Mile Swimmers Walk to Start

8:20 am: Kids' Splash

8:25 am: 1/4 Mile and 1 Mile Swim Start

8:30 am: 1/2 Mile Swim Start

9:00 am: Breakfast

9:20 am: Awards Ceremony

Schedule is tentative and subject to change.

Thursday, July 25

5:30 pm - mandatory meeting for all swimmers, kayakers, safety personnel. Location: Public Safety Building - 4 Fairgrounds Road (virtual option will be available via zoom, link will be sent by Monday, July 22 to all registered participants)

Saturday, July 27

9:30 am - 12:30 pm - kayak drop off at Jetties Beach
12:45 pm - swimmer & kayaker check in at Jetties Beach
1:15 pm - swimmer safety talk, final debrief
1:30 pm - 4-mile swim start, individuals and relays
3:00 pm - 4-mile Individual turn around. Wave 2 of relays to start if exchange didn’t not occur.
4:30 pm - 4-mile course closed
4:45 pm - Informal debrief at Sandbar at Jetties Beach

4-Mile Swim will be set on a 2-Mile course starting at Jetties Beach (Beach Access #39) and traveling west to roughly 100 yards west of Washing Pond Beach (Beach Access #43). The course will be marked with swim buoys at the start, mile 1 and mile 2.

Swimmers and kayakers will keep the buoy markers on their left hand side at all times. There is a 3-hour completion window and the course will close once time expires. The individual 4-mile swimmers will turn around at the mile 2 buoy and head back east. The 2x2 relay swimmers will turn around at the mile 1 buoy and head back east.

• At one hour and thirty minutes from the official start of the swim, all individual 4-mile swimmers, if they haven’t already made the turn at the mile 2 buoy, will turn back and swim east towards Jetties Beach.
• At one hour and thirty minutes from the official start of the swim, the second Relay swimmer will enter the water if they have not done so already. The kayak will remain with the first swimmer until they are finished then catch up to the second swimmer. There will be kayak to lead out the group of second swimmers to make the exchange with the teams kayak

There will be a 10x10 SAA Tent and teardrops on Jetties Beach, near the water’s edge marking the start and end of the swim.

Transportation and Lodging

Nantucket is easily reachable year round by ferry boat or plane service. During the busy summer season, the town encourages visitors to limit bringing their cars over by providing a seasonal shuttle system giving the community an essential transportation option around the island. There are miles of town maintained by bike paths, town owned beaches & beautiful harbors for moorings all enhancing the experience on the island. From the beautiful sunsets of Madaket to the charming small village of Siasconset, the public can view the beautiful landscapes, historic homes or wide spread beaches until reaching their special and personal Nantucket destination.

For more information on Nantucket, the best place to go is the Nantucket Visitor's Services by clicking here. For options for places to stay, please click here.

Interested in being a SAA - Nantucket Partner?

If you'd like to learn more about partnership opportunities, please review this 2024 Partnership Guide or email us.

IN THE NEWS

Here are some recent stories that display the impact members of the Swim Across America family have had in the Nantucket Island Community.

Check out our Why I Swim video archive on our SAA-Nantucket Youtube page!