Open Water events in PNA are conducted in accordance with Part 3 of the USMS Rule Book and section 10 of the PNA Standing Policies. The events must be sanctioned by PNA and the USMS National Office. The benefits of a USMS sanction are described at USMS Sanction Benefits.
New Hosts
If you are thinking of hosting an Open Water event, PNA and USMS have many resources to help you to create a successful event. An excellent staring point is the Guide to Creating and Running a PNA Open Water Event. It provides a complete start to finish overview of planning and conducting an open water event in PNA. The policies in section 10 of the PNA Standing Policies provide specific requirements for PNA Open Water events. Read through the guide and policies and start your planning. Your point of contact at PNA is the PNA Open Water Coordinator PNA Open Water Coordinator email. The Coordinator is there to guide you through the entire process and will assist you with any questions or problems. Don’t hesitate to ask for information or request help.
Request a Date
Once you have decided to go ahead, submit a request for a date for your event using a PNA Open Water Date Request to the PNA Open Water Coordinator. Returning events can request a date by email. When your date has been approved, work on completing the necessary documentation to Sanction your event.
Create your Sanctioning Documents
You will need to create the following documents
- Event Information
- Course Map
- Safety Plan Application
- Proposed Budget
See PNA Policies section 10.2.7 for details on preparing each of these documents.
Submit the Documents for Approval and Sanction
These need to be submitted to the PNA OW Coordinator for approval at least 60 days prior to the scheduled event date.
Once the required documents have been approved by the PNA OW Coordinator, the host shall submit a USMS online sanction request to gain sanction for the race from the USMS National Office. The process will require you to upload your Safety Plan Application, course map, and Event Information. There is a tutorial and worksheet for the sanction request process.
The USMS Open Water Coordinator will receive the request for review. Update as needed based on USMS coordinator feedback.
Publicize the Event
Hosts for sanctioned events can provide an article on their event in the PNA WetSet at no charge. The Open Water Event Data for Publishing in the WetSet is a guide for the information to be provided in the article. Using the Event Information is a good option.
You can find more ideas on publicizing the event in the Guide to Creating and Running a PNA Open Water Event.
Make Sure You are up to Date
To make sure you are up on the latest rules, policies and procedures, review the USMS Guide for Open Water Event Management and section 10 of the PNA Standing Policies.
Buoys Available
PNA has buoys available for use in PNA sanctioned events at no charge. There are four yellow cylindrical buoys and three orange tetrahedron buoys. The buoys are also available to rent for events not sanctioned by PNA. Rental fee is $25 per buoy. The rental period covers one event or a series of events within a week span.
Contact the PNA Open Water Coordinator PNA Open Water Coordinator for more information.