Since its inception, Open Water Chicago (OWC) has operated as an informal, community-based swim group, allowing participants flexibility in how and when they enter the water, as well as the distance and duration of their swims.
As participation has continued to grow in recent seasons, OWC has been evaluating ways to better support swimmer safety, manage capacity at meetups, and provide a more consistent experience across varying lake conditions.
Beginning this season, OWC will introduce a more structured format for all meetups.
Under this updated model, each meetup will be limited to a defined number of swimmers. Participants will be required to register in advance, provide basic details about their planned swim (start time, estimated distance, and expected duration), and complete the applicable lake access registration.
New Policy – Required Arm Marking:
After registering in advance and securing a meetup spot, OWC swimmers must arrive at their assigned meetup with official event markings. On the right arm, swimmers must list their SDF (Start, Distance, Finish) plan using a black sharpie pen. For example, here is an SDF marking for a planned 1-mile swim beginning at 5:30am with an expected swim finish of 5:50am (please use military time):
S – 05:30
D – 1 mile
F – 05:50
Separately, OWC swimmers must list an emergency contact (name, number, email) on their left arm, also using black sharpie pen.
Additional Regulations:
In order to ensure that the OWC meetups run faster overall and that every officially registered swimmer has the same structured experience, OWC swimmers may not:
• Swim extra
• Swim less
• Switch planned events mid-swim
• Enter the water casually
• Socialize excessively
Any swimmer observed deviating from this may be removed from the competitive field. Repeated violations may result in disqualification from Open Water Chicago. Official results for each planned swim will be recorded and posted on the OWC website.
How to Get Involved:
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation as OWC transitions from informal open swimming to a more structured model based on compliance, discipline, and measurable lake usage.
To secure a slot for any future OWC meetup, please click on the link below to create a swimmer profile and formally register with the group:
Additionally, please begin practicing your arm-marking immediately.
Thanks!
Steve