How Hard is the English Channel Swim? English Channel FAQ!
After having a few months to reflect on my English Channel swim, I took some time to answer the questions that I get asked the most often. I am certainly not an expert on all things English Channel or even swimming for that matter, but I have done a huge amount of research on the channel for my solo swim as well as for some of the athletes attempts that I have coached. You can watch the video below in which I answer several questions about what swimming the channel is like. Since making this movie, I have gotten even more questions from people that I think are worth answering. Ok, enough chit chat, it’s time to drop some knowledge!
The questions that I cover in the video include:
Coach Craig recently completed a solo English Channel swim and his Triple Crown of Open water Swimming. Get ready for some fun English Channel FAQ!
How much training did you do?
What are the rules of marathon swimming?
Did you have to gain weight?
How did you train for the cold?
What did you eat during your swim?
How did you eat during your swim?
What do you do when you need to use the bathroom?
What do you think about while swimming?
What about sea life and jellyfish?
How do you get through tough moments?
What happens when you get to France?
Which boat do you recommend?
CSA or CS & PF?
Why don't you swim in a straight line?
There are a bunch of basic questions that I didn’t cover which I will attempt to answer here. As you read this, if there is a specific question that you have please ask it in the comments and I will be sure to add this in. I want this to be a resources for other English Channel hopefuls so the more questions and answers, the better!
How hard is it to swim the English Channel?
This is a loaded question! The answer depends on several different factors but the short answer is yes it is hard. Even if you get the perfect day, you still are swimming over 21 miles in water under 62 degrees Fahrenheit. Some swimmers will start at 1am or 2am or 3am while other will start at 7am or even later. This makes sleeping difficult and you may have to swim in the pitch black through the night. Some days the weather is great and others will have to deal with big swell and powerful winds. On a good day swimming the channel is hard and on a bad day it is really hard. Don’t forget the years of training, suffering and sacrifice you need to put in to be ready for big swim. This is all hard but it is worth it when you achieve a big goal not many others have been able to do!
What is the distance of an English Channel Swim?
The English Channel Swim from Shakespeare's Cliff or Samphire Hoe in England to Cap Gris-Nez in France is approximately 21 miles or 32 kilometers. Due to currents, winds and other factors, swimmers should anticipate and train to swim significantly more miles.
What is the route of an English Channel Swim?
Most English Channel swims will start at either Shakespeare's Cliff or Samphire Hoe in England between Folkstone and Dover. They will then swim across the Straight Of Dover and will shoot to aim for Cap Gris-Nez in France! The end point can change depending on the conditions and the swimmer’s speed but the target and shortest distance is 21 miles from Shakespeare's Cliff or Samphire Hoe to Cap Gris-Nez. Any other ending point will be more than the 21 miles.
How long does it take to swim the English Channel?
It can take between 7 hours and 27 hours or more. The time it takes to swim is dependent upon the speed of the swimmer and the channel conditions on the day of the swim.
Are there sharks in the English Channel?
The short answer is yes there are sharks…but there hasn’t been an unprovoked shark attack since 1971! There are actually 21 known species of sharks in the Channel, which include porbeagles, blue sharks, thresher sharks, shortfin makos, and oceanic whitetips but no Great Whites! There are lots and lots of jellyfish, so if you plan to attempt a swim just accept that you will get stung at least a few times!
How cold is it for an English Channel swim?
During the swim season, which is roughly July to September, the water temperature ranges from 14 to 18 degrees Celsius or 57 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do you qualify for an English Channel swim?
Both the Channel Swimming Association and the CS & PF have their own processes, so if you are serious about attempting a swim please check out their sites. The process for each is fairly similar.
Steps:
Research the tides and weather patterns for a few date ranges you would like to swim in that are 2 to 3 years away. Your best chance for success is on neap tides but if you are a strong swimmer, then a sprint tide will be doable just a slightly longer day.
Find a CSA or CS&PF sanctioned boat pilot and contact them directly about the dates you are interested in. You will need to book 2 to 3 years in advanced, so start now so you can get a position 1 or position 2 slot!
Train, Train and Train some more. Spend time on speed, technique but more importantly swim in water that is colder than 60F as much as possible, swim in salty water and swim in all types of conditions! If you need help with training, we specialize in marathon swims and we are also a CSA Approved English Channel Coach.
Register your swim with the CSA or CS&PF, pay your fees and get your medical examination done.
Complete a 6 hour qualifying swim in water that is 60F or less within 12 months of your English Channel swim window.
Arrange accommodations. I would recommend doing this fairly early on as all the good hotels and AirBnBs are booked up fast. It is also easiest to stay in the town where your pilot will launch from which is either Dover or Folkstone.
Contact the CSA or CS&PF and your pilot to let them know when you arrive. You will meet with your boat pilot to discuss logistics and which days in your window you might swim.
Swim to France!
How much will swimming the English Channel cost?
If you don’t include travel, lodging and coaching expenses the CSA or CS&PF registration fee is about $450 and then the cost for the pilot boat is about $4,400. Both of those fees are the average for 2020 so depending on when you are reading this, they could be even higher. You are looking at around $5000 for the swim alone then you need to add in travel fees, lodging, equipment and coaching. Start saving up!
Are support swimmers allowed?
Yes support swimmers are allowed but they must follow very specific rules. Support swimmers can only get in the water when given permission from the boat pilot. The solo swimmer must swim for 2 hours and then the support swimmer can enter the water. The support swimmer can swim with the solo swimmer for an hour and then must exit the water for an hour. Support swimmers are allowed to wear wetsuits or swimming equipment that will help keep them warm and keep them swimming at the same pace as the solo swimmer.
Helpful Tips
You can’t cram for cold water acclimation so start getting used to the cold now! Swimming in cold water is best but cold baths, cold showers and just trying to be cold as much as possible goes a long way!
The water is very very salty and can cause issues with your mouth. Rinse your mouth with mouthwash diluted with water at the end of your feeds.
Find out if you get seasick in rough seas. If so, start figuring out which sea sickness medication you like and test it out in training.
Find out if anyone on your crew gets seasick. Your English Channel swim can get stopped by the pilot if one of your support crew becomes ill and needs medical attention. If your crew gets seasick, then either find a new crew member or ask them to find out which seasickness medications work for them and make sure they follow the regimen the day of your swim.
Some people who you consider friends and family will show their true colors. They will doubt you and sabotage you with negative thoughts. You need to find a way to block these thoughts out. What you are doing is hard and there is no guarantee you will finish. You don’t need this added negativity. People who treat you this way are jealous of you. They don’t want you to succeed because it makes them feel bad about themselves for not taking on big goals. Their insecurities are not your problem, so cut them loose because that negativity is infectious and will impact your training and swim.
Enjoy the process! This is a long and hard process. Take some time to celebrate the little wins along the way like when you complete your qualifying swim or some other big milestone.
We hope you found this article helpful. If there is a question you have that we have not covered, please let us know in the comments and we will do our best to answer it. If you are considering taking a shot at the English Channel, please reach out as we would love to help!