Swim tests are one of your most important jobs as captains as they are required for every rower and cox at Oxford. It is the responsibility of clubs to ensure that their club has safe practices, including requiring all rowers and coxes to be sufficiently proficient swimmers. These rules, from OURCs and COUR, are designed to assist club safety and will be strictly enforced. OURCs insists that all event participants have passed an OURCs swim test. For full information, which all rowers should read, see: Swim Tests.
The rules are summarised as follows (see 2.4.a. for further details):
- Everyone must be tested at the first available opportunity.
- After an athlete's 5th session on the water, they must pass a swim test before conducting further water outings.
- Upon failure of a swim test, that athlete is prohibited from water outings until they subsequently pass a swim test.
- Swim tests remain valid for six years.
Any breach of the latter two rules will be treated as a Major Transgression, and it is the responsibility of the clubs to check the pass/fail lists published by the RowSab after each swim test session. If you have any queries about the above rules, contact the Rowing Sabbatical Officer at sabbatical@ourcs.co.uk.
Swim Test Booking Procedure
A brief guide intended for those taking a swim test is avaiable
here.
Location
Swim tests take place in the Rosenblatt Pool at the University's Iffley Road Sports Centre.
Booking
BOOKING
We'll begin with 16 slots per half-pool, 15 minute period as usual. Hoping for success with some organisational innovations, we'll probably kick that up to 20 per half-pool from Week 2 on. Between the following dates, there are approximately 3000 slots. Our data suggests that there are approximately 2500 people involved in college rowing every year (including those in their second, third, tenth years). Therefore, there are enough testing slots booked. Use them.
As with last year, there will be a phased booking system. Before Phase 1 you cannot book. I will be checking, and I will be deleting early bookings. Please don't make me do this. Phase 1 will limit the number of bookings each club can make. This is generally six to begin with. Phase 2 will remove the booking limits to ensure that all the slots are filled. The system may allow you to book more during Phase 1, but I will delete them. I have a lot to do and while I love busywork, we'd all rather I make sure IWLs run than spend all my time deleting sneaky swim test bookings.
Without further ado, here are the booking dates, which are also available on the OURCs calendar. These are more or less confirmed, aside from Wednesday 22nd October which is still in flux subject to staff availability at the pool.
| Day |
Week |
Date |
Time |
Phase 1 Opens |
Phase 2 (Unlimited) Opens |
| Mon |
0 |
6th October |
18:45-21:00 |
3rd October @12:00 |
4th October @12:00 |
| Tue |
1 |
14th October |
17:45-21:00 |
6th October @12:00 |
10th October @12:00 |
| Fri |
1 |
17th October |
19:15-22:00 |
9th October @12:00 |
13th October @12:00 |
| Sun |
2 |
19th October |
11:45-16:00 |
11th October @12:00 |
15th October @12:00 |
| Mon |
2 |
20th October |
18:45-21:00 |
12th October @12:00 |
16th October @12:00 |
| Wed |
2 |
22nd October |
TBC |
|
|
| Thu |
2 |
23rd October |
18:45-21:00 |
15th October @12:00 |
19th October @12:00 |
| Sat |
2 |
25th October |
15:15-17:30 |
17th October @12:00 |
21st October @12:00 |
| Sun |
4 |
2nd November |
11:45-16:00 |
25th October @12:00 |
28th October @12:00 |
| Tue |
4 |
4th November |
18:45-21:00 |
27th October @12:00 |
30th October @12:00 |
| Fri |
6 |
21st November |
19:15-21:00 |
13th November @12:00 |
17th November @12:00 |
| Sun |
7 |
23rd November |
11:15-13:30 |
14th November @12:00 |
18th November @12:00 |
PROCEDURES
In general, please only book slots that you know you can fill - or at the very least ensure that you cancel in plenty of time. Any cancellations after 5pm on the day before the test will not be registered -- this is a desk job and I work normal, desk job hours. Clubs will be charged for slots, not rowers, if they don't turn up you will pay 150% of the charge (i.e. £3 for a test which is normally £2). We can see the spots you've booked as a club, and your attendance as a club -- we will notice if you are overbooking and under-attending.
Much goes on at the pool and the sports centre puts on a huge shift to make these work for us, including cancelling training sessions for other clubs which use the pool (swimming, water polo, etc) -- do not waste a test slot, as you would be wasting many very nice people's time. The committee's above financial decision reflects this reality.
Please remember that the waitlist exists and is, more or less, automated. If you want a slot at a certain time, do join the waitlist, as you'll automatically be put on if someone cancels.
Please send your rowers to the earliest tests - especially Sunday 19th October and Saturday 25th October. There are almost a thousand tests on those two days alone, and later tests will likely be full of those needing to retest. The tests on 21st and 23rd November are intended to be catch-alls for those looking to compete in the Tamesis Novice Regatta -- once those are over, swim tests are done for this term. These bookings have been in place since June, we cannot book more pool time on short notice.
Do not waste earlier tests.
SAFETY
These tests are a really important part of Oxford rowing safety. Our data suggests about one in eight people fail the test the first time -- meaning if we didn't do them, there would be at least one person in every eight who could not swim in the event of an emergency. This would be bad.
Remember that rowers may only complete up to 5 outings before taking a swim test. COUR recommends having rowers complete a competency declaration form before any outings. A template is attached to this email. Anyone who fails a swim test, even if they have not completed 5 outings, cannot row until they subsequently pass.
People on your club will fail the swim test -- this is why we run them throughout the term to provide for retakes. Please ensure your athletes know that this is not a simple back float and they need to be able to do the three things they've probably already signed onto doing on the COUR form -- 50m continuous swim, 2 minutes treading water, and 5m underwater swimming.
Lastly, please attempt to log onto SuperSaas now, before the first bookings open, so that I can sort out IT issues if they arise. Contact me if you need to change the login email for SuperSaas. It can be accessed here: http://supersaas.co.uk/<wbr></wbr>schedule/OURCs. You will not be able to see Swim Tests yet, this is because I have not yet opened them. There will be a session on swim test bookings at RQ's College Training Day this weekend (Saturday), which you can book for in there -- I encourage you all to attend as I will be there to answer questions, and the Monday 6th test will be up and running by then.
By default, all swim test results will be sent to both Captains' emails. Contact me to specify a different recipient.
Pricing
Swim tests are charged directly to the boat club. The price is determined by the cost of pool hire multiplied by the proportion of the total tests in a given period, generally a term, which were taken by the club. I.e. if pool hire is £1000 and 500 tests are taken, the unit cost will be £2. If St Digworth's College BC take 50 tests, they will be charged £100 (1000 * 50 / 500).
The Test
You will need to bring with you
- a valid Bodcard if a current student (any photo-ID if not a current student);
- shorts or leggings, and a t-shirt with sleeves (must be loose fitting, no vests or sleeveless tops) to wear during the test;
- a towel, dry change of clothes and bag for the wet clothes after the test.
You may wear a swimming costume underneath the clothing. White clothes tend to go semi-transparent when wet.
You may not wear goggles of any kind for the test.
You must sign in at the OURCs desk opposite the main reception for the result of your test to be recorded.
At present the test consists of
- (wearing a t-shirt, and shorts or leggings as a minimum);
- swimming 50m (any stroke excluding backstroke);
- treading water for 2 minutes: when treading water you are expected to have your full head above the water and have your airways open; and
- a surface dive and swim for 5m fully submerged under water.
All testing is carried out by qualified personnel.
Failing a Swim Test
- If a rower/cox fails, then from that moment onwards they are not permitted to be on the water. This means that any further usage of their 5-session allowance before being tested is not permitted. They are NOT permitted to be on the water even with lifejackets or buoyancy aids.
- Someone will fail if they fail to complete any part of the test above to the satisfaction of the tester. The two most common causes of failure are failing to tread water for 2 minutes with their airways clear and not being completely submerged when performing the 5m underwater swim.
- Treading water: people tend to keep far too little of their head above water to be confident of them doing so on a river; fatigue is a common factor and people may wish to regain some fitness prior to the test.
- Underwater swim: please remember that a surface dive does not allow for pushing off a wall and is conducted in the middle of the pool. Many fail to submerge themselves properly before beginning the 5m swim.