02/23/2024 - Volunteer Sign-Up is Live
Paddlers, this is another great opportunity to serve the triathlete community and help our county SAR unit raise operational funds.
Thank you for letting us know you'll be coming out. You MUST sign up via the Ironman volunteer link, and sign their waiver.
Let us know if you need a kayak or SUP to help out. I'm asking for a $10 donation per kayak or board. I'll deliver and pick up at no cost. I used to do it 100% for free, but it's a lot of work, and I do appreciate the gas money. You can have it at Sand Hollow on Friday afternoon and use it all night, if you like. Bring a headlamp. We'll want those in the wee hours of the morning.
Weather permitting, anybody want to paddle around the lake the night before? It will be off-limits to pretty much anyone else. :D
When you rent from my shop (Dig Paddlesports), your kayak or SUP, vest and paddle are sized for fit and comfort for you, specifically. If you are a Dig Paddle Club Member, there is no additional charge to use our gear, but you do need to give us advance notice (by Wednesday, May 1, thank you). If you are storing your gear at our Quail Creek shop and want to use it for Ironman, just let us know ahead of time, and we'll sort out transportation.
Look for updates from the SAR Team Captains, listed below, after signing up through Ironman. They will email you at some point with further details that may or may not replace the description and schedule below.
From the Ironman Volunteer Shift Description:
Swim Safety / Water Support - Kayaks
- Kayak volunteers are responsible to the Kayak Captain to provide first response to initiate a rescue for the support of the Ironman swim
- Sign up on the official website
- Attend training sessions called by the Kayak Captain
- Kayak volunteers will have a minimum of 12 hours experience on the water, able to demonstrate forward, backward, side to side movement, and ability to up right after a roll OR safely execute a "wet exit" if using a sit-inside kayak. "Sit on top" kayak paddlers, as well as stand up paddleboard paddlers, should be able to self-rescue after capsizing."
- Kayak volunteers will be provided with race day lunch and parking information from the Captain.
- Kayak volunteers will meet their Captain at 5:30 am on race day at the South dock of Sand Hollow Reservoir. (Bring towels, warm clothes and water)
- Kayak volunteers will enter the water no later than 6:30 am
- Kayak volunteers will be positioned throughout the entire swim course according to Kayak Captain's plan to meet the boat plan. See specific race information
- Kayak volunteers responsible for maintaining discipline at the start line. Keeping the athletes back until it is clear the race is about to begin. (See swim start procedures)
- Kayak volunteers responsible for detecting swimmers in distress and initiating the rescue plan
- At conclusion of swim return all Ironman equipment (red flags, type IV flotation devices, whistles) to the Kayak Captain
Any questions, please contact the captain of this area:
Dell Pulsipher dell@infowest.com
Tony Mackun tony@abovebelowllc.com
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Anticipate a Friday evening volunteer check-in, orientation and hearty meal at Sand Hollow (typically what has been done), and you'll likely be able to leave your gear at the lake and on the shoreline near the sandstone island at "Dive Beach" if you'd like to keep it simple for the following morning. We can usually camp out at the lake that night for free. Getting there in the morning will be easy up to a point, but you need to arrive extra-early. Athletes get bused in, and it gets busy quickly.
SAR has almost always offered some type of breakfast, which is always appreciated. We'll take final direction in a Saturday morning meeting and disperse to our positions.
After Ironman, grab some food in the park maintenance building, then come over to Quail Creek and I'll show you where to find the turtles that come out to sunbathe. :)
Again, look for communication from Search and Rescue Dive Team on this, once you have signed up. I'm just sharing some basic info and speculating regarding schedule. If anything changes significantly, I'll do my best to post here and modify the description.
My best,
Bill
Bill@digpaddlesports.com
435.680.5818 c