According to article 4.9 of USAT's official Rules, found here, it is not illegal to use a snorkel:
"4.9 Illegal Equipment. Any swimmer wearing any artificial propulsion device, including but not limited to fins, gloves, paddles, or floating devices of any kind shall be disqualified."
In addition, if you do a simple Google search for "Snorkel in Triathlon", you will see several posts where people refer to USAT, and that USAT sanctioned events allow Snorkels. You can even find some forums where people mention that they have seen people use them.
You can also see some links where people say their particular Tri did not permit snorkels, but those were not USAT events. (Not sure about IM's, and am too lazy to dig any deeper).
Still doesn't make me want to Triathlate/Triathletize/Triath/Tri or whatever the correct term is. What is the correct term?
Other interesting rules:
4.8 Goggles. Swimmers may wear, but shall not be required to wear, swim goggles or face masks.
4.7 Swim Caps... if no official cap is provided, all swimmers should wear their own brightly colored swim cap.
4.2 Bottom Contact and Resting. A participant may stand on the bottom or rest by holding an inanimate object such as a buoy, boat, rope or floating object. Excluding the bottom, a participant shall not use any inanimate object to gain forward progress. (This means you can run/walk the swim course if it's shallow enough like Vineman!)
4.1 Permissible Strokes. Swimmers may use any stroke to propel themselves through the water and may tread water or float.
g. Unfair Advantage. No participant shall use his body, head, arms, or legs to gain an unfair advantage, or to push, pull, hold, strike, or force through one or more participants. (How do you use your head for unfair advantage?)
n. Indecent Exposure. Public nudity at any time during the event is prohibited. Sorry, Ken.
2 comments:
4.2 - Vineman is 4-7ft deep, so it's much quicker to swim it honestly. Also, depending on tides, the middle of Cancun's swim course is suddently 2ft deep. So yes, walking is probably faster.
Are you thanking me for that tidbit of information or for commenting on your barely-existing backside? Either way, you're welcome.
And an interesting note, item 4.2 -- How does that coincide with Panther's infamous story of his last triathlon where he was DQ'd for touching the boat that was telling him he was off course and said event DROVE him into duathlons?????
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