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Welcome to the 19th annual Swim Across America - San Francisco Bay Area Open Water Swim!
Join us for a point-to-point 1.5 mile swim starting at Little Marina Green and finishing in Aquatic Park. Take part in this memorable event as a swimmer, volunteer, or kayaker and help us fight cancer at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals!

7:15am: Swimmer Check In Begins
9:30am: Swim Start!
10:15-11:45am Swim Ends
LOCATION
Little Marina Green
3650 Yacht Rd
San Francisco, CA 94123
Swim Options
1.5 mile
SAA My Way (Virtual)
Fundraising
16+: $500
Under 16: $300
BENEFITING
FOLLOW AND GET ALL SAA—SAN FRANCISCO UPDATES
EVENT INFO
ABOUT

Welcome to the Swim Across America - San Francisco Bay Area Open Water Swim! Established in 2006, SAA - San Francisco has donated nearly $6 million to our beneficiaries: UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals (Oakland and San Francisco). Thank you for your support of cancer research in the Bay Area.

Each year we are proud to host over 500 swimmers, volunteers, spectators and supporters, as well as Olympians from near and far at our charity swim. Join us for a point-to-point 1.5 mile swim starting at Little Marina Green and finishing in Aquatic Park.

Whether you are a veteran swimmer or you're looking to do your first open water swim, we welcome you to help us "Make Waves to Fight Cancer."

If you have any questions about SAA - San Francisco, please email Laura Hovden or Jackie NeJaime.

EVENT DETAILS
SWIMMER INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS

General Fundraising Requirement:

All swimmers are required to raise at least $500* by the event day in order to swim.

Remember, this is a fundraising event, and we ask all of our swimmers to put forth a concerted effort to raise money for cancer research. Most swimmers find that it is surprisingly easy to raise money, especially those swimmers who use the website we provide to update their personal page and send emails.

*Swimmers who are 16 years of age or under on September 30th are required to raise a minimum of $300.

WaveMaker Status: $1,000 minimum:

WaveMakers go above and beyond the call of duty by raising at least $1,000 regardless of your age. Anyone can achieve WaveMaker status - swimmers, volunteers or SAA My Way participants. WaveMakers get special recognition and an exclusive WM gift on event day. You can learn more about WaveMaker Status here.

Swim as an Individual, or on a Team:

A person may elect to swim alone, or be part of a team. Many colleagues and college alumni will form teams, or teams may be formed in honor or memory of a loved one. Being a member of a team can be motivating, inspirational and rewarding for everyone involved with Swim Across America. There is a friendly competition among all the teams, which makes it even that much more fun and challenging. All individual team members are still required to meet the individual fundraising minimum of $500.

Angel Swimmers:

For those who are hesitant about swimming in open water, we are happy to provide an "angel swimmer" to swim the course alongside you. Angel swimmers are experienced open water swimmers who encourage you, keep an eye on you and support you during your swim. If you think you may benefit from having an angel swimmer, please respond yes to the question presented in online registration. You may also reach out to Jackie NeJaime to answer any questions.

Distance Options:

  • 1.5 Mile

New for 2023: Bonus Swim for the Top 10 Fundraisers!

Get ready to make a splash! We have an amazing opportunity for the top 10 fundraisers - a bonus swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park on October 1st! That's right, you'll have the chance to swim alongside our own Olympians in a fun and exciting escape, all as a reward for your hard work and dedication to fundraising. So let's make a splash and dive into this challenge! Start raising those funds and secure your spot among the elite swimmers of our community. The water's great, the cause is more significant, and the experience will be unforgettable. Let's go!

Registration Self-Donation:

Swimmers will be asked to kickstart your fundraising and let your supporters know you are personally committed to the mission of SAA. The registration self-donation is a 100% tax deductible donation that will be will be credited towards each swimmer's fundraising minimum. The minimum self-donation amount will change as follows:

  • Register before June 24 with a registration fee of $50
  • Register between June 24 and August 25 with a registration fee of $75
  • Register between August 26 and September 27 with a registration fee of $100
  • Note: Swimmer registration closes on Friday, September 27 at 11:59 pm.

Wetsuit Policy, Rentals and Purchases:

Because of the cold nature of our open water environment, wetsuits are required. Exceptions may be reviewed and approved by the Risk Management Coordinator, Event Directors, and Swim Course or Safety Coordinator. Local safety teams must be advised of the special exceptions. Only those cleared will be allowed to swim without wetsuit. Please read our full wetsuit policy and tips on our Policies Page.

Online Purchase: Orca is an SAA wetsuit partner offering a 20% discount on all Orca purchases with code SAA20

Swimmer Packet and Waiver:

The 2024 Swimmer Packet will be distributed via email approximately five days before our event. It contains important information about the schedule, what to expect and what to bring. For reference, find the 2023 packet 2023 Swimmer Safety Document here.

All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here.

Need Swim Training?

You should train in Open Water before your September swim! Information on SAA sponsored training events is available here!

YOUR IMPACT

Proceeds from the swim will support cancer research and patient care at our two local beneficiaries: UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco Survivors of Childhood Cancer Program. In 2021 we gifted $540,000 to these programs bringing our 16 year total to over $5.5 million gifted.

Learn more about Swim Across America's impact at UCSF.

SAA MY WAY

What is SAA MY WAY?

SAA My Way is our virtual offering where you decide your activity and timeline. Register with a $50 self-donation and we’ll send you an SAA Swag Bag to show off your spirit. All donations raised for your My Way will support our SAA-San Francisco event. Click here to learn about all the ways you can have fun your way!

To sign up as an SAA My Way participant for our event, click the register button above and select 'SAA My Way' as your participation type.

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are the backbone of the Swim Across America Family ensuring our event run smoothly from beginning to end. Even if you aren’t a swimmer, you can still help us in the fight against cancer. Don’t forget, volunteers can fundraise too! Ready to volunteer with us? Click on the Register button and select the Volunteer participation type.

Land Volunteers

Land Volunteers staff all aspects of our event on land. You can anticipate helping with set up, swimmer check-in, finish line support, hospitality and post-swim events/clean up.

Water Volunteers

Water volunteers consist of kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders and power boaters that provide crucial logistical and safety support to our event officials and for our swimmers. They will monitor the swim lane, keep an active eye on all our swimmers and communicate any swimmer issues to our event officials.

Angel Swimmers

Angel Swimmers are experienced open water swimmers who are willing to accompany a nervous swimmer throughout the course. Angel swimmers must be able to swim all distances and help out if the swimmer needs. To register as an angel swimmer, choose “volunteer” and then select Angel Swimmer. The local planning team will have final approval of angel swimmers.

Questions about volunteering? Check out our SAA Volunteer Page or contact us.

FUNDRAISING RESOURCES

If this is your first time participating or if you just need some tips to be a better fundraiser, click here. It will walk you through the participant center and teach you how to email donors, share on social media sites and download the fundraising app. You can find more helpful resources on our fundraising resources page.


NEW! Watch these instructional videos to learn how to register, update your participant center, connect to Facebook and more!


Be a WaveMaker by taking your fundraising to the next level and raising $1000! Anyone can achieve WaveMaker status - swimmers, volunteers or SAA My Way participants. WaveMakers get special recognition and an exclusive WM gift on event day. You can learn more about WaveMaker Status here.

 

You may support the swimmer of your choice by making an online donation. Or you may send a check, payable to Swim Across America, to the address below:

Swim Across America
PO Box 475842
San Francisco, CA 94147

Make sure to include a note with the name of the swimmer you are donating to.

SAFETY

SAA Safety & Policies:

Participant safety is the most important component of all our events. All swimmers will be asked to follow specific safety procedures and policies to participate, as well as comply with SAA safety personnel, including local and government entities, Lifeguards, and water safety volunteers. Participants are responsible for adequately preparing for their registered event. We ask that all participants review the information packet provided in advance of event day, as well as attend the day-of safety briefing for important safety information.

If you have questions about our policies regarding inclement weather, swim equipment or wetsuits, please consult our Policies page.

Our Safety Director is responsible for coordinating all activities within the event, and works closely with both the SF Police and U.S. Coast Guard to ensure swimmer safety. We will have the SF Police Department out on the course with us, as well as many safety kayakers and zodiacs to ensure swimmer safety at all times. All boats are able to communicate via both hand held and ship to shore radios. All swimmers are required to follow extremely important and very specific procedures to participate in the event.

These procedures are designed to protect swimmers from injury and will be enforced by the Safety Director and all authorities affiliated with the event. Swimmers are expected to be competent swimmers and able to swim in extremely cold water comfortably. All swimmers are encouraged to wear wetsuits for this event as the water temperature in the Bay is extremely cold. This event is not appropriate for inexperienced or novice swimmers.

Waiver:

All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here.

SCHEDULE

Schedule is tentative and subject to change.

5:15am: Leadership Team Arrives Little Marina Green and/or Aquatic Park for final setup.

6:15am: Volunteers arrive at Little Marina Green or Aquatic Park (volunteers will receive instructions via email before the event).

7:15am: Swimmer Check In Begins at Little Marina Green

8:30am: Swimmer Check In Ends

8:45am: Swimmer Safety Briefing / Why I Swim Speeches

9:00am: Safety Vessels Arrive / Enter Water at LMG

9:15am: Swimmer Bag Drop Closes

9:30am: Swim Start!

~10:15-11:45am Swim Ends at Aquatic Park

VENUE & GETTING THERE

Swim Starting Location

Little Marina Green
3650 Yacht Rd, San Francisco, CA 94123

Course Map

Swim Starting Location

For swimmers arriving at the start of the swim, there is available parking at Crissy Field. Please note that there will not be transportation provided back to your vehicle from the swim finish.

For family and spectators parking at the finish of the swim at Aquatic Park, we recommend parking at the Beach & Hyde garage located at 655 Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94109.

POOL SWIMS

Olympic Club Swims Toward a Cure

San Francisco, CA
Date: TBA
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Start A Pool Swim

Interested in raising money for SAA - San Francisco, but not sure you're ready for the open water? Why not start a pool swim? Gather together your family, friends or team for a day at the pool. Email Laura Hovden to learn more!

TRAINING RECOMMENDATIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

Click here to find open water swimming recommendations and training tips specific to SAA San Francisco.

You should train in Open Water before your September swim!

PARTNERSHIPS

INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH SAA - SAN FRANCISCO?

If you'd like to learn more about partnership opportunities, please review this Sponsorship Guide or email us.

IN THE NEWS

IN THE NEWS

Here are some recent stories that display the impact members of the Swim Across America family have had in the San Francisco community.

VIDEO

2017 SAA-San Francisco:

CONTACT US

If you have any questions about SAA - San Francisco, please email Laura Hovden or Jackie NeJaime.

  • You can support Swim Across America by becoming a Basementeer! Sports Basement is spinning the traditional “loyalty” program into a win-win for their loyal customers and our community. When you pay a one time $25 membership fee to become a Basemeteer you receive 10% off all future purchases and give 10% of profit share to Swim Across America. Sign up here!

LOCAL PARTNERS

 

 

National Partners
  • NCA SEF logo
  • Cisco Logo
  • Finis Logo