Frequently Asked Questions

CLDSA members are required to complete an application form and pay the total annual subscription fee each year. The swim year runs from 1 July each year until 30 June each year. Membership expires each year on 30 June. 

The annual CLDSA membership fee is: R300. The membership fee is fixed and not prorated.

Please see CLDSA Swim Application page and if you are doing a Robben Island Crossing, please note the additional procedures. You must be a CLDSA member in order to register for an official CLDSA swim and follow the CLDSA Swim Rules.

The once-off swim fee for CLDSA members is: R200 per swim or relay team member.

The CLDSA has 3 different categories for long distance swims, namely: (1) skins, (2) wetsuits and (3) assisted. For more on the rules for the different categories please consult the CLDSA Swim Rules.

You must be member, paid for your swim fee and successfully completed a swim to be awarded a certificate. CLDSA certificates are handed out each year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). If you are not able to make the AGM, your certificate will be sent to you in PDF form via email.

You must be member, paid for your swim fee and successfully completed a swim to be eligible for a medal but you will have to opt-in at an additional cost to purchase one. The CLDSA medals are custom-made and individually engraved. An email will be sent to all those eligible for medals explaining the process to order a CLDSA medal. In the future, medal orders will be available on-line. Payment for the medal must be received before 30 June each year. Medals are handed out at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year. If you are not able to attend the AGM to collect your medal, medals will be sent to you at your own courier cost.

Current cost of a custom engraved CLDSA medal is: R450 per medal.

Members should log-in under the Account section on the website which will confirm whether their current membership is active.

A Lifetime CLDSA Member does not have to pay the annual membership fee and is automatically regarded as a CLDSA member until the end of their natural life. Contact the CLDSA committee to find out more about Lifetime Membership.

If it is your first time swimming in cold water, we recommend confirming with your doctor (or GP) before you start cold water swimming. We encourage some cold water experience for all of our long distance sea swims in the Western Cape. Usually that means at least a once-a-week swim in the sea for a few weeks or months leading up to the long distance sea swim. That being said, we have known a handful of swimmers who have only trained in the pool and have successfully completed a long distance sea swim with that being the first time they have swum in the sea.

The average sea temperatures on the Atlantic side of Cape Town range between 10-14 degrees Celsius. For Robben Island crossings we recommend that first timers ideally swim the crossing at sea temperatures of at least 14 degrees Celsius. Sea temperatures can reach up to 16 degrees Celsius on warm days. Water temperatures on the False Bay side tend to be a bit warmer often running above 15 degrees on average.

Skin swims:

• Sea swims over 7.4km receive a bronze medal; 
• Any sea swim over 10km receives a silver medal; and 
• A record for any officially recognized swim receives a gold medal.

Wetsuits:

• Sea swims over 7.4km receive a bronze medal designated in the “Wetsuit” category; 
• Any sea swim over 10km receives a silver medal designated in the “Wetsuit” category;  and
• A record for any officially recognized swim receives a gold medal in the “Wetsuit” category.

Assisted:

• Sea swims over 7.4km receive a bronze medal designated in the “Assisted” category; 
• Any sea swim over 10km receives a silver medal designated in the “Assisted” category; and
• A sea swim in this category will not receive recognition as a record because there may be too many variances within this group.

All of the CLDSA swim routes are to be found on the record database. The list of some our most popular swim routes are below:

• Robben Island to Blouberg 7,4km (and reverse)

• Double Robben Island crossing 14.8km

• Robben Island to Three Anchor Bay 10,2km (and reverse)

• Three Anchor Bay to Robben Island to Blouberg 20,4km (Dog leg)

• Around Robben Island 11km

• Cape Point (Diaz Beach - Buffels Bay) 8km

• Across False Bay 34km

• Simonstown – Muizenburg 10km

• Dassen Island – Yzerfontein 11km

• Llandudno – Camps Bay 8km

• Preekstoel - Langebaan 8km

• Preekstoel – Mykonos 12km

• Milnerton Lighthouse - Big Bay, Blouberg 10,2km

• Blouberg – Melkbos 10km

• West Coast Angle (Big Bay – Robben Island – Melkbosstrand) 18km

• Camps Bay – Oceana 10km

• Clifton – Oceana 10km

All new swim routes must be pre-approved with the CLDSA committee before the swim. Swims not on the official CLDSA Swim Records require at least two CLDSA observers to be recognised as a CLDSA official swim.

Refer the Observer page on the website.

Refer to the Skipper page on the website.

Refer to our Swim Resources page on the website.

Refer to our Swim Resources page on the website.

Refer to our Swim Resources page on the website.