You’re standing on the boardwalk in Brighton Beach and to the far distant South, you can see the beautiful sandy beaches of Sandy Hook, NJ. You wonder – has anyone ever been brave enough to swim there from here, are other people interested in swimming there, and is there an organization that offers these swims? Yes, yes, and yes. From that same point on the boardwalk, look over your right shoulder beyond the Wonder Wheel and the iconic Parachute Jump – there you can spot the tops of the towers that support the Verrazano Bridge. CIBBOWS offer swimmers the chance to swim from the Verrazano Bridge to Sandy Hook, NJ. We have experienced boaters and crew that will pilot the way for you along with the ever watchful eyes of the NYPD Harbor Patrol (they’ve alway supported us but if they have a call they gotta go).
This is a members only swim. We could offer it to non-members but the cost of membership equals the non-member fee, so just join already and get the swim buoy and the t-shirt.
To make this dream swim happen for you, however, we have some rules – because safety is our top concern. There’s a minimum of 2 safety boats that must be on these swims. A safety boat can support 1 or 2 swimmers, but if there are 2 swimmers then those 2 swimmers must swim together. If 1 of the 2 swimmers lags behind, the faster swimmer will have to slow up and allow the other swimmer to catch up or the slower swimmer must be pulled. This swim can be done by 1 swimmer (pay for 2 boats), 2 swimmers (split the cost for 2 boats), 3-4 swimmers (split the cost for 2 boats), or more – we’ll get more boats!
So find some swimming buddies that swim at your pace. Train together, and make certain that you train together in the ocean since swimmers that are the same speed in the pool are not necessarily going to swim well together in the open ocean. Conditions can get rough even on the most idyllic days. That’s what Cibbows is for – come out to Brighton Beach and swim with us.
Ideally you’ll want 4 swimmers so that you can split up the cost of the boats. Cibbows will work with you on selecting the best dates. We’ll ask for a retainer fee to hold your date but we will refund this fee to you once you pay cash directly to the boaters. Cibbows only charges a small processing fee. You’ll be responsible for the boaters fee, so no last minute cancellations or we’ll forfeit your retainer fee.
The boats will pick you and your crew up at Brighton Beach – you will swim out to the boats with your supplies in waterproof bags and then you get to take an exhilarating ride over to the Verrazano Bridge for the splash start. We will time your start time with the tides so that you will have the best current assist possible.
We encourage all swimmers to give back by volunteering to be boat observers for other swimmers on other dates; if you can’t do that, then consider being a volunteer for one of our other races or volunteer for one of NY Open Water races or some other swim. Consider taking the boat observer certification course offered by our Bonnie Schwartz Nolan through NY Open Water Swimming and get your CPR certification while you’re at it.
Ideally this should be a fun swim for you and your swimming friends. You’ll enjoy thrills including: being under the Verrazano Bridge with nothing but your swim kit on, swimming past buoy markers bent over by the surging tidal currents, passing the Romer Shoal’s Lighthouse and exiting the Atlantic waters to walk up onto the beautiful Sandy Hook beach without paying their entrance fee.