Observer Course
Four short modules on what AMSA expects of an independent observer. Open to everyone, text only, and light enough for a slow connection.
Pilot. Observer accreditation is running as a pilot under AMSA’s draft rules, which the founders have not yet adopted. Decisions record the rules version they were made under.
AMSA’s rules are not yet adopted. Every point in the course says how settled it is, and nothing that still needs a policy decision is taught as a rule. Reading the course does not grant accreditation: AMSA alone accredits observers, after an administrator reviews each application.
How settled is each point?
- Founders’ decision
- Decided by AMSA’s founders in October 2026. Still to be written into formally adopted rules.
- Draft, proposed
- Part of AMSA’s published draft framework or observer expectations. Proposed, not adopted.
- General practice
- Widely accepted marathon-swimming or maritime practice. AMSA’s own wording is still to be confirmed.
- Requires policy approval
- Not decided. Not examined in the assessment until AMSA adopts a rule.
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1
Marathon swimming fundamentals
What AMSA ratifies, the two swim categories, assistance, starts and finishes, and why the observer must be impartial.
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2
Observer responsibilities
Independence, conflicts of interest, the observer and the skipper, continuous observation, accurate records, safety and reporting.
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3
Documentation
What to record, how often and how to keep it trustworthy: GPS, feeds, temperature, conditions, start and finish, photographs, incidents, identity and evidence integrity.
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4
Practical scenarios
Eight situations an observer may meet on the water. For each: what the observer does, and what still waits for AMSA’s adopted rules.