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.
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.
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.
GPS records
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Draft, proposed
A GPS track is proposed wherever reasonably practicable, with a documented process for exceptions.
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General practice
Note the device used, when tracking started and stopped, and any gaps. Keep the original file.
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Requires policy approval
Accepted devices and the minimum recording interval are not yet set.
Feeding records
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Draft, proposed
Each feed is timed and described.
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General practice
Note how the feed was passed and whether there was any contact with the vessel or a person.
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Requires policy approval
Feeding rules for each category are not yet set.
Water temperature
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Draft, proposed
Conditions, including water temperature, are part of the evidence.
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General practice
Record the temperature at the start, at regular intervals and at the finish, and note how it was measured.
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Requires policy approval
The required interval and accepted instruments are not yet set.
Weather and sea conditions
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Draft, proposed
Weather and sea state are recorded through the swim.
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General practice
Record wind, swell, current and visibility, using a recognised scale such as Beaufort where possible.
Start and finish verification
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Draft, proposed
Start and finish times are timestamped, with photographs or video at each end.
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General practice
Record the position of the start and finish, and use one agreed time source for the whole swim.
Photographic evidence
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Draft, proposed
Photographs and video cover the start, the finish and key moments.
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General practice
Keep the originals with their timestamps. Do not crop, filter or edit evidence.
Incidents and rule infringements
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Draft, proposed
Incident reports cover contact, stoppages and safety events.
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General practice
Record what happened, when, where, who saw it and what happened next.
Swimmer identification
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General practice
Before the start, confirm the swimmer’s identity, and record and photograph their swimwear and equipment.
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Draft, proposed
The observer confirms the swim’s registered category before the start.
Evidence integrity
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Draft, proposed
Original evidence is never changed. A correction is a new item that refers to the one it corrects.
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Founders’ decision
Evidence received, through Swim Ops or otherwise, is not ratification. Only AMSA’s independent reviewers can ratify a swim.
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General practice
The swimmer’s team never edits the observer’s log or evidence.