Waikiki RoughWater

For entries received prior to August 29th, 2026, an email confirmation and pre-race instructions will be emailed to each entrant. If you use mail filters it may end up in your junk mail folder. If no email confirmation is received by race weekend, or you forget to print it out, you may go to the late registration desk to confirm your registration and receive your race number and start designation. This number is required to obtain your race chip on race day. If you want to confirm receipt of entry, look on the website after August 29, 2026. Please remember that day-of entrees are not guaranteed a spot. Race numbers, swim caps and timing chips for entrants will be available for pick up at Sans Souci Beach on race day 7:00 AM to 8:15 AM.

8:30 AM, Sunday, August 30th, 2026

Out the Kapua (Outrigger Canoe Club) Channel, across Waikiki, and in the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel channel. Course will be marked by buoys every few hundred meters.

Sans Souci Beach between the Natatorium and the Kaimana Beach Hotel, Waikiki. There will be staggered starts at 5-minute intervals beginning at 8:30 AM.

To reduce crowding at the start, the field will be divided into groups of approximately 150 to 200 people based upon entry times. The fastest swimmers will be in the first group and slower swimmers in the succeeding groups. Late entries may be put into slower groups depending on availability. The race committee reserves the right to place you in any group. If you have been unable to finish in the past or have difficulty swimming 2000 meters you should not enter unless you have significantly improved your swimming ability. If you swam 2025's Waikiki Roughwater Swim, please enter your time (can be found on the Waikiki Roughwater Swim Official Results Page) in the space provided on the application form. Otherwise enter a 2000 meter swim time (which may be an educated estimate) or no time. Note that the Swim/Paddle course at Ala Moana Beach Park is 1000 Meters in length. Up and back is 2000 Meters.

FINISH:
Duke Kahanamoku beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel. Swimmers must cross the finish line, which will be 20-30 meters up the beach from the water's edge. To be an official finisher, you must complete the race in less than 2 hours and 40 minutes and wear a swim cap during the race and while crossing the finish line.

Swimmer safety is our top priority. Swimmers who have not passed the halfway point,
the “sausage buoy” by approximately 10:30 a.m.(90 minutes after the final wave
departs) may be pulled from the water at the discretion of the Water Safety Patrol and
Safety Committee.

We want every swimmer to finish, and this decision is never taken lightly. These timing
measures are in place to ensure the safety of all participants and to allow our ocean safety
teams to focus resources where they’re most needed.

Race day all swimmers will be numbered on legs and arms. You will be disqualified if you are not numbered or if your numbers are not visible.

Your race number will be emailed to you by August 29, 2026. If you do not have email, race number can be picked up in person at late registration table on August 30th, 2026. If you use email filters, the email with your number may end up in your junk mail folder. Bring a copy of your email confirmation on race day and go straight to the body marking, cap pick up line for your wave. 

To ensure fair competition, no personal escorts on surfboards, kayaks or boats are permitted.

Competitors must wear the WRS color swim cap they are provided at registration.

Men may wear briefs, box/square (speedo), or jammers (waist to knee), and women one or two piece shoulder* to knee swimsuits. *Women's swimsuits may not cover the shoulder.

No tri suits, swim skins, or materials that add buoyancy are allowed. If a prohibited suit is worn, the swimmer will be assessed a 10 minute penalty.

This is a swimming event: flotation devices, fins (except for the fin division), wetsuits, suits that provide any sort of floatation of any kind or any other swimming aides are prohibited.  Your entry fee includes a swim cap that MUST be worn during the race.

Goggles are allowed and are recommended.

Masks are permitted.  FULL FACE COMBINED MASK AND SNORKELS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.  Snorkels are permitted however the swimmer must be able to see the course and officials and observe safety personnel and race official’s instructions. 

Head phones are not permitted for safety reasons. 

Must be submitted to referee at the finish line within 30 minutes of the swimmer's finish.

See entry fee information on the Application Page.

Late entries will be accepted between noon and 3 PM HT August 29th, 2026 at Boca Hawaii - 330 Cooke Street, Honolulu, Hawaii. Cash or Credit will be accepted. 

Late entries will be accepted race day between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM HT. Race day entry fee is $120. Cash or Credit will be accepted. Please remember that day-of entrees are not guaranteed a spot.

All T-shirts will be distributed at the finish line. If you do not swim or finish the race, you can still pick up your shirt at the Shirt Table. T-shirt table will close at 1:00 PM.  T-shirts will not be available after race day. Swimmers who enter after August 23, 2026 will not be guaranteed Shirts. We always order extra, but sometimes we run out due to a surge of last minute entries.

Male & Female: 10&Under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, etc. Top three overall male and female finishers will be placed in an elite division.

Name of the first individual to finish will be engraved on the "Alexander Hume Ford" perpetual trophy. Elite division awards to the top three male and female finishers. Elite division winners will not participate in the age group competition. Awards will be presented to the top three male and female finishers in each division (or 5% of entrants, which ever is greater). The fin division will not utilize age groups and all fin swimmers will start last. Military top finishers will also be presented. Awards ceremony to start no earlier than 11:30 AM. Timers will wait for the last official swimmer to finish. Live results will also be posted. Awards will not be mailed or delivered to the winners at the expense of the committee. If you are unable to make the awards ceremony please pick up your award following final posting of results or have a friend pick it up for you.

Hawaiian monk seals are a protected species and an important part of Hawai‘i’s marine life.
If a monk seal is present on the beach on race day, the start may be temporarily delayed
until the Safety Committee confirms it’s safe to begin.

If seals are observed before race day and the beach is closed for safety, the start location
may change, and the course could be shortened or begin with a water start.
Race updates will be shared promptly through email, social media, and race-day
announcements.

Learn more from NOAA about safely viewing marine wildlife in Hawai‘i:
NOAA – Marine Life Viewing Guidelines (Hawaii)

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/marine-life-viewing-guidelines/viewing-marine-wildlife-hawaii

Mahalo for helping protect Hawai‘i’s native wildlife.