Kayakers are needed for a seven-day marathon swimming event in the Hudson River between July 8 and 14th (see www.8bridges.org). The event is a 120 mile, 7-day, 7-stage swim. Each day swimmers, supported by boats and kayaks, swim with the tidal current between two of the eight bridges between Catskill and Staten Island. Swim distances range between 13 and 20 miles per day.

We need about seven kayak volunteers to support swimmers for each stage. We prefer kayakers that are also qualified lifeguards, but this is not essential. We will provide most kayakers with a sit-on-top kayak and pay them $150 per day. This event is a fundraiser for Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers (CIBBOWS), Riverkeeper and Launch 5, so kayakers may opt for a tax deductible donation voucher as payment.

Each day the swim will start between 9 am and 11 am and finish six or seven hours later in the late afternoon.

Kayakers will need to transport themselves and their boats (if required) to the river. We will organize transportation back to your vehicles at the end of the day. We have a large support boat that can accommodate kayaks and other possessions if necessary.

We’d prefer kayakers that can kayak for multiple days, but will accept volunteers for one day too. It may be possible to accommodate kayakers over night at certain parts of the swim.

Here are the dates and locations:

July 8. Catskill to Kingston (Rip Van Winkle Bridge to Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge; 18 miles)

July 9. Kingston to Poughkeepsie (Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge to Mid-Hudson Bridge; 20 miles)

July 10. Poughkeepsie to Beacon (Mid-Hudson Bridge to Newburgh Beacon Bridge; 13 miles)

July 11. Beacon to West Point/Garrison (Newburgh Beacon Bridge to Bear Mt Bridge; 15 miles)

July 12. West Point/Garrison to Tarrytown (Bear Mt Bridge to Tappan Zee Bridge; 20 miles)

July 13. Tarrytown to Manhattan (Tappan Zee Bridge to GWB; 15 miles)

July 14. Manhattan to Staten Island (GWB – Verrazano Narrows Bridge; 18 miles)

If you are interested in helping out, please contact David Barra at dvdbarra@yahoo.com or info@8bridges.org