Coast Guard enacting buffer zone during Ironman swim events

KAILUA-KONA — A 100-yard buffer zone will be in effect for persons and vessels during Ironman World Championship-related events this October, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard this spring proposed the Special Local Regulation that would keep spectators from encroaching on athletes taking part in the Hoala Ironman Training Swim on Oct. 5 and the official swim portion of Ironman World Championship the following Saturday.

The agency plans to publish the final rule in an upcoming edition of the Federal Register, according to Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Williams with the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.

“We wanted to make sure we addressed some of the comments that were submitted to us,” Williams said of time that passed between the rule put out for public review in April and its expected publication.

The regulation is a proactive move because of the event’s growing popularity, according to the Coast Guard. It was not prompted by any prior incidents or accidents involving the two events.

Once the final rule is published, and thus effective, the regulation would be enforced from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. on those two Saturdays. It would cover the 2.4-mile swim course, which is over a mile wide in areas, and add a 100-yard buffer area around it from ocean floor to surface.

The Coast Guard defines spectators as all persons and vessels not registered with the sponsor as participants, support vessels, or enforcement vessels. A participant is any person registered with the event sponsor as participating in the triathlon or practice swim.

Entry to the regulated area will be prohibited to persons and vessels on those two Saturdays unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Honolulu. Violating the rule could result in a vessel or person being expelled from the area and/or citation for failure to comply.

Ironman did not respond to a request for comment.