Swim Alcatraz and more…
World-Class Open Water Swimming
with the Bay’s Most Experienced Team
Epic Swims, Every Day.
Small-group. Pace-matched. Professionally guided
Since 2017, Pacific Open Water Swim Co. has helped thousands successfully Swim Alcatraz and dozens of other courses—with safety, precision, and unmatched local knowledge. Our USCG Master Captains and purpose-built vessels deliver the highest standard in open water support. We’ve raised the standard in open water swimming—we’re qualified, proven, and unmatched.
This video is an eight-minute look at how we experience San Francisco Bay and Lake Tahoe.
These scenes reflect the conditions, intensity, and raw beauty of open water swimming as we live it—with our clients.
The only thing better is being out there with us. (Volume up!)
Swim Alcatraz.
$279 Alcatraz Swims • Small Groups • Professionally Guided
Escape from Alcatraz with the Bay’s most experienced swim company. For $279, you’ll get a pace-matched, safety-first Alcatraz swim—led by USCG Master Captains with our own modern fleet. We’ve been swimming in San Francisco Bay for over 20 years and guiding Alcatraz crossings professionally since 2017. As USCG-licensed captains and open water experts, we’ve helped thousands cross Alcatraz off their bucket list—safely, successfully, and confidently. No one swims Alcatraz more than we do—because it’s what we do daily.
With over 75 group swims in 2025 and over 80 planned for 2026—plus solo, private, and custom events available year-round—this is open water on your terms. Bring your crew, celebrate something big, or take it on solo.
Success is an email away.
Dozens of Great SF Swims Available…
Alcatraz Swims
Experience the thrill of Alcatraz with six unforgettable swim routes—each carefully timed to match the Bay’s shifting currents and calm morning waters. From the iconic Alcatraz Escape to scenic routes with sweeping views of San Francisco, every swim delivers a one-of-a-kind adventures.
Other SF Swims
Enjoy San Francisco Bay’s diverse and breathtaking beauty with our super-fun, challenging courses, each offering a unique adventure. Bridge-to-Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, the challenging Angel Island Circumnavigation, incredible night swims, and many, many more.
Marathon Swimming
Swimmers training for the English Channel, Catalina, Lake Tahoe, and other major goals come to us every season. With proven conditions and expert guidance, we’ll help you prepare. We also regularly pilot the 10-mile Round-Trip Angel Island—one of the Bay’s most demanding swims.
Swimming Is Our Only Business
We Don’t Do This on the Side.
We Do This Every Day.
What Swimmers Are Saying About Us
Why They Trust Us—In Their Own Words
Visiting San Francisco?
Make It a Swim You’ll Never Forget.
Our flexible scheduling and daily swims make it easy to add an Alcatraz Escape or other amazing SF Open Water Swim to your trip.
Here for business, holiday, or just passing through? We’ve got you.
We run more than 75 Alcatraz swims a year—early mornings, weekdays, and across all seasons. If you’re flying in, we’ll work with your travel window to match you to the right swim based on your pace, experience, and goals.
Whether you’re here for a few days or just one morning, start by filling out our Arrange a Swim form. We ask the right questions for travelers—date range, availability, pace, and preferences—so we can quickly recommend the best option.
We swim 24/7-365 with USCG Master Captains, purpose-built boats, and small, pace-matched groups. This isn’t a sightseeing tour—it’s real open water swimming, done right.
Marathon Swimming
We train marathon swimmers—and we swim marathon courses.
From 2, 4, 6, and 8+ hour training swims to official 6-hour qualifiers in sub-60°F water, our marathon training programs are built for serious swimmers. Real training plans, real coaching, and real distance—led by those who’ve done it.
Our courses include some of San Francisco’s most demanding routes: Round-Trip Angel Island (10 miles), Four Islands (14 miles), the 21-mile Circumnavigation of San Francisco, and more. We’ve piloted more marathon swims in the Bay than any other operator, including 49 Round-Trip Angel Island completions with a 96% success rate.
Since 2017, we’ve piloted over 355 marathon swims across San Francisco Bay, Lake Tahoe, and the California coast.
We didn’t add marathon swimming to our business—we built the business for marathon swimming.
More Iconic Swims
Swim the Golden Gate Bridge, Bridge to Bridge, Angel Island, and beyond
Take on San Francisco open water swimming with courses that deliver. We offer dozens of options for every level—from beginner-friendly, flat-water sessions to night swims, the 9-mile Prison to Prison, the 21-mile Circumnavigation of San Francisco, offshore adventures, and some of the toughest marathon swims anywhere.
From your first swim to your next channel, we’ve got you covered.
We’re swimmers ourselves and know what it takes to achieve—at your pace, your success.
There are few city skylines as iconic and beautiful as San Francisco’s—especially from the water.
This image captures a swimmer finishing the 10km Bridge to Bridge swim—scenic, satisfying, and a stepping stone to more demanding courses.
Kara and Nate’s Alcatraz Adventure on YouTube
Watch Kara and Nate take on their first Alcatraz swim—an unforgettable challenge guided by our expert team. A detailed training plan and optional, experienced angel swimmers supported these fit but novice open-water swimmers.
Their effort—captured in a video viewed over 4.1 million times and trending in YouTube’s Top 10—shows what’s possible with the right preparation and support, even if the tone is a little more dramatic than we’d probably choose.
A must-watch for anyone curious about swimming Alcatraz for the first time.
Thinking About a Swim?
Exploring Options? Let’s Talk.
You don’t need to be fully committed to start the conversation. Whether you’re planning months ahead, wondering if you’re ready, or just want to understand the options—we’re happy to help.
Tell us a little about yourself and your goals, and we’ll walk you through what’s possible, how it works, or what we can do. No pressure, no sales pitch—just straightforward guidance from people who do this every day.
April 2018.
3.3 miles west of the Golden Gate. That’s Sylvia. Most of you know her as a captain. She’s also one hell of a swimmer and we started this company to do swims like this…
Today’s her birthday. 🎂
Over a thousand swims, thousands of swimmers, every one of them shaped by her attention to detail, quiet grit, and steady hand on the wheel.
If you’ve swum with us, you’ve felt that difference. This company and our dedication to safety and success wouldn’t exist without her. ❤️
Plenty of swimmers out with us lately, training for @escapealcatraztri , working on sighting, the current, and real-time navigation, and navigating the exit, when the race goes long and lands on Crissy Beach East.
This year’s race is shaping up to be a fast one, current-wise, and race day won’t give you room to guess. The current is going to be really fast, just saying. You ready for that?
We don’t just run these swims. We know this course inside out. We swim this course more often than anyone and have over 90 Alcatraz swims available in 2025, plus these training swims...
Learn from those who live it.
Race day’s coming fast—about two weeks. Are you ready? Not many days left to test the waters.
Team Susan absolutely survives! On board with the legendary Susan Helmrich—cancer survivor, marathon swimmer, and tireless supporter of @swimacrossamericasf. She’s swum with us many times, but today she was here to cheer on Josh Bernstein and Rob McLaren as they tackled the 10K Bridge to Bridge swim. Proud to have Team Susan on our boat and in our corner. ❤️
We`ll have a video later in the week.
How cold is too cold?
We analyzed 18 years of NOAA water temps taken daily at 7AM near the Golden Gate. The result? A swimmer-focused breakdown of what to expect, month by month.
💧 Most of the year: mid-50s°F
🌊 Late summer highs: 60–62°F (if you’re lucky)
🎯 Tides + wind = real-time swings of up to 4°F
This is the data we use to train year-round.
Full chart + tips in bio or here:
🔗 pacificswim.co/sf-water-temps-for-swimming
#AlcatrazSwim #OpenWaterSwimming #ColdWaterSwimming #SanFranciscoBay #SwimAlcatraz #SwimTheBay #SanFrancisco #sfbayarea #wildswimming #bayswimming #bayswim #bucketlist
Congratulations to James Alexander @jamesofur who completed the 10km 3-Rocks Marathon Swim in San Francisco yesterday in a time of 03:37:52 (unofficial, pending ratification)
James had a great start, accompanied by at least two whales in calm waters. Mid-way through the course, sustained 10-12mph winds with gusts made for a choppy and challenging swim leg to Alcatraz before rounding the island towards the finish. Water temperature ranged from 53.3 to 56.3°F (11.8-13.5°C)
James was crewed by partner Joe and the swim was observed under the Northern California Open Water Swimming Association (NCOWSA). He is the 12th person to complete the course.
3-Rocks is aptly named for the three rocks in the course - Anita Rock, Harding Rock, and Alcatraz “The Rock” and was originated by the NCOWSA.
James is a member of SF Tsunami Masters and the South End Rowing Club. Well done, James!
#marathonswim #marathonswimmer #marathonswimming #coldwaterswimming #coldwaterswim #openwaterswimmer #openwaterswimming #marathonswimtraining #southendrowingclub
Join us on May 10, 2025 from 9-11:30am for our Open Water Swim Clinic in Sausalito.
🔗 in bio
New to open water swimming or looking to build confidence before a triathlon, swim event, or vacation?
Fun, friendly, informative, safe - and inspiring. You’ll leave with a new-found understanding and confidence of what it takes to be successful in open water. We’ll work on the basics from your stroke and sighting to managing your breath work to be more relaxed, even in choppy or crowded conditions.
Our experienced coaches from the pool to the English and Catalina Channels will have you wondering why you waited so long!
Join us!
May Day swim in 53°F (13°C) water. Fast paced, wild texture—36 minutes across.
Our first drop of Swim Alcatraz swim buoys is coming soon. Ultra-bright, custom-made, limited edition, and launching at pre-tariff pricing. They’ll never be this affordable again. Details coming—stay tuned.
If you’re traveling to San Francisco and want to swim, reach out soon. This was another fly-in and swim with our first Latvian swimmer. We have over 90 Alcatraz swims scheduled in 2025 and are on the water daily. SwimSF.com
Jumping off a perfectly good boat under the Golden Gate Bridge is probably the most iconic start for a swim you’ll ever find.
Then, swimming with the current to Alcatraz on a sunny day in 56° water (13°C) is something every open water swimmer should experience at least once.
Not only did we have a fast swim, covering 3 miles/5 km in about 40 minutes, but we got to view a few whales on the trip back to the marina.
If you’re in SF for a day and your morning is free, reach out… We can probably get you out on an amazing swim. SwimSF.com
Clinics and Coaching
We’re a Full-Service Swimming Company
Our stroke clinics and private coaching are led by certified, full-time professionals—dedicated coaches who are also successful channel and marathon swimmers. These aren’t part-time instructors or hobbyists. They’ve done the work and know how to guide others through it.
Whether you’re refining technique, training for a marathon swim, or preparing for your next big goal, we provide personalized support every step of the way. With custom training plans, structured programs, and focused webinars, we give you the tools to swim smarter, stronger, and farther.
We’re serious about swimming—and fully invested in helping you succeed.
One of our purpose-built Axopar 28 escort vessels—Finnish-designed, custom-modified for open water swimming, and equipped with low-emission engines and advanced marine electronics. Fast, stable, and fully configured for safe, serious support in San Francisco Bay.
Open Water Swimming, Done Right
Built by Swimmers. Trusted by Thousands.
Founded in 2017, Pacific Open Water Swim Co. delivers professionally escorted open water swims in San Francisco Bay and Lake Tahoe. With over 355 marathon swims and 900+ small-group outings supported to date, we operate more Alcatraz, Bridge-to-Bridge, and marathon swims each year than any other organization.
Every swim is led by USCG-licensed Master Captains, supported by trained crew, and the company is operated by experienced open water swimmers. Unlike others, we don’t rely on rented fishing boats, water taxis, dinner cruise ships, or volunteer kayakers—setups that fall short on safety, oversight, and professionalism. Our operations are built for serious open water swimming, with every detail designed for success—for swimmers, by swimmers.