Tel: +44 (0) 20 8675 6608 Email: info@swimquest.uk.com www.swimquest.uk.com FORMENTERA TECHNIQUE WEEK WHEN WHERE ITINERARY TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FAQS Your SwimQuest holiday is almost here. Below are some detailed notes to give you an idea of what to expect, what to bring and hopefully to answer any last minute questions you may have about the Formentera Technique Week. WHEN AND WHERE Formentera is just off the south coast of Ibiza in the Mediterranean. It is the smaller and most southerly Pitiusic Island that belongs to the Spanish autonomous community of Balearic Islands and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Island. With crystal clear waters and shallow beaches, this is a great location for improving stroke technique and completing stunning open water swims. Whether in a wetsuit or not, you will be part of a small group that will be mentored and advised throughout the week. With managed daily swim sessions, filmed stroke analysis and swims in bays and along the coastline, this week will help you to gain a better understanding of your stroke. Where: We will meet you at Formentera harbour on your arrival - please let us know what time you will arrive Time: Saturday 7.00pm for the safety briefing and acclimatisation swim Tour ends on Friday: 11.00am Travel to Formentera Flights into Ibiza and then a short taxi ride to Ibiza harbour to get the ferry to Formentera (please budget approx. 15-20 for this taxi journey.) Ferry from Ibiza to Formentera There are a number of ferry companies offering a regular return service (approx. every 30 minutes) from Ibiza to Formentera. Trasmappi: www.trasmapi.com and Mediterranea Pitiusa: www.medpitiusa.net are popular options. Hint when you buy a return ticket, it is worth checking that your return ferry journey allows you sufficient time to get to the airport, as you cannot transfer your ticket to another ferry provider and will have to purchase an additional single fare. Tour Accommodation We will stay in the hotel Roca Bella, situated on the beach. Based on twin share rooms (single supplement option 100, please let the office know if you require a private room), the setting is unspoilt, idyllic, peaceful and 50 metres from the sea. 1
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8675 6608 Email: info@swimquest.uk.com www.swimquest.uk.com WHAT S INCLUDED? - Accomodation in Rocabella hotel - Breakfast - Lunch - Safety boats (when and where required) - Guides - Transfers from Formentera harbour to the villa - Video analysis - Technique seminars - Pool sessions - Comprehensive swim programme for the week - SwimQuest swim hat - VAT WHAT S NOT INCLUDED? - Travel to and from Formentera - Wetsuits - Training fins - Dinners and any alcohol purchases - Single supplement of 100 should you wish to stay in your own private room ITINERARY There are two planned swims per day based on how you progress during the week. Please realise that what we have detailed below is only a guide to the week and that we will adapt the week carefully for each individual and the prevailing weather. Morning sessions will be pool based at the beginning of the week and will focus on technique; afternoon sessions are in local shallow bays and focus on acclimatisation to the sea. Swim guides will advise you each day on what is best for you, but in all cases the main objective will be to encourage you to achieve your personal goals. Saturday Acclimatisation Swim: 400-800m We will meet at the hotel in the late afternoon for the mandatory safety briefing. Topics covered include: swim preparation, swim routes, feeding, prevailing weather, and safety procedures. We will then complete an acclimatisation swim in a shallow bay. This allows the swim guides to assess your stroke and start preparing an individual plan for you for the week. Following this we will relax and have dinner, with time to discuss the week ahead. (If for any reason guests are unavoidably delayed, the briefing may be deferred to Sunday morning.) 2
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8675 6608 Email: info@swimquest.uk.com www.swimquest.uk.com Sunday Swim 1 AM: 25m pool (1 hour) Swim 2 PM: Local beach by the hotel The day is designed to be easy, allowing you to settle in after your journey. After breakfast we will complete the safety briefing (if not completed the night before) followed by the first swim at the local pool. During the session the guides will focus on swim drills to refine your stroke, and you will be filmed above and below the water. After the session, we will go back to the hotel to watch the films, offering advice and encouragement on your swim stroke. This will be a continuing theme throughout the week. Regular filming is an invaluable tool, and at the end of the tour you will receive all your films for future reference. The afternoon swim will be in a local bay in shallow water and will allow you to start to acclimatise to the sea. Monday Swim AM: 25m pool (1 hour) Swim PM: Local beach by hotel After breakfast, we are back in the pool focusing on the continued development of your stroke using the video analysis and advice gained previously from your swim guides. Focus may be on the efficiency of your stroke, breathing, head position, body line in the water and hand entry (freestyle stroke). Whatever the swim guides suggest, in each pool session the plan is to improve and build on the quality of your stroke. Once completed, we will return to the hotel for some relaxation time. After lunch we will complete another sea acclimatisation swim. With each sea swim the technique gained in the morning is the key to your transitional progress we will encourage you to put your pool technique into practise in open water. The swim maybe increased in time and distance and is always based upon your personal progress; when the session is completed we will all relax at the hotel before dinner at a local restaurant. Tuesday Swim AM: 25m pool (1 hour) Swim PM: Punta Prima bay After breakfast we will make our way to the pool for a swim session. This is a great opportunity to reinforce all the work you have done and to work on the efficiency of your stroke. After lunch we will relax and then later on in the afternoon the guides will take you to a local beach for a swim in the safe swim zone. During this group swim you will be under constant supervision by the guides from the safety escort boat, and it is an ideal chance to focus on your stroke as this is the key to your greater confidence the better your stroke the more confident you will become. 3
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8675 6608 Email: info@swimquest.uk.com www.swimquest.uk.com Wednesday Swim AM: Early morning swim: Rodona Island bay or Levant beach (1.2km) Late AM: 25m pool (1 hour) Swim PM: Rocabella bay to the rock and into Can Rolls beach (1.2km) This early sea swim before breakfast is to continue the work on your sea acclimatisation. We will travel by car to a local bay, and depending on the weather, will attempt a slightly longer continuous swim. After breakfast we will return to the pool for the last pool swim session. The swim guides will film your stroke again. In the afternoon the guides will take you to a local bay where you will swim back along the beach by the hotel to the rock and then back into the beach. Thursday Swim AM: Coastal swim: Levant Bay to Rolls beach by hotel (1-1.5km) Swim PM: Punta Prima to Can Rolls bay (2.0km) This is your last full day of swimming with two great seas swims. The morning swim is a coastal swim back to the hotel. With amazing shallow beaches along the way, it is a great swim with fantastic views. In the afternoon we will walk to Punta Prima and use the swim zone, but this time we will head out of the bay and swim back to the beach by the hotel. There will be a swim escort boat for your safety, and the swim is a great way to see the coastline and some underwater sea life. Once back at the hotel there will be time to relax and then we will go into town for our last dinner. Friday Swim AM: Short bay swim by the hotel As this is the last day, there will be a short pre- breakfast bay swim by the hotel as you will need to pack and prepare for your ferry back to Ibiza. TRAVEL ESSENTIALS What do I pack? - Two Swimming costumes - Wetsuit* - Head torch - Two Pairs of swim goggles one clear and one tinted - Towel(s) - Small daypack/rucksack to use for your personal equipment/clothing during the day - Sandals/aqua shoes for getting wet - Insect repellent (lemon based non- Deet repellents are good) - Fleece or warm jumper, tracksuit trousers/sweat pants - Waterproof - Sun hat, sun cream and glasses 4
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8675 6608 Email: info@swimquest.uk.com www.swimquest.uk.com - USB stick for your swim stroke video - Waterproof watch - Training fins Wetsuits* Anyone that requires a swim specific wetsuit, can hire or buy the 2XU T2 event wetsuit from www.mywetsuithire.co.uk. Alternatively, a good standard wetsuit that you can hire or buy is the Foor Classic with a handy size chart on the web page; all the details can be found at www.triuk.com/products/foor/foor- classic- 2011. If you do hire a wetsuit, please allow sufficient time for at least 3-4 swims of 1-1.5km to acclimatise to wearing the suit. Feel free to contact the office if you have any queries. Passports and visas To enter Ibiza you will require a full passport valid for a minimum of six months in addition to your arrival time and in some instances a visa. EU citizens do not require a visa but in all cases it is wise to check as requirements are liable to change. Insurance For this tour you will require comprehensive travel insurance. Please ensure you have adequate travel insurance before your tour, including cover for all the activities you are participating in. If you are in doubt that an activity is covered, you will need to contact your travel insurance provider for advice on cover. Fogg Travel Insurance are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and are used to covering escorted open water swimming trips. If you wish to book travel insurance through Fogg, please visit www.swimquest.uk.com/book and follow the Fogg link at the bottom of the website. Please ensure you bring a copy of your insurance details with you, as you will be expected to show your policy details to the guides at the mandatory safety briefing. FAQs Is it compulsory to complete all swims? You are welcome to complete both or just one swim per day. Throughout the week the swim guides will advise you each day on what is best for you; in all cases the main objective will be to encourage you to achieve your personal goals. Can I keep my swim analysis videos? Of course! We will send any videos through to you after the tour, or, if you wish you can bring along a memory stick and we will transfer the files to you during the week. Will there be access to WiFi on the island? Yes, there is access to wifi at the hotel What about sea life? Should I be worried? With regards to sea life to look out for, sea urchins and jellyfish are sometimes found in the Mediterranean. Sea urchins are black and spiky, whereas jellyfish are translucent and pink. Sea urchins loiter on reefs and unused sections on beaches. In the unlikely event that you step or sit on one, you may receive a gift of some black spines left in the contact area! They can be removed via tweezers, or left in to 5
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8675 6608 Email: info@swimquest.uk.com www.swimquest.uk.com dissolve. If stung by a jellyfish there are a number of treatment options and the Swim Guides will be on hand to help. I would like to take a wetsuit, but don t own one. Can you help? Anyone that requires a swim specific wetsuit, can hire or buy the 2XU T2 event wetsuit from www.mywetsuithire.co.uk. Alternatively, a good standard wetsuit that you can hire or buy is the Foor Classic with a handy size chart on the web page; all the details can be found at www.triuk.com/products/foor/foor- classic- 2011. If you do hire a wetsuit, please allow sufficient time for at least 3-4 swims to acclimatise to wearing the suit. If you have any queries please e- mail or contact the office. Who are my swim guides? All our guides are qualified as Beach Lifeguards, including a First Aid at Work qualification, and have an RYA Powerboat Level 2 license to use a RIB or dinghy. For more information about our guides please visit www.swimquest.uk.com/guides. If you have any queries please email info@swimquest.uk.com or call +44 (0) 20 8675 6608, we are always happy to hear from you. We can t wait to meet you on Formentera. 6