Table of Contents

• Rowing Safety Information
• Safety Documents – Emergency Action Plan
• Guest Rowers
• How to Flip Your Boat and Get Back In
• Disease Prevention Guidelines for SDRC
• COVID-19 Information
  • August 15, 2022 No COVID Restrictions, Fully Open
  • December 14, 2021 Mask Required Indoors Starting 12/15/2021
  • September 1, 2021 COVID-19 Policy Updates
  • March 15, 2021 Open for team boats w/fully vaccinated individuals
  • January 25, 2021 Stay at Home Order lifted
  • December 3, 2020, California Regional Stay at Home Order
  • December 1, 2020 update from Dr. Wayne Saville

Rowing Safety Information

The San Diego Rowing Club maintains a set of Rules and Regulations that encourage and enforce a safe rowing environment in Mission Bay. These Rules and Regulations are agreed upon by all rowing organizations that share Mission Bay, including, but not limited to CCHS, UCSD, USD, SDSU, ZLAC, CRSD, and MBAC.

It is expected that all SDRC rowers, their guests and visitors, be familiar with the traffic pattern and follow all recommended safety procedures.

In Case of Emergency

• Dial 911

Safety Documents

• SDRC Emergency Action Plan (EAP) (PDF)
• USRowing Safety Video
• Mission Bay Traffic Rules & Regulations (PDF)
• Mission Bay Traffic Pattern Map (PDF)
• Mission Bay Traffic & Safety presentation or Powerpoint
• Mission Bay Traffic Pattern During the Crew Classic (PDF)
• US Rowing Safe Sport Policy (PDF)
• VHF Radio Usage Guide

Rowing Safety, The Basics

Following the rules is up to you and requires discipline. This discipline will keep you and others safe!

• In the dark – bow and stern lights or headlamps are required
• Traffic pattern – stay starboard at all times; leave a center buffer lane; don’t’ cut corners
• Weather:
  • Fog – if you can’t see the Ingraham St. bridge, don’t row
  • Wind – greater than 7 mph is questionable, and if there are whitecaps, don’t row
  • Thunder and Lightning – don’t row
  • Live Weather – Check out SDRC’s live weather cam and information page

Guest Rowers

We hope you enjoy your visit to San Diego and Mission Bay. As a Guest rower, please read the guest rowers policy so that you understand where and when you can safely row in Mission Bay.

How to Flip Your Boat and Get Back In

• Video #1
• Video #2
• Collection of videos for flipping and on water rescue

Disease Prevention Guidelines for SDRC

The San Diego Rowing Club is concerned about the overall health of the rowing community and these guidelines have been developed to minimize exposure to infectious disease or bacterial infections from other rowers or pollutants in Mission Bay.

The basis of good infection prevention control is to assume that everyone is potentially infectious. Following the recommendations and procedures outlined here will help you from becoming a source of infection for others.

Viral Infections

During the fall and winter months, influenza is the far more likely cause of significant illness followed by the occasional cold. While certain events, such as the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan China make headlines, proper preventative care is the same as it would be for influenza.

Here are the best practices to slow the spread of infections:

• Get an annual flu vaccine as recommended by your Doctor.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Stay home if you are sick (so you do not spread the illness to other people). If you have a temperature above 100, stay home.
• Use a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand. Turn away from other people.
• Use single-use tissues. Dispose of the tissue immediately.
• Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing or using tissues.
• Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth (viruses can transfer from your hands and into the body).
• Do not share cups, glasses, water bottles, dishes, cutlery, shavers, razors, towels, or other personal items. Shared personal hygiene items in locker rooms should not be used.

While oar handle and equipment surface transfer of viruses is not the most likely means of transmission, airborne is significantly more likely, the club can provide a mild detergent in which the oar handles and other equipment can be washed. Given the unsupervised nature of most rowing in the boathouse, you may wish to wash oar handles prior to your row rather than assume they have been cleaned by the prior rower.

Bacterial Infections

During the winter months the water in Mission Bay can be less than ideal for human contact due in part to rain that washes street residue into the bay and the occasional sewer system overflow. 

San Diego County Beach Water Quality status updates can be found on twitter at https://twitter.com/SDBeachH2O Mission Bay is known to contain Fecal Coliform, Enterococcus-CS, and Entercoccus-QPCR bacteria which can exceed recommended levels following a heavy rain.

Here are the best practices to avoid bacterial infections at SDRC:

• Do not expose open cuts or scrapes to Mission Bay water
• Wash and clean any cuts or scrapes with soap and clean water
• Refrain from rowing one to two days after heavy rainfall
• Refrain from rowing if the County of San Diego has issued an advisory or closure for Mission Bay based on water quality.

COVID-19 Information

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CALIFORNIA ENDS COVID STATE OF EMERGENCY, 02/28/2023

California lifts its sweeping COVID-19 state of emergency on Tuesday — nearly three years to the day after it was put in place, giving Gov. Gavin Newsom broad power to impose strict mandates and lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

— Governor Newsom to End the COVID-19 State of Emergency

NO COVID RESTRICTIONS, FULLY OPEN, 08/15/2022

August 15, 2022

The State of California and County of San Diego have lifted most if not all COVID-19 restrictions and SDRC has followed suit. The following recommendations remain in place and are based on a common sense approach to COVID-19:

• Get vaccinated if you can and have not already done so
• Stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or any infectious disease
• Exercise / Erg / Bike in well ventilated spaces; e.g., outdoors or open doors for a breeze
• Spend less time socializing indoors

To be clear, SDRC no longer has any firm COVID-19 restrictions in place, but asks you to be considerate of others by following the above guidelines.

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MASKS REQUIRED INDOORS STARTING WEDNESDAY 12/15/2021

December 14, 2021

We had hoped that no further updates on COVID-19 protocols would be needed. Unfortunately the continued spread of the Omicron variant has triggered new guidance from the State of California.

On December 12th the State of California’s Health and Human Services Secretary issued a return to statewide mask mandates.

Effective Wednesday, December 15^th, face coverings will be mandatory inside all public places regardless of vaccination status. This new mandate will be in effect until at least January 15^th, 2022.

While there are differing opinions on the effectiveness of various strategies, SDRC will adhere to State and County guidelines as we have done for the past two years. The rowing club has been able to open earlier than most, and has stayed open for multi-person boats since March 2021. With your continued cooperation we can hope for no further restrictions.

Beginning tomorrow, December 15, masks will be mandatory inside all areas of the boathouse including, but not limited to boat bays, locker rooms, weight room, offices, and erg area. Masks are not required while showering.

Masks remain optional outdoors.

As a reminder, the rowing club operates under the following COVID-19 protocols:

• Get vaccinated if you can and have not already done so
• Stay home if you have symptoms
• Perform activities outdoors in well ventilated areas – No indoor erg/bike sessions
• Spend less time socializing indoors. Arrive, engage, shower, and depart
• Check out & in your boat as this provides an important record of your presence at the boathouse
• The County of San Diego is following California Department of Public Health guidance: as of 12/15 masks must be worn in indoor public settings, whether you’ve been vaccinated or not.

If you experience any COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, chills, sore throat, muscle pain, loss of taste or smell, unexplained headache, and gastrointestinal symptoms, even if you are fully vaccinated:

• Stay home and away from the boathouse
• Get tested
• If you test positive, make a confidential report to chris@sandiegorowing.org and contact tracing will begin

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COVID-19 POLICY UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2021

September 1, 2021

SDRC has been open for team boats of fully vaccinated individuals since March 2021. Best practices for preventing the spread of COVID-19 remain in effect:

• Get vaccinated if you can and have not already done so
• Stay home if you have symptoms
• Perform activities outdoors in well ventilated areas
• Spend less time socializing indoors. Arrive, engage, shower, and depart
• Check out & in your boat as this provides an important record of your presence at the boathouse
• The County of San Diego is following California Department of Public Health guidance that recommends everyone wear a face covering in indoor public settings, whether you’ve been vaccinated or not.

If you experience any COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, chills, sore throat, muscle pain, loss of taste or smell, unexplained headache, and gastrointestinal symptoms, even if you are fully vaccinated:

• Stay home and away from the boathouse
• Get tested
• If you test positive, make a confidential report to chris@sandiegorowing.org and contact tracing will begin

How Contact Tracing Works at SDRC

When the rowing club receives a report that a member of the community tested positive for COVID-19, the Director of Operations follows up to conduct contact tracing in order to prevent transmission among the rowing club members.

1. The effected person will be interviewed to determine who they may have been in close contact with while at the boathouse.
   • A close contact is a person who is within 6 feet for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes during a 24-hour period (even if they were both wearing face coverings), living with or caring for a person who has COVID-19, or having direct contact with infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on, kissing, or sharing utensils).
   • The infectious period starts approximately 48 hours before the first symptoms appear. For people without symptoms, the infectious period starts 48 hours before they were tested for COVID-19.
   • Rowing in a team boat is considered close contact.
2. We will ask the infected person to stay away from the rowing club for 14 days or until they have a negative COVID-19 test.
3. Those individuals who are deemed to have been in close contact with the infected will be notified within 24-hours and be asked to submit a negative test result before returning to the boathouse and participating in any activities.

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OPEN FOR TEAM BOATS W/FULLY VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS

March 16, 2021

The County of San Diego dropped from the Purple to Red tier of COVID-19 restrictions based on a decline in the adjusted case rate to 6.8 per 100,000 people and that more than 2 million vaccinations have been administered.

It is important that you read, understand, and follow the instructions below, but first, the good news from the Return to Rowing team:

SDRC will be opening the use of team boats to fully vaccinated members on Friday March 19, 2021. The team boats authorized are 2x, 2-, 4x, and 4-. Coxed boats will be reviewed at a later time. The locker room and showers will also be available with social distancing requirements.

Here are the protocols set forth that comply with basic requirements for social distancing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19:

1. A fully vaccinated person is one who is 14 days out from either their 2nd dose of an mRNA vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those who have recovered from COVID-19 are not considered vaccinated and should continue to row in single person boats.
   
2. An additional waiver has been placed into your iCrew account for signature at https://icrew.club/memberchecklist which you can review and sign electronically. Your agreement is required prior to rowing in a team boat. If you do not have an iCrew account, here is the REGISTRATION LINK to create your own iCrew account.
   
3. Please provide Chris Callaghan with a picture / scan of your COVID-19 vaccination record. This is for temporary record keeping should there be an issue. We can make a photocopy for you in the office if needed.

4. Team boats are to be reserved, checked out, checked in, and have crew members recorded in iCrew before rowing.
   
5. Masks are to be worn while on shore and continue to be respectful at maintaining distance from other individuals. Be respectful to our community as fully vaccinated individuals can still contract and spread COVID-19.
   
6. Masks are not required while rowing with fully vaccinated individuals. Team boats outside of a household are NOT available to those who are not fully vaccinated.
   
7. Showers and locker rooms are open with the following requirements:
   1. No loitering in the locker rooms – be on a mission to get in and get out
   2. Wear a mask while outside the showers
   3. Max of 2 people in the shower simultaneously
   4. Max of 4 people in the locker rooms simultaneously
   5. Use a locker that is ~6ft from any other person
      
8. Boats and oars are to be washed with soap prior to storage in the boathouse. You may also want to wash oar handles prior to rowing.
   
9. The use of coxed boats and the weight room will be evaluated at a later time, for now, their use is not allowed. Ergs continue to be available outdoors with 6ft spacing between them.

The members of SDRC are counting on your cooperation to keep us on the water and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. For those who cannot comply, please continue to row a single or household double. This is an exciting step forward and we look towards opening further as the pandemic subsides. 

Pat Kington is working on plans to restart our adult rowing programs. We will be sending out a survey next week and will provide an update on scheduling as it becomes available.

I want to thank the members of the Return to Rowing team for their time, talent, and ability to sift through the multiple sources of information to provide us this opportunity. Chris Callaghan, Wayne Saville, John Czajkowski, Glenn Schweighardt, and Sean Turpie, thank you.

Sincerely,

Dan O’Neill

President

PHASE 1: SDRC OPENS TO GENERAL MEMBERSHIP w/PHYSICAL DISTANCING & SAFETY PLAN

May 5, 2020
Updated January 7, 2021

This is Phase One of reopening for the San Diego Rowing Club’s members. We are both excited and equally cautious in our approach to gradually resuming our activities. This process will require patience, flexibility, and personal responsibility to ensure that we open sooner than later and that when we do open, we can stay open.

There are numerous constraints in place from government agencies as well as our own knowledge of rowing and our environment that are being actively considered in this plan. The protocols and procedures contained here can and will be changed as we learn more and as members participate in the program. 

Overview:

• Club and Private singles will be available for rowing.
• Club and Private doubles are available for rowers from the same household.
• The weight room, locker rooms, and showers are unavailable.
• Ergs and Bikes may be used outside the Garty placed at least 6ft distance from each other.
• Key Card access is available, contact Chris Callaghan chris@sandiegorowing.org
• Guest rowers are welcome, provided they read, understand, and follow these guidelines.
• Social distancing as required by the County of San Diego must be respected.
• As of May 1, anyone over the age of 2 must wear a mask in public within six feet of those who are not of the same household.
• Reservations and sign out will be done online using iCrew.
• Be on a mission to arrive, row, cleanup, and depart for your next destination.
• If you are sick, feel sick, or have a fever, you cannot enter the facility.
• Individuals classified by the CDC as “at risk” should consider not coming to the facility.
• If you become ill within a week of having rowed, please consider reporting your illness to Chris at chris@sandiegorowing.org for the benefit of the community.

Allowable uses:

• Club and Private singles will be available for rowing.
• Club and Private singles & pair/doubles are available for rowers from the same household.
• General Membership may row club singles by prior reservation online at iCrew.
• General Membership may row pair/doubles by prior reservation online at iCrew, only if the rowers are from the same household.
• Club oars will be allowed to be used, proper cleaning before and afterward is required.
• Members are encouraged to use their own equipment sanitation supplies. The CDC has a good list of disinfectants. SDRC will have daily soap buckets and wipes available. Soap is a fast and effective method for destroying COVID-19 on surfaces and easier on the environment than bleach.
• Stretching outside without the use of club equipment maintaining social distance.
• Bikes may be parked & locked at the rack on the back of the boathouse.
• Water bottles may be filled at the fountain, but don’t drink from the fountain.
• Restrooms will be available to use at your own risk and you are expected to clean and disinfect your use of these facilities.

Disallowed uses:

• The weight room, locker rooms, and showers are unavailable.
• Bikes may NOT be stored inside the boathouse.
• No yoga/stretching mat usage.
• No loitering – be on a mission to row, cleanup, and depart.

Protocols

• Arrival
  • If a member is sick or feeling sick, they will not come to the boathouse.
  • If a member has been sick in the past two weeks or in contact with someone who has had COVID-19, they will not come to the boathouse until 14 days after such contact.
  • Members are encouraged to bring their own sanitation supplies. Hand sanitation should be done with either a 20 second or more wash with soap and water, or by coating hands with a hand sanitizer product with greater than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol as active ingredients and allowing to dry completely.
  • Wear face masks as required by County of San Diego regulations until you are ready to get on the water.
• Getting on the water
  • Check-out your boat (club or private) using iCrew.
  • Members will bring out and return singles/double slings keeping them 6 feet apart from others. Do not reuse singles slings that may already be on the apron, get your own. If you must reuse, wash it and your hands before continuing with launch or returning the boat to the storage rack.
  • Wash your oars and your hands prior to departure.
• Returning to the boathouse
  • Return your boat to the slings and wash your boat, and oars with soapy water and sponges provided by the club.
  • Put your boat away and wipe down the hand cranks if used.
  • Depart from the boathouse for your next destination and refrain from loitering.
  • Check-in your boat via iCrew.
• General Boathouse Rules
  • Staff will wear masks as required by County guidelines.
  • Staff will adhere to the six-foot social distance as long as practicable.
  • Fans will be in place to encourage good airflow through the boathouse.
  • All trash cans will not have lids.
  • The water fountain will be bottle filling only.