2025 TWS Race Check-in Instructions and Information

  • Teams may arrive early at the Meadows Center to unload boat and gear so that everything is ready for the teams assigned check-in time.  Do not proceed to Race Check-in table until boat and required equipment have been unloaded and set up; inventory form filled out;  waiver and hotel survey completed online.  Bring completed Equipment list to check-in.  This will be turned into Check-in Official.  Ensure that you have everything set up to begin check-in at your assigned time.  Click here for Team Inventory/Equipment List.  THERE WILL BE NO PAPER COPIES AVAILABLE AT CHECK-IN.
  • Teams may leave after check-in is complete and then return for the race briefing.  See below for details regarding Race Briefing.
  • At your assigned check in time: Proceed to registration table to pick up race packet at Check-in table prior to having a Race Official to check in your boat and collect Inventory/Equipment List. Race Official will be wearing TWS Race Official shirts and carrying clipboards.  Race Officials should be at the check-in table when you get your race packet and will follow you to your boat.  If a Race Official is not available at the check in table – look for one on the way back to your boat and let one know where you are located, and they will come to you once they finish up current boat they are checking in.  Race packet will contain racer t-shirts, team captain t-shirts and TC vehicle placards.  The placards must be displayed on TC vehicle dashboard.
  • Required Equipment will be checked at this time – see Section 2 Required Equipment on the website. Click here for rules.  It is highly recommended that the equipment list is filled out ahead of time and ready to be reviewed when race official checks boat in. See above for link to Team Inventory sheet/Equipment List.  It is available under The Race menu option as well.  Verify expiration date of Flares before coming to check-in to determine if new flares are needed.
  • Waiver must be completed by Wednesday, June 11.  Waiver completion will be verified. Refer to email sent to racers and team captains on Wednesday, June 4.
  • No race day check-in allowed.
  • Race briefing: will be from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.  – One racer per team must attend race briefing in person and strongly recommend one team captain per team attend race briefing in person.  All are responsible for any new information that is presented e.g. mandatory portages, rule changes, etc.
  • Register SPOT/Garmin prior to race check-in on Thursday.  Email for registration was sent out on Sunday afternoon, June 8.  
  • There will be some Palmetto Park passes available for sale at check-in table. Passes are required for anyone entering the park. This is an official check point so all team captains will need one. Annual State Park Passes are valid as well.
  • Make sure your boat has been cleaned to TPWD guidelines.  The guidelines are posted on texaswatersafari.org under The Race menu (Clean Boat Campaign pdf).
  • Parking:   We will have a designated boat unloading area.  This is not a parking area.  It is for dropping off boats.  Please unload boats as quickly as possible.  There is a parking shuttle available.   Parking Shuttle – Meadows Center.
  • DO NOT ACCESS Spring Lake @ Meadows Center before June 13 8AM.  This is private property. 
  • No private drones are allowed at Meadows Center.
  • Questions can be emailed to tws@texaswatersafari.org

 

HALL OF FAME:

On June 12th at the 62nd Texas Water Safari Safety Briefing, 5 inductees will be awarded Hall of Fame recognition. Three competitors have completed 10 Safaris (Jason Cade, Brady Lotz, Matt Sandel and Chris Stevenson) and two competitors have completed 20 Safaris (Stacy Greer and Joe Hunt). While we make every effort to ensure that our Safari records are accurate, the incorrect spelling on competitors names, and nicknames have caused errors in our records. If you know of someone that should be recognized with 10, 20 or 30 finishes on June 12th, please contact Bob Spain at rws0987@yahoo.com.

 

 

 

Garmin inReach® / SPOT Announcement

November 24, 2024

 

Texas Water Safari Community,


A reminder that for 2025 Texas Water Safari competitors may use any handheld c device or a SPOT Generation 3, 4 or X device, in the boat.


The Texas Water Safari will complete the switch to Garmin’s inReach® technology in 2026. The inReach® system will have been tested for two years and any issues with the Safari will have been worked out.


In making the switch, Texas Water Safari racers will be afforded greater latitude in choosing their Garmin inReach® devices. Choices range from the entry level inReach® Messenger and inReach Mini 2, to the high-end Montana 700 series. As with the SPOT devices, racers may use a device they own or choose to rent one from an external vendor for the duration of the race. Garmin has a wide variety of subscription plans for inReach® that can be found here: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/837461

The only requirement as far as what unit you use is that it be inReach® enabled.


NOTE: While the adoption of these Garmin devices allows tracking to be combined with a GPS device, regardless of what device you choose to use it must be able to be charged, or have a backup/external battery pack, in the boat.


If you have any questions, please contact tws@texaswatersafari.org.

 

TWS Board:

1. Board Member- Jay Daniel

2. Board Member- Bob Spain

3. President – Allen Spelce

 

Texas Water Safari

“They don’t call the Texas Water Safari The World’s Toughest Canoe Race’ for nothing. In addition to the length, the challenges include whitewater rapids, multiple portages, and the relentless, soul-sapping Texas heat. Competitors have four days and four hours to paddle from San Marcos, in the center of the state, to the shy little town of Seadrift on the Gulf Coast. There is no prize money for the winners; just Texas-size bragging rights for the finishers.”

Larry Rice, in July 2009 Canoe & Kayak Magazine

The Texas Water Safari is actually comprised of several events including an information seminar, two short races (one of which can be considered as a preliminary race) and of course, the Safari itself – the 260 mile race to Seadrift from the headwaters of the San Marcos River. The Safari itself, billed as the "World's Toughest Boat Race", is an annual race via the San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers, from Aquarena Springs in the college town of San Marcos, to the shrimping village of Seadrift on the Texas coastline, a total distance of 260 miles. The first official race was held in 1963, and is run annually on the second Saturday of June.

The primary requirement is a boat powered only by human muscle. Racers must take all equipment needed with them, receiving only water, ice and food along the way.

  

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"Texas Water Safari" and "World's Toughest Boat Race" are trademarks of the Texas Water Safari Corporation. All rights reserved.