All paddlers must meet qualifying criteria stipulated by the race organisers. The organisers shall be entitled at their sole discretion to determine whether a paddler is suitably qualified to participate and his participation may be withdrawn at any time before, or during the race, for safety reasons. The decision of the race director shall be final and binding, in this regard.
Official qualifying races will be held in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal (or elsewhere at the race organizers discretion).
Each participant will be required, no earlier than 6 weeks before the race to qualify to participate. Qualifying criteria will require that the paddler has completed a race of at least 45 to 50 kms (with satisfactory times having regard to racing conditions, and race winners time) and, in addition, at the discretion of the race organizers, that the paddler has demonstrated the ability to paddle at sea in conditions requiring expertise, entering and exiting surf, paddling in challenging conditions into the wind (up to 20 knots or more), the ability to swim at sea (and through the surf) and testing their endurance paddling ability. The competence of each participant will need to be “signed off” by a race ambassador or club chairman, as the case may be, approved by the organizers (in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban or elsewhere), and who will be appointed by the race organizer.