2025 Race Calendar Announcement

December 31, 2024

 

Texas Water Safari Community,


As it has several times throughout the history of the Texas Water Safari, it is time to change the day and date that the race starts.

The Texas Water Safari will start on Friday in 2025. This is driven by safety considerations as the commercial use of the river is causing negative and dangerous interactions between race participants and other user groups.

To put to bed the other rumor that is out there, The Texas Water Safari will not be returning to water and ice only in 2025.

The complete dates for the 2025 Texas Water Safari Season are as follows:

2025 TWS Calendar

DATE

EVENT

Saturday, February 8, 2025
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Safari Seminar – 413 Main St.,  Martindale, TX 78655
No Admission Charge.  Click here to Sign up. This is not required but requested so that we can get numbers for breakfast/lunch.

 

 

Sunday, February 9, 2025
9 a.m.

Online Registration Opens for Texas Water Safari, Texas River Marathon and Calhoun's Gator Chase.  Links will be on Website under Get Registered Menu option.

 

 

Saturday, May 3, 2025
9 a.m. Start

Texas River Marathon (online registration only) Team Captain is required. – River Haven RV Resort – Cuero, Texas
Entry fee: $60 per paddler. Deadline to register is April 12th. No entry fee for team captains.

35-mile race from River Haven RV Resort to the Pump House Restaurant. This is the preliminary race used to determine starting positions/line up for Texas Water Safari. It is not mandatory to race this race in order to race the Texas Water safari. The cut off at Hwy 447 Nursery Bridge is 1:00 PM (Saturday).  An additional cutoff deadline is 4:00 PM (Saturday) at Victoria City Park boat ramp.  The finish line cutoff is 5:00 PM (Saturday) at the Pumphouse Restaurant in Victoria City Park.  If you do not finish by 5:00 PM and are entered in Safari, you will lose your starting position in the TWS.  You can still race the TWS, but your starting position will be moved back to one of the last starting rows.

T- shirts are only guaranteed to teams and one team captain per team. You will register your boat number and you are required to have this number on you boat race morning. Team captains are required for this race and cannot be shared between teams.

 

 

Sunday, May 4, 2025
9 a.m. Start

Calhoun’s Gator Chase (online registration only)

Entry fee is $40 per paddler. No Team Captain required. Deadline to register is April 12.
The start will be at the Swinging Bridge TWS Checkpoint and finish at Calhoun’s RV Park TWS Checkpoint. Total length is 21 miles.  All entries will get an alligator tooth key chain.  We will also serve lunch for racers when they finish.  There will be no official awards ceremony. We understand teams need to get home so awards will be handed out when you finish.

 

 

Friday, May 16, 2025

Texas Water Safari Registration Deadline (online registration only)

Entry Fee $250 (through March 28), $300 (through May 2), $350 (through May 16) per paddler. No entry fee for team captains. No team captain changes after registration closes. Must be registered by May 4 to hold prelim finish for starting position in TWS.

 

 

Thursday, June 12, 2025
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Texas Water Safari Check-In, San Marcos – The Meadows Center
Boats and equipment lists will be checked. Mandatory meeting at 4 p.m. for entrants & captains to review rules/questions.   Checkin Sign up times will be available late May.  Information will be emailed and posted.

 

 

Friday, June 13, 2025
9 a.m. Start

Start of the 62th Annual Texas Water Safari – San Marcos, TX – The Meadows Center
Entrants should be at their boats ready to enter the water by 8 a.m. 
DO NOT ENTER THE LAKE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD THAT IT’S OK TO DO SO. THE TWS HAS SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY TO START THE RACE ON SPRING LAKE AND MUST FOLLOW STRICT RULES.

Postponement dates are TBD. 

 

 

Monday, June 16, 2025
12 Noon

Awards Banquet – Seadrift Texas – Bill Sanders Memorial Park – 1522 Swan Point, Seadrift, TX 77983
Free for all teams (and up to two captains per team). Tickets for extra banquet meals can be purchased at the banquet.

 

 

Tuesday, June 17, 2025
 1:00 p.m.

Texas Water Safari Deadline – Seadrift Texas – Bill Sanders Memorial Park – 1522 Swan Point, Seadrift, TX 77983

 

 

Saturday, Sept 20, 2025
9:00 a.m. start

Jr. Texas Water Safari (shorter version of the Texas Water Safari with same age requirements as the Texas Water Safari)
Race Day Registration only – San Marcos City Park

16 miles from San Marcos City Park to Staples Hwy 1977 bridge.  Entry fee $35 per paddler (race day registration only).  Registration begins at 8 a.m. at San Marcos City Park.
Cut-off deadline for reaching Hwy 1979 Martindale Bridge is 12 noon.
Food and drinks will be provided at the finish. There will be cash drawings at the awards; you must be present to win.

 


If you have any questions, please contact texaswatersafari@yahoo.com.

 

TWS Board:

1. Board Member- Jay Daniel

2. Board Member- Bob Spain

3. President – Allen Spelce

 

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 texaswatersafari@yahoo.com.

 

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.