📣2024 Neptune Days Encinitas Ocean Fest 🌊
Welcome all Encinitans and Waterfolk! Join us again this year, for our second annual Neptune Days Encinitas Ocean Fest, a celebration of our city's beach culture and surfy heritage.
On August 9th and 10th, dip your toes in the water with us for a weekend of water activity and beach competitions brought to you by the Encinitas Lifesaving Association, the non profit arm of the Encinitas Ocean Lifeguards. 100% of event proceeds will go back into the community through Encinitas lifeguard education grants, learn to swim programs, and public beach safety initiatives.
Festivities will be held where Neptune Ave. meets the sand, at lovely Moonlight Beach. We'll kick off the evening of Friday, August 9th with our second annual Moonlight Bootlegger’s Cup Lifeguard Competition, featuring teams of professional ocean lifesavers from up and down the coast. Lifeguards will compete against each other—and four select public challenger teams!—in a series of classic lifeguard events to win the Moonlight Bootlegger Perpetual Cup (and crowing rights as the championship department). While the competition is geared towards those affiliated with a registered lifesaving organization, we welcome the community to come and support your local lifesavers with cheers, jeers, and beers at a casual get together following the competition (location TBD).
Our main swim events will take place on Saturday, August 10th, with an individual mile swim and a 1.5 mile, four person swim relay. Get in your training and assemble your teams now—all participants will receive a special edition inaugural Neptune Days t shirt, and winners of both the individual and relay swims will go home with a bevvy of prizes from local Encinitas brands and vendors, along with boasting rights that will last for the next 364 days.
Don't miss your chance to support the Encinitas Beach Community in this annual celebration of our Encinitas beaches, lifeguards, and our collective love for the ocean. And remember: the early seabird gets the krill—be sure to snap up your entries early, space is limited this year, entry costs go up the longer you wait, and only signups before July 1st are guaranteed a t-shirt!
Registration fees
Prices are inclusive of mandatory charges, items, and fees
Bootlegger Cup Lifeguard Challenge (Team Captain Registration) Closed
Calling all those who guard hard! Join us for the second annual Moonlight Bootlegger Cup Competition, open to teams of 8 current and former ocean lifeguards affiliated with a Professional Lifesaving Agency. We'll also be offering limited (four only!) spots to public teams who want to challenge the pro's. Team Captains will need to register their team here first, then share their team code with each team member—email brian@encinitaslifesaving.org for more detail and a registration code!
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$173.17
$20 per person; teams of 8
Mar 9 - Aug 10
Neptune Days Individual Mile Swim Closed
Online registration closed-
Hop in on the second annual Neptune Days Ocean Swim, a mile cruise through the lovely cove of Moonlight Beach. Swimmers will be grouped by age and gender for awards, with one all-age wetsuit category for those who opt for foam. **Register before July 1 for a guaranteed t-shirt!**
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$55.49
Early Seabird
Mar 9 – May 19 -
$60.83
No Hurry, No Worry
May 20 – Jul 7 -
$66.18
Toes in the Water!
Jul 8 – Aug 8 -
After Noon on August 8, Race Day Registration Only
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ClosedAug 10 – Aug 10
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Neptune Days 1.5 Mile Relay (Team Member Registration) Closed
Claim your spot with your relay team of four! Get in touch with your relay team captain for your Neptune Days sign up code. **Register before July 1 for a guaranteed t-shirt!**
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Free
Team Members
Mar 9 - Aug 10
Bootlegger Cup Lifeguard Challenge (Team Member Registration) Closed
You'll need teams of 8 for a crack at the Bootlegger Cup. Contact your team captain for your team name and sign up code!
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Free
Team Member Pricing
Mar 9 - Aug 10
Neptune Days 1.5 Mile Relay (Team Captain Registration) Closed
Online registration closed-
Assemble your Neptune teams! Take off in teams of four to be the champions of the Neptune Days Relay—each swimmer will sprint less than half a mile, for a team total of 1.5 miles in Moonlight Cove. **Register before July 1 for a guaranteed t-shirt!**
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$87.58
Early Seabird
Mar 9 – May 19 -
$108.98May 20 – Jul 7
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$130.38
Just in Time
Jul 8 – Aug 9 -
ClosedAug 9 – Aug 9
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$141.08
Race Day
Aug 10 – Aug 10
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Race Day FAQs
Can I wear a wetsuit for the Moonlight Mile Swim?
If you must! ;) Wetties can be worn for the individual mile, but note that swimmers wearing wetsuits will not place in their age category for prizing. All swimmers wearing wetsuits will be a part of an open, all-ages wetsuit category. **If you're planning to wear a wetsuit, you'll need to let us know when you check in so we can get you categorized correctly.
Can I wear a wetsuit for the 1.5 Mile Relay?
To ensure an even playing field for all relay teams, wetsuits will not be allowed during the 1.5 mile relay.
How will awards & prizing work?
Top three finishers in the individual mile age categories, and one all-ages wetsuit category, will receive a prize. The top three relay teams will also receive prizes. We'll plan to give out awards and prizes for both events following the relay swim, which we estimate should be around 11:30 am. All participants, regardless of how they finish, will get a participant t shirt (more on that below), participant swim cap, and a whole bunch of Encinitas Lifesaving gratitude for supporting us through Neptune Days.
What if I signed up after July 1st, will I still get a T-shirt?
Participants (individual mile swimmers, and the teams of relay captains) who signed up by July 1st are guaranteed T shirts of the size indicated at checkout. We're doing our best to get ALL swimmers their shirts on race day, but we can't promise all those who sign up on the later side of things will get their shirt (and/or their desired size!).
When does check in start, and where is it?
6:30 am on race day! Get a good night's rest and leave plenty of time for parking, then look for an Encinitas Lifesaving tent near the main palm tree at Moonlight Beach. Meet us there to check in, get your timing chip, cap, and shirt—just bring a picture ID with you. For the full day of schedule, take a look at the race day schedule at the bottom of this page.
Where should I park?
Your best bet is the Moonlight Beach public parking lot, located adjacent to the Moonlight Beach Overlook at 450 W. C St, Encinitas CA 92024. If those spaces aren't available, there's street parking in the areas both south and north of Moonlight Beach. As with any event, we'd recommend that you save yourself some stress and a little extra time to find parking.
Who should I contact with questions?
Your Neptune Days race directors are Brian Ketterer and Brenna Fleener from the Encinitas Lifesaving Association; get in touch them anytime with questions before, during, or after the race at hello@encinitaslifesaving.org.
Event Detail & Timeline
AUGUST 9th
Neptune Days Lifeguard Competition
Calling all those who guard hard! Join us for the first annual Encinitas Lifesaving Competition, open to current and former ocean lifeguards affiliated with a Professional Lifesaving Agency. We'll also be opening up registration to select (4 only!) public challenger teams. Contact brian@encinitaslifesaving.org for more detail, and to get your registration code!
From 6:30 pm to 8 pm, teams of eight (co-ed) will compete for boasting rights in:
- 75 M Sprint Paddle x 4 Relay
- 100 M Sprint Run x 4 Relay
- 75 M Sprint Swim x 4 Relay
- 2 K Run x 4 Relay
- Beach Flags (2 participants per team)
- 2 Person Rescue Relay (4 participants per team; 2 victims & 2 rescuers)
AUGUST 10TH
Neptune Days Swim Events—Individual Mile & 1.5 Mile Relay
Hop in on the second annual Neptune Days Ocean Swim events! We'll kick off with a mile cruise for individual swimmers, through the lovely cove of Moonlight Beach. After the mile wraps up, groups of four will take off to be the first annual champions of the Neptune Days 1.5 Mile Relay—each swimmer will sprint less than 0.5 miles, for a team total of 1.5 miles in Moonlight Cove. Note that the Mile & 1.5 Mile will be timed so that athletes may participate in both if desired. Everyone who takes a dip will receive a participant t shirt to wear with salty satisfaction; Winners will go home with an armful of local prizes and a hefty dose of pride.
Event Categories:
Individual Mile Swim—Ages 12-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+; Wetsuit All Ages
1.5 Mile Relay (4 people / team; ½ mile swim each): Ages 12-70+ Open Category); NO WETSUITS
- 6:30 AM - Mile Swim Athlete Check In Begins
- 6:30 AM - Relay Swim Athlete Check In Begins
- 7:30 AM - Mile Swim Athlete Check In Closes
- 7:45 AM - Mile Swim Athlete Briefing
- 8:00 AM - Mile Swim Start (Waves TBD)
- 9:00 AM - Relay Swim Athlete Check In Closes
- 9:15 AM - Relay Swim Captain Briefing
- 9:30 AM - Relay Swim Start
- 11:00 AM - Awards & Prizing
- 12:00 PM - Event Close
Get to Know Us!
Neptune Days is proudly organized by local 501c3 non-profit the Encinitas Lifesaving Association, the non profit arm of the Encinitas Ocean Lifeguards.
We work in tandem with the Encinitas Department of Marine Safety to support beach safety in North County. 100% of our funding, donations, and member dues go towards providing professional training to North County lifeguards, public water safety programming, and learn to swim programs for youth in underserved communities in our area. Our members include current and former Encinitas ocean lifeguards, junior lifeguards, and other water-aware community members who are passionate about advancing public education in the areas of water and ocean safety.
Join us to help make every day a day at the beach at www.encinitaslifesaving.org.
Event schedule
- Fri, August 9, 2024 6:00 PM - Bootlegger Lifeguard Cup Check In
- Fri, August 9, 2024 6:30 PM - Bootlegger Lifeguard Cup Event Start
- Sat, August 10, 2024 6:30 AM - Mile Swim Athlete Check In Begins
- Sat, August 10, 2024 6:30 AM - Relay Swim Athlete Check In Begins
- Sat, August 10, 2024 7:30 AM - Mile Swim Athlete Check In Closes
- Sat, August 10, 2024 7:45 AM - Mile Swim Athlete Briefing
- Sat, August 10, 2024 8:00 AM - Mile Swim Wave 1 Start
- Sat, August 10, 2024 8:05 AM - Mile Swim Wave 2 Start
- Sat, August 10, 2024 8:10 AM - Mile Swim Wave 3 Start
- Sat, August 10, 2024 9:00 AM - Relay Swim Athlete Check In Closes
- Sat, August 10, 2024 9:15 AM - Relay Swim Captain Briefing
- Sat, August 10, 2024 9:30 AM - Relay Swim Start
Contact information
- Event contact
- Encinitas Lifesaving Association
