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Kelly vs California Swing
Same nine days, same three platoons, same fifty-six hour average. The difference is whether your time off arrives in one block or two.
| Kelly | vs | California Swing |
|---|---|---|
| The cycle | ||
| 24 hours | Tour length | 24 hours |
| 9 days | Cycle length | 9 days |
| 56 hours | Average week | 56 hours |
| On, off, on, off, on, 4 off | Pattern | 1-3-2-3 |
| 4 days | Longest break | 3 days |
| How the tours are grouped | ||
| No | Two tours back to back | Yes |
| Yes | Single tours separated by a day off | NoOnly the first |
| No | Two separate breaks in the cycle | Yes |
| Living with it | ||
| YesFour days | One long block for travel | No |
| No | Regular weekly commitments | NoA nine-day cycle drifts either way |
| YesA day between each | Recovery after a busy pair | NoStraight into the second |
The same hours, arranged two ways
The Kelly runs a tour, a day off, a tour, a day off, a tour, then four days off. The California Swing runs a tour, three days off, two tours back to back, then three days off. Nine days either way.
One long break or two shorter ones
The Kelly's four-day block is what people stay for. It is enough for a trip, a course, or a solid run of off-duty work.
The Swing spreads it: two three-day breaks instead of one four-day. That suits people with commitments that come round more often than once a cycle — and it costs you the forty-eight hour pair in the middle.
Which crews argue for
It is genuinely a matter of preference and stations do argue about it. People who travel or work a second job want the Kelly's long block. People with young families often prefer the Swing, because being home two separate times beats being home once for longer.
Full detail on each pattern: Kelly schedule · California Swing
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