This morning at 7.10am I jumped into the sea just off Point Nepean and swam across The Rip to finish at the Front Beach in Point Lonsdale. Sea conditions were difficult with water temperatures between 12C and 13C, a 10-15 knot westerly wind and a developing flood tide which grew in intensity as the swim … Continue reading Swim The Planet – The Winter Rip Crossing
Swim The Planet™ – Winter Rip
On 1st June I will be one of a small group of swimmers to undertake a winter crossing of The Rip which is a 3.2km open water channel between Point Nepean and the lighthouse at Point Lonsdale. We will swim under English Channel rules, wearing only bathers, goggles and swim cap (no neoprene or wetsuits). … Continue reading Swim The Planet™ – Winter Rip
Swim The Planet – Trampled
The Freedom Swim for 2019 was cancelled due to a forecast of extreme storm activity including 20 knot winds and 3.5 metre swells. The swim organisers deemed that some of the boat crews were “too inexperienced” to deal with these conditions thus exposing the swimmers to an unacceptable level of risk. Foremost amongst these risks … Continue reading Swim The Planet – Trampled
Swim The Planet – How to Eat an Elephant.
I arrived in Cape Town this morning which leaves me three days until Saturday’s Freedom Swim. My preparations over the past months have involved moderate amounts of swimming but, most importantly, much time ‘training’ my brain into how I will deal with some of the conditions during the crossing. Theo Yach’s mantra ‘the mind controls … Continue reading Swim The Planet – How to Eat an Elephant.
Post #3 Swim The Planet – A Bridge Too Far, Maybe.
As water temperatures fall below about 15C the risks, particularly hypothermia, increase exponentially. The rules of the Freedom Swim are very strict. Should average water temperature on the day fall below 11C then the swim will be cancelled. Should the average temperature fall below 12C, skins will need to swim as a two-person relay. My … Continue reading Post #3 Swim The Planet – A Bridge Too Far, Maybe.
Swim The Planet – Post #2
Water temperatures for the Freedom Swim are expected to be between 11C and 14C degrees and the swim should take about three hours, making it longer and colder than anything I have attempted previously. A legend of open water swimming in the Cape is the late Theodore Yach, who swum from Robben Island to the … Continue reading Swim The Planet – Post #2
Swim The Planet – Post #1
Welcome to the next Open Water series called Swim The Planet. Whilst I am not literally swimming around the planet, I will be swimming in a range of conditions in various parts of the world, five different continents to exact. The Swim The Planet series includes swims in two oceans [Atlantic, Indian], two straits [Dardenelles, … Continue reading Swim The Planet – Post #1
The Rip
Sunday 3rd February 2019 - at 08.04 this morning our pod of seven swimmers jumped into deep water off Point Nepean to start our swim across The Rip at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. Conditions were benign, for The Rip at least, with a swell of less than half a metre and a waning … Continue reading The Rip
History of The Rip
The first swimmer to cross The Rip was the late Doug Mew in 1971. Recorded crossings after Doug were few and far between and actively discouraged by authorities. The Brighton Icebergers organised several groups and there were even a few double-crossings. Since 2014, commercial guides accompany all Rip swims. The tides through The Rip can … Continue reading History of The Rip
From the Rock to The Rip
What could be more enjoyable than to follow-up an un-swimmable strait of water (Smashing the Rock) with one of the world’s most challenging open water swims. "The Rip" is an open stretch of water in Victoria, Australia, connecting Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait. It is the only entrance for shipping into the Port of … Continue reading From the Rock to The Rip
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