INAUGURAL SWIM A GREAT SUCCESS!! SUNDAY 16TH OF JANUARY - 29 SWIMMERS

The first double Rip swim was an outstanding success! 29 swimmers took on the journey and all made it! With a carefully chosen tide, they set off from the Point Lonsdale front beach at 7.30am and headed for Point Nepean. The group was broken down into pairs and trios, each with their own dedicated kayaker for safety and guidance.

The day was magnificent with very light winds and a warm air temperature. The water was about 17 degrees and crystal clear. The swimmers landed at the Point Lonsdale pier and celebrated their success! See the full list of swimmers on our new honour board very soon.

POINT LONSDALE TO POINT NEPEAN AND BACK!

If you are looking for a significant challenge in the open-water, this is it! Doing a single crossing of this magnificent waterway is a challenge, so swimming across and back gives you an even greater goal to work towards and an experience you will never forget!

The swim will be approximately 7km and you will need to be able to hold a very steady pace throughout the crossing.

DOUBLE RIP SWIM DETAILS

• Start at Point Lonsdale, swim to Point Nepean, return to Point Lonsdale

• Total distance - close to 7km

• Speed: Ideally you can swim close to 20 minutes per/km for 7km. If you can’t it doesn’t rule you out but will slightly diminish your chances of success given several factors listed below

• You do not have to swim in a team but will have to stay within one of two or three packs depending on the conditions and shipping.

SAFETY & SHIPPING & TIDAL EFFECT

Your safety is paramount. We have now taken over 600 people across this stretch and seen many scenarios unfold. Given we need to get you across the shipping lanes twice, we need to consider safety very carefully. We need to be ready to get you out of the water quickly if there is a shipping problem.

For this reason, we will have 10 kayakers, 3 inflatable rescue boats and two larger boats (1 with a paramedic).

What you need to understand going into this swim is that while the safety team will give you every opportunity to succeed, we may have to pull you out if you are taking too long and safety becomes an issue - either due to shipping or your wellbeing.

WATER TEMPERATURE

The water temperature will be approximately 17 degrees Celsius - you are permitted to wear a wetsuit. If you do wear a wetsuit it will designated on the honour board with an asterix next to your name.

TIDES EXPLAINED

The tide changes every 6 hours. Given the narrow entrance to Port Phillip, the movement of water both in and out can be very strong. Swimming The Rip is not possible on strong tides and is also very dangerous. The water can flow up to 15km per hour. We pick tides that have the weakest predicted water flows to improve your chance of success. We understand the tides well and have looked carefully at the data. As always, mother nature plays her part, but we can minimise the surprises she has for us!