FEBRUARY 7, 2026

The 3.5km stretch from Point Nepean to Point Lonsdale front beach is the most thrilling open water swim in Australia and you can now swim or race it safely with us. The crossing can be completed solo or in a team of 4, 5 or 6 people of similar speed.

Back up event date is February the 8th. You must be available on this day as well.

Questions to consider:

1. Will you swim solo, in a team or do the race? (you must be able to swim under 18 minutes per km to do the race)

2. Can you/your team swim 3km under 66 minutes? This is what we recommend for the best chance of success.

3. Will you wear a wetsuit? The water temperature will be approximately 17/18 degrees Celsius.

4. Do you want a dedicated kayaker to guide you? (an additional cost but may give you some extra peace of mind and personal guidance)

5. Are you available to swim on both days? (you need to be available for the event day and the back up day).

COST per swimmer

Early bird $650 (up till midnight on the 9th of October)

Standard $750 (from the 10th of October onwards)

Includes:

• All boat transfers

• Quality merchandise

• An event certificate

• A briefing session at MSAC, where you will do a short swim and can ask questions (Nov 16 or Dec 7))

• A very high level of experienced water safety personnel

• Your name on the honour role

  
  ** Does not include a personal kayaker but you can pay for one when you register.**

HOW TO ENTER (entries open very soon)

1. Enter and nominate a solo, race or team swim

2. Do a qualifying swim before December 31, to show us your speed and ability to swim with your team

3. Attend a swim/briefing session at MSAC. (Sunday November the 16th (10-12) OR Sunday December the 7th (10-12) - cost included in your entry)

LOGISTICS

On the day of your crossing, you will be taken from the Queenscliff Harbour to the start (deep water near Point Nepean) by boat. From there you will swim to Point Lonsdale, aiming for the front beach near the shops. All other details will be sent to you closer to the time of your swim.

QUALIFYING TO SWIM - before December 31, 2025.

You must show us evidence of being able to swim 3km in the open water in under 66 minutes (non-tidal water). You can do this one of two ways:

1. Do your own swim with a witness and send us the evidence (Strava/Garmin track etc) (3000m)

2. Take on an existing open water event (minimum 2.5km) and send us your results (Victorian swimming calendar is here - CLICK)

WATER TEMPERATURE on a RIP SWIM

The water temperature is about 17 - 18 degrees Celsius for our summer swims and about 11-12 degrees on our winter crossing.

HOW TO PREPARE

Swimming across “The Rip” is different to other swims as you need to do it with a group of swimmers at the same speed. You also need to be able to handle some choppy conditions. You should train consistently leading up to your Rip Swim and be ready for about a 4km swim in rough seas to give yourself the best chance of success.

WETSUITS

You can wear a wetsuit during your crossing if you are worried about being cold. The temperature is likely to be about 17/18 degrees in summer.

No wetsuits are allowed on our winter crossing, where the water will be about 11/12 degrees. This is to honour the original crossing by Douglas Mew in 1971 and to give swimmers an additional challenge.

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!