WINTER rip swim - july 5, 2025

Our event is sold out. If you would like to be on the waiting list, please email us - info@ripswim.com.au.

Taking on “The Rip” in winter is a significant challenge. It is a non-wetsuit swim and as such It offers experienced cold water swimmers a great challenge!

The water temperature is likely to be about 12 degrees Celsius and so swimmers will need to be acclimatised to the cold.

The winter swim is also of great historical significance. It honours the first crossing by the pioneer Doug Mew, in the winter of 1971. He swam the other way, from Point Lonsdale to Point Nepean, without a wetsuit!

MORE ABOUT THE SWIM

Distance: 3.5km

Format: Swim solo or as a team of 2, 3 or 4

Speed: Your speed is an important factor. If you cannot swim 3km in under 66 minutes in flat, non-tidal water, please get in touch to get our advice before entering.

Time: Most swims take from 60 - 75 minutes

Escort kayaker: If you want to have a dedicated escort kayaker, we will supply one for you and you can share the cost of this with up to 4 people, if you all intend to swim together. The cost of a dedicated paddler is $350. Your paddler can only manage 4 of you and you must choose your team carefully to ensure your speeds match.

We will have up to 8 dedicated kayakers available. All other swimmers will be managed very thoroughly by our boats and jet skis.

Swimming without a dedicated kayaker: If you do not request a dedicated kayaker, you will be managed by a fleet of rescue craft and this will include IRBs and Jet Skis. You will also receive plenty of advice and guidance on how to navigate your way.

Qualifying to swim: everyone must do this.

The qualifying swim will be held on June the 1st at Williamstown beach in Melbourne, from 10am - 12 noon. The cost will be $50. Completing this swim is mandatory. If you cannot get to this swim, you will need to supply evidence of a qualifying swim elsewhere.

Cancellation and refund policy:

If your swim day is cancelled, you will get a chance to swim the following day. You must make yourself available for both days. In most cases we will be able to let you know about a cancellation 24 hours prior to the swim.

If you are unable to complete the qualifying swim, we will refund you 80% of your entry fee. If you are sick or injured leading into the swim and can supply us with a medical certificate, we will refund you 50% of your entry fee up to a particular date that will be identified in the registration system.

There is also a refund policy (paid) offered through the Race Roster registration system. You can see more about that when you enter.

Read more FAQ’s here

What you get:

  • The experience of a lifetime

  • All boat transfers

  • A very experienced water-safety team to keep you safe

  • Quality merchandise only available to swimmers

  • A sauna at the finish to help you get warm!

  • Name on the honour board (only 98 people have ever swum so you can still make the top 100!)

Previous winter RIP SWIMs

The Winter Rip crossings:

  1. June 2nd, 2019

  2. July 3, 2021

  3. July 9, 2022

  4. August 5, 2023

  5. July 13, 2024

    WINTER RIP HONOURS BOARD

  1. Douglas Mew - June 13th, 1971 (69 minutes) Solo - The Pioneer of the swim

  2. Grant Siedle - June 13th, 2016 (59 minutes) Solo

  3. Peter Grose - June 2nd, 2019 (1 hour, 40 minutes)

  4. Sam Bryant - June 2nd, 2019 (1 hour, 40 minutes)

  5. Ria Bleathman - June 2nd, 2019 (1 hour, 45 minutes)

  6. Susan Berg - June 2nd, 2019 (2 hours)

  7. John Philpot - June 2nd, 2019 (2 hours)

  8. Cathy Snowdon - June 2nd, 2019 (2 hours)

  9. Matthew Annells - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 6 minutes

  10. Simon Jones - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 6 minutes

  11. Michael Urban - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 6 minutes

  12. Tim Koopmans - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 6 minutes (2 winter crossings, 2021 & 2024)

  13. Warrick Steabben - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 51 minutes

  14. Torben Vedelsby - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 51 minutes

  15. Matt Healy - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 51 minutes

  16. Tyson Hofstee - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 51 minutes

  17. Sam Lane - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 51 minutes

  18. James Geer - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 28 minutes

  19. Ross Pollard - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 28 minutes

  20. Ross Quail - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 28 minutes

  21. Simon Myers - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 28 minutes

  22. Kendra Wright - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 28 minutes

  23. Sam Goodwin-Dorning - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 26 minutes

  24. Luke Richards - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 26 minutes

  25. Gary Ullmann - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 26 minutes

  26. Matthew Fisher - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 26 minutes

  27. Charlie Evans - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 26 minutes

  28. Nikole Ramsay - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 36 minutes

  29. John (Jack!)Stewart - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 36 minutes

  30. Kirsty Tweddle - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 36 minutes

  31. Lloyd Gwilym - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 36 minutes

  32. Shien Lo - July 3, 2021 - 2 Hours, 30 minutes

  33. Padraic Murphy - July 3, 2021 - 1 Hour, 35 minutes

  34. Olivia Wawryk - July 9, 2022 - 58 minutes

  35. John Harkness - July 9, 2022 - 58 minutes

  36. Stephen Marshall - July 9, 2022 - 58 minutes

  37. Murray Keeble - July 9, 2022 - 58 minutes

  38. Andrea Schloegl - July 9, 2022 - 57 minutes

  39. Heidi Tucker - July 9, 2022 - 57 minutes

  40. Andrew Fenn - July 9, 2022 - 71 minutes

  41. George Wintle - July 9, 2022 - 91 minutes

  42. Michael Cocksedge - July 9, 2022 - 71 minutes

  43. Alex Afshar - July 9, 2022 - 75 minutes

  44. Jeffrey Challis - July 9, 2022 - 69 minutes - 2 winter crossings! (2022,2023)

  45. Staeven Vallak - July 9, 2022 - 69 minutes - 2 winter crossings! (2022,2023)

  46. Laura Marshall - July 9, 2022 - 69 minutes

  47. Simon Ashford - - July 9, 2022 - 69 minutes

  48. Nicole Dean - August 5, 2023 (2 winter crossings, 2023 & 2024)

  49. Nicholas Robertson - August 5, 2023

  50. Jane Ireland - August 5, 2023

  51. Jack Stephens - August 5, 2023

  52. Daniel Millwood - August 5, 2023

  53. Andy Caddy - August 5, 2023

  54. Alan Fitzgerald - August 5, 2023

  55. Marianne Bradley - August 5, 2023 (2 winter crossings, 2023 & 2024)

  56. Jodi Helliwell - August 5, 2023

  57. Louise Day - August 5, 2023 (2 winter crossings, 2023 & 2024)

  58. Nigel Williams - August 5, 2023

  59. Esther Allen-Howard - August 5, 2023

  60. Veronica van Wyk - August 5, 2023 (2 winter crossings, 2023 & 2024)

  61. Wayne Helwig - August 5, 2023

  62. Georgia Lee - August 5, 2023

  63. Jordan Berry - August 5, 2023

  64. Atle Valland - August 5, 2023

  65. Steve Katsonis - August 5, 2023

  66. Kimberley Rea - August 5, 2023

  67. Conan Phillips - August 5, 2023

  68. Marco Guidici - August 5, 2023

  69. Matthijs Smith - July 13, 2024

  70. Brendan O'Donoghue - July 13, 2024

  71. Kyle Biller - July 13, 2024

  72. Alastair Tye - July 13, 2024

  73. Miranda Toohey - July 13, 2024

  74. Jack Parsons - July 13, 2024

  75. Golden Revolver - July 13, 2024

  76. Cory Phillips - July 13, 2024

  77. Sean McGrath - July 13, 2024

  78. Anton Stanitzki - July 13, 2024

  79. Zac Pearson - July 13,2024

  80. James Wagg - July 13, 2024

  81. Andrew Horwood - July 13, 2024

  82. Harry Bartram - July 13, 2024

  83. Nicholas Simpson - July 13, 2024

  84. Phil Hazel - July 13, 2024

  85. Matt Grogan - July 13, 2024

  86. Bernard Wilson - July 13, 2024

  87. Lisandra de Carvalho - July 13, 2024

  88. Wai Ying Tham - July 13, 2024

  89. Ashleigh Webb - July 13, 2024

  90. Dom McColl - July 13, 2024

  91. Colin Williams - July 13, 2024

  92. Geoffrey Thomas - July 13, 2024

  93. Ben Woollard - July 13, 2024

  94. Matthew Clare - July 13, 2024

  95. Joe Dreyfus - July 13, 2024

  96. Peter Batchelor - July 13, 2024

  97. Rod Watkins - July 13, 2024

  98. Marie-Andree Fournier - July 13, 2024

Pictured are Jack Stewart, Nikole Ramsay, Lloyd Gwilym, Kirsty Tweddle and their paddler Murray Joseph - they were successful on July 3, 2021.

35 excited swimmers prior to the winter swim. Photo courtesy Nikole Ramsay.

Photo courtesy of Tamara Hughes