Hard-fought Kilometres and Curious Wildlife in Hawke’s Bay
Progress across the outer reaches of Hawke’s Bay came slowly for Jono Ridler on 11 March, with frustrating opposing currents turning every kilometre into hard work.
Category: Swim4TheOcean
Jono Ridler – 1,000km Down, Less Than 400 To Go. The Hardest Challenge Still Ahead.
Jono Ridler has now swum 1,000km of New Zealand’s east coast in his Swim4TheOcean – a staggering milestone in what is tracking to be a world-record 1,400km no-wetsuit, staged swim from North Cape to Wellington.
Offshore Push – Hard-earned Progress Across Hawke’s Bay
Jono clocked 15km in the open ocean on Tuesday, 10 March, swimming out of sight of his next landmark as he crosses the outer Hawke’s Bay, bee-lining towards Te Kauwae-a-Māui / Cape Kidnappers.
Triple-swim Day Pushes Jono to the Edge of the 1,000km Mark
Sunday 8 March marked the first time Jono completed three separate swims in a single day, adapting the schedule to work with the available weather and currents.
20km Day Before Hawke’s Bay Stretch – Bring In The Mothership
The team woke on a remote stretch of farmland at the far eastern tip of the Māhia Peninsula before heading back out on the water for a single swim on Saturday 7 March.
More Frequent, More Intense: What Extreme Weather Means for the Ocean on the East Coast
As Jono swims down the East Coast of Te Ika-a-Māui the North Island, conditions change daily – the wind shifts, swell builds, currents turn.
Nine Hours In The Water Off Māhia
Jono was back in the water from 7am until 11am on Friday, 6 March, before coming ashore near Māhia Peninsula, where the crew had the rare bonus of watching a Rocket Lab launch from the coast.
Global Endorsement for Swim4TheOcean
Swim4TheOcean has been formally endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as an official Ocean Decade Activity.
Back Into It – 900 Km Done
Thursday, 5 March provided the first opportunity to get back on the water after three days forced ashore by a relentless southerly.
300 Hours Down As Weather Closes In
Yesterday (Sunday, 1 March) Jono spent 10 hours in the water across two swims, covering just under 29km and passing another major milestone: more than 300 hours swimming in the ocean since setting off on his Swim4TheOcean on 5 January.
