Swim4TheOcean Within 5km of Halfway as Weather Closes In

Swim4TheOcean is now within 5km of halfway. As shown on the live tracker at the end of Sunday, 15 February, Jono Ridler has now covered 688.89km – up from 661.60km at the start of the day. 

The halfway milestone is likely to fall in Jono’s next swim, but exactly when remains uncertain. A heavy rain system is forecast to sit over the region for up to three days, and the team will wait for a safe opportunity before resuming. 

The tracker currently projects the full route at 1,387.53km, meaning the halfway point will tick over at 693.8km. 

Base camp shifted from Omaio to Waihau, with Cape Runaway now in view, but only when the low cloud and mist allow. The coastline ahead indicates they’re moving further towards an even more exposed and remote phase of the mission. 

The first swim got underway at 7:29am and ran for three hours, laying down solid progress in manageable conditions. Jono was back in the water at 2:54pm for a second stint that would become one of the toughest of the campaign so far, finishing at 7:07pm after pushing through strengthening wind and building sea state. 

Just before heading out for swim two, Jono said: “Watching Ben [in the IRB] – he’s struggling to use the ipad with the wind and water coming over – not ideal operating conditions. It looks like we’ll get a good push. The wind has come up a bit. This kind of stuff feels quite steep when you’re on the boat – but when you’re in the water you don’t notice it as much. 

“Tomorrow the wind is coming right up so it’s a no-go kind of day, based on what the forecast currently says so we’ll make hay while the sun shines today and then park our feet up tomorrow to wait for that bad weather to pass.” 

As the second swim began, the crew were tracking 20+ knots building to 30 by evening. With current assist on their side, the focus was to maximise the weather window and make strong ground to reach Waihau before conditions are expected to force them ashore. 

Now on the cusp of halfway in this purpose-led Swim4TheOcean mission, the next stretch brings increased complexity. The approach to, and rounding of, East Cape will test both swimmer and crew, with exposed bays, limited landing options and tight weather windows demanding careful planning, constant assessment and decision-making. 

Nearly halfway. A major milestone within reach – when the conditions allow. 

Total distance covered: 688.60km 

Yesterday’s swims — at a glance

Swim 1

Time: 4 hours  
Distance: 14.5km 
Average speed: 3.6km/h 

Swim 2

Time: 4 hours 13 minutes 
Distance: 12.79km 
Average speed: 3km/h