Sea swimming - Wellington. Sea Swimming-Open water swimming in Wellington Harbour. Wellington Harbour is a fantastic natural facility for open water swimming. The water is (mostly) clean, is protected from the open sea and there are a variety of swims close to shore. While the HCM Masters Club does not officially run sea swimming sessions, there are a number of members who are very enthusiastic and compete regularly in events around NZ and in the Pacific in either open water events or as part of a triathlon. If you are keen to venture into sea swimming you should consider starting out with the Sunday morning group at Oriental Bay. This group is affectionately known as 'Barbs Group' and they swim at 9am most Sundays of the year...and yes that includes through the winter! Please be aware that safety is each swimmers responsibility. You can find out more about this from: Barb's Tri and Swimfit General safety guidelines for open water swimming in Wellington: Wetsuits are recommended. Always wear a bright coloured cap to help ensure you can be seen. Always swim with a buddy. Favourite swims. Oriental Bay. Well protected in a southerly with lovely flat water. Always interesting in a northerly. If you can see whitecaps at the lighthouse, swim to the fountain only. 200m off shore and parallel to the shore there are a series of yellow buoys. Inside these buoys no craft should be exceeding 5 knots. It is advisable to always stay inside these buoys and keep well away from shipping lanes. Distances: Freyberg Beach to lighthouse 1.2km Freyberg Beach to Fountain 320m Lighthouse to Fountain 920m Facilities: Parking, can be difficult at peak summertime. Changing rooms. Open air shower(cold). Sauna, spa and hot shower available in Freyberg Pool. Choice of cafes nearby. Hazards: Rowers: often crewed by school students and may or may not have a supervisor boat. If they are traveling over 5 knots they should be outside the 5 knot buoys that run 200m off shore and parallel to Oriental Bay-but do not count on it. Broken glass: on the beach or in shallow water. Whitecaps at the lighthouse is an indicator it is very rough out there! Fishermen: maybe in small craft or fishing from the shore. Other swimmers: water craft, occasional jelly fish and/or sea lice late in season. Scorching Bay. Lovely bay. Clean water with sandy bottom. Few degrees colder than Oriental Bay. Can be reasonably sheltered in a moderate northerly, southerly and westerly. Great downhill swim in a northerly blow from Scorching Bay to Seatoun wharf. Distances: Buoy off shore approx. 100m. Scorching Bay to Karaka Bay wharf 800m Scorching Bay to Worser Bay YC 1.6km Scorching Bay to Seatoun Wharf 2.4km Worser Bay YC to Seatoun Wharf 600m Facilities: Great parking. Changing rooms. Open air showers (cold). 'Scorcharama Cafe' in the bay, other cafes nearby in Seatoun. Hazards: Pleasure craft. Fisherman are common off the various wharfs and rocks. Set pots and/or set nets. Colder water and can be more exposed to the weather. Is important to swim within your capabilities and with someone you know.

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