Ocean Swimming in Wellington
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 run sea swimming sessions, there are several HCM 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 8am most Sundays of the year...and yes that includes through the winter! Please be aware that safety is each swimmer's responsibility. You can find out more about this from: Barb's Tri and Swimfit. You can also keep up to date with other ocean swimmers in Wellington through the Wellington Ocean Swimmers page.
If you are already an experienced and confident open-water swimmer, there is a group that swims from Freyberg Beach Mon-Fri at 7am and at 7.30am Saturday-Sunday. This is not an organised group, but more of a chance to swim with company.
General safety guidelines for open water swimming in Wellington
While the HCM Masters Club does not run sea swimming sessions, there are several HCM 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 8am most Sundays of the year...and yes that includes through the winter! Please be aware that safety is each swimmer's responsibility. You can find out more about this from: Barb's Tri and Swimfit. You can also keep up to date with other ocean swimmers in Wellington through the Wellington Ocean Swimmers page.
If you are already an experienced and confident open-water swimmer, there is a group that swims from Freyberg Beach Mon-Fri at 7am and at 7.30am Saturday-Sunday. This is not an organised group, but more of a chance to swim with company.
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.
- Purchase a brightly coloured tow float for increased visibility and safety.
- Always swim with a buddy.
Freyberg Beach (next to Oriental Bay)
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 offshore 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:
Facilities:
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:
Facilities:
Hazards:
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 offshore 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.
- 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 offshore 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: may be in small craft or fishing from the shore.
- Other swimmers: watercraft, 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.