Port Nelson Sea Swims, Race Eight, January 7, 2021

Lovely swim tonight of about 1250m. Oxford Bayley led the way home, followed by Hayden Squance, some swimmers from Aquagym in Christchurch, then Nic Hall and Alec Swan, swimming without a wetsuit. Abbey Smale was the first woman, followed by Isabella Thurlow, swimming without a wetsuit, Brooke Swan and Christina Harris. Results have been messed up by a non-registered swimmer …

Swimmer profiles

The Covid-19 lockdown has been just the time to write some profiles on swimmers – to help our Nelson swim community get to know each other. I’ll be trying to publish a profile each day, adding them to this page as we go – Peter Gibbs The profiles will also be available on Facebook at The Nelson Sea Swim Zone …

Banana Boat Ocean Swims. Final rankings 2019-2020

The official rankings for the Banana Boat Ocean Swim Series are out. In the end, the rankings were formulated using each swimmer’s best two swims (rather than the three that would have been the case had all swims been held). Abbey Smale (pictured) was the comfortable winner of the overall title, displacing year’s winner Sierra Thomas, who placed third in …

Port Nelson Sea Swims, final night, March 12, 2020

It came upon us so fast – the end of the season. For those still swimming around the country, there’s still three Ocean Swim Series events to go, but here in Nelson it’s the end of the line until November. Featured photo: A sight you never see. Luke Kelly with a cap – is he in fancy dress? The final …

Banana Boat Ocean Swim Series race four, The Interislander Big Tahuna

What a fantastic day and what a fantastic event. The weather was perfect and the sea was beautiful as Nelson swimmers took the first five places (Luke Kelly, Hayden Squance, Fergus Drummond, Oxford Bayley and Abbey Smale) overall in the 3k race, as well as seventh (Terry Bone), 10th (Isabella Thurlow), 12th (Hamish Neill), 15th (Sierra Thomas) and 19th (Matt …

Port Nelson Sea Swims, Race 18, March 5, 2020

The last competition swim for this summer. As is always the way at the end of the season, it was a beautiful night with a full tide and calm conditions and we swam the same course as last week – anticlockwise around the harbour. In the long swim of about 1700m, a lead bunch of five, Luke Kelly, Oxford Bayley, …

Clements Endurance Series, race four, The Ironman Challenge, March 1, 2020

As expected, the sea for this annual 3.8km swim was a bit lumpy, but nowhere near as rough as it might have been. It was shallow around the bottom of Haulashore Island, but wonderfully warm over the rocks. Luke Kelly, Oxford Bayley and Hayden Squance set the pace, followed by Sierra Thomas and that was the finish order for the …

Port Nelson Sea Swims, Race 17, February 27, 2020

Interesting swim – just over 1700m and a bit rough, but no current to speak of. Featured photo: Hayden Squance and Abbey Smale at the finish of tonight’s race. Hayden Squance, Oxford Bayley, Luke Kelly, Fergus Drummond, Abbey Smale and Alec Swan led the way across to the buoy which was to be fixed just off the jetty. However the …

Port Nelson Sea Swims, Race 16, February 20, 2020

Tough swim this week. Fergus Drummond turned the tables on Oxford Bayley and Alec Swan to score his second win of the season, with Abbey Smale looking strong to finish in fourth place. Swimmers faced a strong incoming tide as they swam south, with a northerly wind stirring up the surface. An unexpected swirl in the current provided a further …

Port Nelson Sea Swims, Race 15, February 13, 2020

What a beautiful swim. 1700m around the harbour, to the jetty on the island, then on in a circuit around all the boats moored in the basin between Haulashore Island and Rocks Rd. Alec Swan dominated the long swim, winning from Fergus Drummond, Oxford Bayley, Abbey Smale, Terry Bone, Hamish Neill and Sierra Thomas, with Sophie Alexander and Flossie Van …