Registrations Now Open For Popular Ocean Swim Series

01 August 2013

Registrations Now Open For Popular Ocean Swim Series

Registrations have opened today for the State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series with organisers keen to remind prospective entrants to register early. The opening swim of the series is the iconic State Harbour Crossing on Sunday 17 November. Last season, registrations were closed off a number of days out from the event due to record numbers.

Scott Rice, State NZ Ocean Swim Series, Event Director says; "For the first time ever we had to close off registrations for the Harbour Crossing in 2012 when we reached 1650 entries . Safety is paramount for an event of this scale so it is likely that we will need to close registrations early again.

"For swimmers who have committed to taking part and who are about to begin their training, I would urge them to register early so that they don't miss out," says Rice. The six swim series which organisers are expecting will attract over 7500 registrations includes events in Auckland, Bay of Islands, Wellington, Akaroa and Mount Maunganui and will run from November through until the final event - the State King of the Bays held on Auckland's North Shore on Saturday 12 April.

The first swimmers to register for the Series this year were Aucklander's Nicola and John Milne who have bib numbers 0001 and 0002 respectively.

"We are big fans of the Series, this will be John's 8th year taking part, and my 5th year. It was such a buzz finishing the Harbour Crossing swim together last year that we didn't want to miss out this year. I certainly hope there's no pressure wearing bib # 1.

"Now that we are registered there will be no looking back for either of us.....and definitely time to start training.

"We're thrilled that our nine year old daughter Hannah is also taking part in three of the swims. Hannah won a place in the Jetstar Super Swim Squad last season and had such a great time that she couldn't wait to register for the series again too, "says Nicola Milne.

"Swimming is one of the few sports that we can all do together and enjoy as a family - and the Series is a really well organised family friendly event" she added.

It will be a decade since the first Harbour Crossing in Auckland and series founder Scott Rice, a former competitive swimmer has a few tips for novices considering taking the plunge:
1. Never take part in an ocean swim without training. You wouldn't take part in a half marathon without training - this is no different. Start your training early and look into joining a training squad. They offer motivation and support and can be lots of fun.
2. If you haven't exercised for a while, best visit your doctor to ensure you are in a good physical condition before you commit to the event and start your training.
3. If you don't feel confident, there is no shame in withdrawing - yes even on event day. Safety should always come before pride.
4. Familiarise yourself with the ocean environment by doing a part of your training in the ocean. Do it in a group or with friends for safety reasons. This will ease nerves and make you feel more comfortable on event day.
5. Start with a shorter distance and then go longer. Most of our events, (with the exception of the Harbour Crossing), offer a children's distance and three varying distances (300, 1000m and 2.6-3.3km) to cater for all abilities.

For more information visit www.oceanswim.co.nz

ENDS

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