Open water swimming
Open water swimming is a competition against nature. Swimmers must be fit and determined to succeed against rips, waves, bad weather and tides – with only their swimsuit and a layer of grease to protect them.
Part of story: Open water swimming
Long-distance and marathon swimming
Open water distance swimming differs from other swimming competitions. It is a trial of endurance where swimmers pit themselves against a force of nature – a river, lake or
Part of story: Open water swimming
Origins of surf lifesaving
New Zealand’s coastline and surf New Zealand, with its long coastline (roughly 18,000 kilometres), is pounded by surf. The size and shape of the
Part of story: Lifesaving and surfing
Early New Zealand swimmers
Hinepoupou The earliest known open water swim in New Zealand was that of Hinepoupou, a woman of the Ngāti Kuia tribe, who lived in the mid-18th century.