Friday 29th I spoke to Philip Rush. He was on the Strait ferry returning to Wellington and confirmed first hand that conditions were unswimmable and there was nothing in the forecast to suggest that Saturday would be any better. Water temperatures were down to 14C with the recent long series of southerlies.
As I discovered swimming at Takapuna through last winter low water temperatures on their own are surmountable. The problem now is that air temperature is starting to fall below water temperature. Combined with wind chill there can be significant heat loss through the back. The days are getting shorter and at my speed I will almost certainly be finishing in the dark and air temperatures drop rapidly when the sun disappears.
On the bright side the long term forecast is predominantly northerlies between now and the next tides on about the 9th May and there are signs that the temperature is bouncing back.
With that in mind I am still training and will be doing a "Final" 6 hour swim at Takapuna on Thursday morning. To those swimmers who are interested I will be swimming to cable buoy on the hour from 7am and would welcome company. To those clients who might be following this blog I will respond to messages/emails late afternoon.
As with the last 7 sets of tides I am back at the mercy of the Wellington weather.
Wish me luck
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday 26th April
Well, its 2 weeks on and we're into the next set of tides. I spoke to Philip Rush yesterday and Strait temperatures are still generally up around 16C with some cooler patches so it's still swimmable.
The Wellington weather is still being uncooperative and I need a major improvement by the end of the week if I'm to get away this set.
I managed 45km the week after the last set but have had a bit of a rest over Easter. Had a great 4km swim with Helen Adams and the team on Good Friday morning. Halls beach to Birkenhead wharf then down and around the harbour bridge pylon. The crew of harbourmasters RIB kept a suspicious eye on us for a while but obviously decided we knew what we were doing.
Auckland water is nearly down to 17 deg and there arent too many of us left in budgie smugglers.
There may be one more set of tides before the water in the Strait gets too cold starting about 10th May.
At this stage I'm sytill hoping for a chance late this week so check the blog on Friday.
The Wellington weather is still being uncooperative and I need a major improvement by the end of the week if I'm to get away this set.
I managed 45km the week after the last set but have had a bit of a rest over Easter. Had a great 4km swim with Helen Adams and the team on Good Friday morning. Halls beach to Birkenhead wharf then down and around the harbour bridge pylon. The crew of harbourmasters RIB kept a suspicious eye on us for a while but obviously decided we knew what we were doing.
Auckland water is nearly down to 17 deg and there arent too many of us left in budgie smugglers.
There may be one more set of tides before the water in the Strait gets too cold starting about 10th May.
At this stage I'm sytill hoping for a chance late this week so check the blog on Friday.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Bugger
We got as far as Hamilton before we got the news that its forecasted 30 knot Northerlies in the Strait tomorrow afternoon. We're now back in Auckland.
Why Hamilton? Cheapest flight ex AKL - $386. Cheapest ex Hamilton $96. 4 people do the math.
The lady swimming today got across in 9.5 hrs. Temperature range in the Strait was 17 to 14 degrees.
I'm now first in the queue and there is the possibility of a swim on Thursday so watch this space.
Why Hamilton? Cheapest flight ex AKL - $386. Cheapest ex Hamilton $96. 4 people do the math.
The lady swimming today got across in 9.5 hrs. Temperature range in the Strait was 17 to 14 degrees.
I'm now first in the queue and there is the possibility of a swim on Thursday so watch this space.
Monday, April 11, 2011
11th April 2011
Well, Here I am again and another 3 weeks down the track.
The Spanish swimmer got across successfully last set of tides in 8.5 hrs but I am told conditions were not pleasant. Conditions went downhill after that swim and now here we are at another set of tides.
I managed 43km in the week after the last tides and have been easing off over the last week. On Sunday I reluctantly sat out the Auckland Central Masters Rangi swim which was run in perfect conditions.
Missing Rangi was the right call in hindsight as I had a call from Philip Rush tonight and he's taking a swimmer across tomorrow and I'm packing my bag for Wednesday and hoping the weather holds.
We are dealing with Wellington weather here so there is still a strong element of chance involved.
I should know one way or another late afternoon tomorrow so my next blog will hopefully be from Wellington tomorrow night.
Watch this space
The Spanish swimmer got across successfully last set of tides in 8.5 hrs but I am told conditions were not pleasant. Conditions went downhill after that swim and now here we are at another set of tides.
I managed 43km in the week after the last tides and have been easing off over the last week. On Sunday I reluctantly sat out the Auckland Central Masters Rangi swim which was run in perfect conditions.
Missing Rangi was the right call in hindsight as I had a call from Philip Rush tonight and he's taking a swimmer across tomorrow and I'm packing my bag for Wednesday and hoping the weather holds.
We are dealing with Wellington weather here so there is still a strong element of chance involved.
I should know one way or another late afternoon tomorrow so my next blog will hopefully be from Wellington tomorrow night.
Watch this space
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday 25th March
No, I'm not dead. Just a bit laid back about blogging when there's nothing to report.
The last set of tides (11th to 15th March) came and went with the wind in the Strait seldom dropping below 15 knots. I am now one of three in the queue.
Next set of tides is 26th to 31st March and I'm told a Spanish woman is first up. Looking at the 7 day forecast there's nothing likely to happen until the last 3 days.
My training now consists of a hard week (40+km including a 6 hr swim) in the week after a missed set of tides then a taper to the next set. Last week I did the beach series Tuesday, 3km Wednesday, 6hrs on Thursday, 3hrs Saturday and a 4km race with Hibiscus Tri club on Sunday (won it).
This weekend Saturday I will do the Mount Maunganui Ocean swim (unfortunately to be run in Pilot Bay because of the weather) and then a series of 1 hr swims through the week while I psyche myself up for a possible Strait swim later in the week .
You will see from the chart 2 days ago that temperatures in the strait are a bit chilly at present but they have been fluctuating between 14 and 19 since my original set of tides in January and they should be up again next week with a bit of Northerly weather.
There are probably 2 more sets of tides before the Strait gets too cold.
Watch this space mid next week
The last set of tides (11th to 15th March) came and went with the wind in the Strait seldom dropping below 15 knots. I am now one of three in the queue.
Next set of tides is 26th to 31st March and I'm told a Spanish woman is first up. Looking at the 7 day forecast there's nothing likely to happen until the last 3 days.
My training now consists of a hard week (40+km including a 6 hr swim) in the week after a missed set of tides then a taper to the next set. Last week I did the beach series Tuesday, 3km Wednesday, 6hrs on Thursday, 3hrs Saturday and a 4km race with Hibiscus Tri club on Sunday (won it).
This weekend Saturday I will do the Mount Maunganui Ocean swim (unfortunately to be run in Pilot Bay because of the weather) and then a series of 1 hr swims through the week while I psyche myself up for a possible Strait swim later in the week .
There are probably 2 more sets of tides before the Strait gets too cold.
Watch this space mid next week
Friday, March 4, 2011
Friday 4th March
Well, as you will have gathered from the silence Wellington weather put paid to any crossing attempts during the set of tides last weekend.
Philip Rush told me he got one swimmer across a couple of days before the last set of tides but she was very quick (7hrs 8 minutes) and had the speed to overcome deteriorating weather towards the end of the swim.
The next set runs from approx 11th to15th March and I've got my fingers crossed.
In the absence of a Strait swim last weekend I did the State ChristChurch fundraiser swim at Milford on Saturday plus a return trip from Takapuna - 7.5km.
On Sunday I did 2 trips to cable buoy plus Takapuna to Castor Bay - approx 11km.
Tuesday was with the usual suspects at the Beach series and yesterday I did 6 trips to the Takapuna Cable Buoy. It was great to have company - Richard Rice for the first leg, Helen Adams for legs 2, 3 and 4 and Hamish for the last leg. Average speed by my estimate 3.2 kph.
Today is a rest day as is tomorrow (going fishing). Sunday I will do the ACM Bays Swim and probably a return trip to the start.
Next week I'll be winding down to the next set of tides.
Next posting will be mid next week
Cheers
Geoff
Philip Rush told me he got one swimmer across a couple of days before the last set of tides but she was very quick (7hrs 8 minutes) and had the speed to overcome deteriorating weather towards the end of the swim.
The next set runs from approx 11th to15th March and I've got my fingers crossed.
In the absence of a Strait swim last weekend I did the State ChristChurch fundraiser swim at Milford on Saturday plus a return trip from Takapuna - 7.5km.
On Sunday I did 2 trips to cable buoy plus Takapuna to Castor Bay - approx 11km.
Tuesday was with the usual suspects at the Beach series and yesterday I did 6 trips to the Takapuna Cable Buoy. It was great to have company - Richard Rice for the first leg, Helen Adams for legs 2, 3 and 4 and Hamish for the last leg. Average speed by my estimate 3.2 kph.
Today is a rest day as is tomorrow (going fishing). Sunday I will do the ACM Bays Swim and probably a return trip to the start.
Next week I'll be winding down to the next set of tides.
Next posting will be mid next week
Cheers
Geoff
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday 20th Feb
My apologies that the posts have been a bit sparse of late (in fact none).
The last set of tides (15thy to 18th Feb) came and went with the Wellington wind consistently over 15 knots. Maximum for a strait swim to start is a forecast of 10 knots variable or better.
I am now second in queue for the set of tides from 25th Feb to 1st Mar.
I will not be travelling to Wellington to wait and see if I get a swim but will wait and see when the allocated swimmer goes and then be prepared to travel down on the late flight that day if conditions are still good on the following day. I am unlikely to know for certain until about 7pm the night before the swim.
The consistent easterlies we have had in Auckland lately have been hard work but good training and I have been trying to keep swimming 40km + /week. this is usually made up of 10k Saturday, 10k Sunday and 20k 1 day midweek as well as the beach series sprints at Takapuna and Kohimarama on Tuesday and Thursday. These usually end up about 4km each including a bit of a warmup.
Last Saturday was the Bean Rock swim (3.1km) in very rough conditions and I was quite pleased with 7th place overall.
To set the record straight the Helen who has been pacing me on many of my longer swims is Helen Adams and not my wife Helen. My wife Helen thanks all those who have commented so favourably on her new found swimming prowess.
It's The Corsair Classic at Christchurch on Saturday 25th and (Wife) Helen and I will be flying down on the Friday. If all goes well we will be returning via Wellington.
The last set of tides (15thy to 18th Feb) came and went with the Wellington wind consistently over 15 knots. Maximum for a strait swim to start is a forecast of 10 knots variable or better.
I am now second in queue for the set of tides from 25th Feb to 1st Mar.
I will not be travelling to Wellington to wait and see if I get a swim but will wait and see when the allocated swimmer goes and then be prepared to travel down on the late flight that day if conditions are still good on the following day. I am unlikely to know for certain until about 7pm the night before the swim.
The consistent easterlies we have had in Auckland lately have been hard work but good training and I have been trying to keep swimming 40km + /week. this is usually made up of 10k Saturday, 10k Sunday and 20k 1 day midweek as well as the beach series sprints at Takapuna and Kohimarama on Tuesday and Thursday. These usually end up about 4km each including a bit of a warmup.
Last Saturday was the Bean Rock swim (3.1km) in very rough conditions and I was quite pleased with 7th place overall.
To set the record straight the Helen who has been pacing me on many of my longer swims is Helen Adams and not my wife Helen. My wife Helen thanks all those who have commented so favourably on her new found swimming prowess.
It's The Corsair Classic at Christchurch on Saturday 25th and (Wife) Helen and I will be flying down on the Friday. If all goes well we will be returning via Wellington.
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