Parking is very limited in Russell, so Kororāreka Russell School has very kindly allowed us to use their playing field as a car park for this event.

Parking is $10 per vehicle, with all proceeds going directly to the school to support resources, equipment, and student programmes.

Location: Kororāreka Russell School

The school is just a 5-minute walk from the Russell Ferry Terminal, making it a convenient place to park if you are boarding from Russell.

Event location

The event headquarters is located at Long Beach, Russell – and on event day for the long & mid swim at Paihia Ferry Terminal.

The event base is a 20min walk from Russell township or a 5min drive however parking is limited at Long Beach.

Free with your swim entry

• Silicon swimming cap (you wear on event day)
• Event photography & finish line photos
• Electronic timing device
• A banana to refuel post event
• Trained lifeguards to watch over you while you swim and advanced medical personnel on site

Cut-off times

For safety reasons and to ensure the day runs to schedule, our swims have a cut-off time. The times vary for each swim distance.

Age limits

Roberton Island Hop: Age: 12 years and above

Roberton Island Half: Age: 10 years and above

Beach Blast 1000m & 500m Age: 8 years and above

OceanKids 100m & 200m Age: 5 – 12 year olds.

Swim caps & start groups

As part of your swim pack, you will receive a silicon swim cap. Each start group has a different coloured cap. Start groups are determined by the speed group you selected in the entry form. If you have swum with us already this season please bring your cap to minimise the number of caps you collect and reduce our environmental footprint.

The start groups are calculated by our operations team and are organised by speed groups & entry numbers. These can vary from event to event, unless you are a Multi Event pass swimmer, and we are reluctant to change these as it can affect results.

Speed 1 & 2 – Fastest swimmers

Mid 1 & 2 – Competitive but like a little bit more space on the start line

Comp 1 & 2 – Out there to challenge yourself and swim with friends and family

Results

Live results will be available as soon as you have crossed the finish line. If you can not see your result or think there is an error please come and see the team in registration as soon as possible and definitely BEFORE prizegiving. You can find the results here.

Post-event nutrition

Once you have crossed the finish line one of our awesome crew will be there to meet you with water and a banana.

BYO drink bottle

As part of our goal to have a greener footprint, we will no longer be offering drinking cups so please remember to bring your own drink bottle.

All New Zealand Ocean Swim Series events are patrolled by trained lifeguards and first aid qualified personnel who are present to assist you at all times.

Bag Transfer

Long & mid distance swimmers – we will transfer a small gear bag for you, from Paihia ferry terminal & Russell ferry to Long Beach, Russell.

Please label your bags. The bag drop will close just before ferry departure.

If you are swimming non-wetsuit and need something to keep warm, please wrap yourself in a emergency blanket or rubbish bag. One of our team will collect them at the race start and safely dispose of them.

Bag storage area

All other swimmers, there will be a designated bag drop area for you at Long Beach, Russell.

Please note that this is an all-care, no responsibility service so please don’t pack valuables.