Event location

The event headquarters is located on Tāhunanui Beach.

Free with your swim entry

• Silicon swimming cap (you wear on event day)
• Branded finish line photo (digital sharing quality)
• Electronic timing device
• Hydration and a banana and more 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.

The Big Tahuna 3.2km Cut-off: 2hrs

The Small Tahuna 1.3km Cut-off: 50mins

The Tiny Tahuna 500m Cut-off: 20mins

Banana Boat OceanKids Cut off: 100m - 5mins / 200m - 10mins

Age limits

The Big Tahuna 3.2km Age: 12 years and above

The Small Tahuna 1.3km Age: 10 years and above

The Tiny Tahuna 500m Age: 8 years and above

Banana Boat OceanKids 100m & 200m Age: 7 – 12 years old.

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 cannot 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. Thanks to the awesome team at the hydration station, you can fill your bottle with water. Look out for our water station and stay hydrated!

All Banana Boat 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.

So that the events are safe and enjoyable for all swimmers, there are some rules for the event. Find out more here.

Bag storage area

An area designated to store your gear bag will be available for all event participants. This will be situated at the main event site on Tāhunanui Beach. You will need to bring your own small gear bag. Please note, our bag storage service is an ‘all care, no responsibility’ service, so please do not pack valuable items.

The Big Tahuna is proud to host the 2024 Southern Zonal Secondary School Open Water Swimming Championships. All swimmers enrolled in a Secondary School (Year 9-13) within the Southern Zone on the date of this event can opt to compete in these Championships by selecting their school in the entry form. Championship swim distances include the 3.2km & 1.3km. Swimmers will be eligible for both Secondary School and Banana Boat Ocean Swim Series prizes and medals. Entries close TBC

For more information visit the Swimming New Zealand website.

Enter by hitting the big yellow button top right!