DOUBLE RIP CROSSING
THE ONLY DOUBLE RIP SWIM - SUNDAY 16 JANUARY - 29 SWIMMERS
Given the rarity oif finding the right tides, we have only run one double Rip swim and it was an outstanding success! 29 swimmers took on the journey and all made it! With a carefully chosen tide, they set off from the Point Lonsdale front beach at 7.30am and headed for Point Nepean. The group was broken down into pairs and trios, each with their own dedicated kayaker for safety and guidance.
The day was magnificent with very light winds and a warm air temperature. The water was about 17 degrees and crystal clear. The swimmers landed at the Point Lonsdale pier and celebrated their success! See the full list of swimmers on our new honour board very soon.
DOUBLE RIP SWIM DETAILS
Started at Point Lonsdale, swim to Point Nepean, return to Point Lonsdale
Total distance - close to 7km
TIDES EXPLAINED
The tide changes every 6 hours. Given the narrow entrance to Port Phillip, the movement of water both in and out can be very strong. Swimming The Rip is not possible on strong tides and is also very dangerous. The water can flow up to 15km per hour. We chose the tides with the weakest predicted water flows to give a greater chance of success.
The pictures show the effect the tide can have on swimmers. The first picture is from a team that took 2 hours to do a single crossing.
The far image is from our first double rip swim on 16th of January. We studied the tides very carefully to succeed.
Put simply, additional speed will help minimise the effect of the tide on your group.
You can still make it as a less fast swimmer, but if you already have plenty of fitness, try to work on your speed.
