Swim Chats

If you're an ocean swimmer, you've probably encountered jellyfish at some stage. Depending on the species these watery, tentacled, heartless/ brainless/spineless (literally) invertebrates can dish out a painful sting! Earth Sciences NZ (formerly NIWA) marine scientist Dennis Gordon came on the podcast to answer my questions. In this episode, we talk about: What is the definition of a jellyfish? Wh...

Liana Smith was thriving as a competitive swimmer when chronic back pain led to a diagnosis of a spinal fracture. She underwent a spinal fusion at the age of 17. At the time, it felt to Liana as if her swimming career was over – she was on full bedrest and had a long recovery, both physically and mentally. She spent the next seven years out of the water. Liana was working as a high-country shepher...

I watched JAWS as a kid and was subsequently scared to go in the water, just as the movie's tagline promised. Now I swim in the sea regularly and I know a bit more about sharks, but I wanted to talk to an expert. Clinton Duffy grew up with a fascination of sharks after encountering a bronze whaler, and he has spent much of his life and career in the pursuit of knowledge about these sharp-toothed o...

I had the pleasure of interviewing my swim coach Barbara (Barb) Watson, who has dedicated over 60 years to coaching in Wellington. It was recorded while we sat in her car at Freyberg Beach early on a Wednesday morning, watching the sunrise and drinking coffee. In this episode you'll hear some of Barb's life story and much of it is an oral history of swimming in Wellington, from the early 1950s to...

Dan Feisst is a big part of NZ's swim community – he runs the Ocean Swim Series, the Summer Swim Series, the Beach Series, and Swim Vanuatu. He's also a swim coach in Auckland and owns The Swim Shop, which sells gear for pool and open water swimmers. In this episode we talk about: the upcoming 2025–26 NZ Ocean Swim Series : which events are running around the country and when? There are the classi...

Lynne Cox is an American open water swimmer who has set records, and brought people together, around the world. In 1972 at the age of 15 she broke the men's and women's world records when she swam across the English Channel – and she did it again the following year. In 1975 she was the first woman, and fourth person, to swim across New Zealand's Cook Strait (in extremely rough conditions!). In 198...

Outdoor Swimmer magazine is the world's only monthly, printed magazine about open water or wild swimming (as far as we know!). It was founded by Simon Griffiths in 2011 and October 2025 is the magazine's 100th issue, edited by Ella Foote who has been Outdoor Swimmer's editor since 2022. Simon and Ella are (unsurprisingly!) very passionate about swimming. They have both written books and accomplish...

Dan Abel is a former competitive swimmer, an ultra-marathon swimmer (including the English Channel and Cook Strait), and the founder of swim company Fit & Abel , which offers pool and open water swim coaching, swim safety and accessibility advice, and 'RealSwim Adventures' in NZ's South Island. With a lifelong history of swimming Dan brings a lot of passion and dedication to his role, with a s...

Sinéad Kehoe is the founder of Wāhine Wai, a dippers' group in Wellington. In this episode we discuss eight swim books we've enjoyed, two swim songs, and two swim films: Lonely Planet's 'The Joy of Wild Swimming ', 2023. Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan, ' Taking the Plunge: The Healing Power of Wild Swimming for Mind, Body and Soul' , 2019, Black & White Publishing. Nina Mingya Powles. ' Small Bod...

After being diagnosed in 2015 with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a painful inflammatory arthritic condition, Kylie Frost was advised to move her body to keep mobile. She began exercising multiple times a week, then decided she needed a goal. She started entering triathlons and set her sights on IRONMAN NZ (a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42km run), which she completed in 2021 after six years of b...

Susan Sherwin is one of the founders of IISA (International Ice Swimming Association) Aotearoa New Zealand and runs the annual NZ Ice Swimming Championships . An ice swim needs to be in water that's 5°C (41°F) or less, swum only in togs, goggles, a standard cap, and with optional earplugs. Susan is an accomplished ice swimmer herself, having completed two 'extreme' ice miles (2km). She is also one...

It’s a swim literature episode! Featuring John Hancock, who told us the colourful life story of Sir Bernard Freyberg and his wartime swim. This time John and Shona talk about: The “mad, bad and dangerous to know” poet Lord Byron’s 1810 swim across the Dardanelles (formerly the Hellespont, between Europe and Asia). Lord Byron was inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Leander, who swam across the sa...

Dr Heather Massey is an open water swimmer, a scientist, and a senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. As part of her job she researches the physiological effects of cold water, as well as the risks and potential benefits of cold water swimming.  What happens to our body when we get into cold water? What’s the 'cold shock response' and what is 'afterdrop'? Who benefits from cold...

Wellington Harbourmaster Grant Nalder oversees navigation in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. That involves monitoring the movement of vessels (ships, boats, waka, etc.), managing marker buoys, and also, increasingly, looking out for ocean swimmers. On this episode we talk about: - the role of the Harbourmaster - the importance of swimmers being visible to boats (tow floats are mandatory for swimmers who are...

What a privilege to spend an hour talking to Phil Rush, a coaching and swimming legend. Here are just some of his open water swim achievements: Record holder for the fastest double and triple English Channel crossings (his triple crossing was 28h 21m, 140km, in 1987) Record holder for the fastest double Cook Strait crossings (only one other person has achieved a double) The first person to complet...

Kate Camp is a poet, author, and ocean swimmer. She's also the organiser of the annual '9 Bays of Matariki' winter swims and the '12 Bays of Christmas' summer swims. In this episode Kate talks about when and how she started sea swimming, the art of quickly changing out of wet togs into warm clothes, and the importance of the swim community. She also reads a poem called 'Freyberg Carpark' – featuri...

Coastguard NZ rescues thousands of Kiwis a year and relies on the dedication of its volunteers, who require training and equipment to save lives on the water. Wellington president of Coastguard NZ (and surf lifesaver) James Groombridge talks about The Big Swim, a month-long fundraiser involving swimmers of all ages and abilities. If you're not swimming, you can sponsor a swimmer! Shona's Big Swim...

Ann Skelly is a Waiheke Island artist who creates beautiful seascapes and landscapes that feature the ocean in all its varying moods: dappled and rippled in the sun, fierce and churning, blue and inviting. Shona talked to Ann at the 2025 NZ Art Show, which runs annually in Wellington over King's Birthday weekend. NZ Art Show website Ann Skelly on Instagram Ann Skelly on Facebook * In June Shona is...

Dr Nicole Miller is a Wellington scuba diver who cares deeply about our underwater kelp forests and marine life. She's the Chair of the Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve Trust, the former President of Wellington Underwater Club, and the founder of Explore Your Coast , with the goal of filming 70km of Wellington Harbour, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and documenting changes to our coastal ecosystems. In...

Graham Joe is the owner of Gelissimo @ Freyberg, an outdoor cafe/kiosk right next to Freyberg Beach in Wellington. It’s a hub for morning swimmers who congregate there for coffee, scones, porridge and toasties. The post-swim conversations I have there every week, over excellent coffee, were the inspiration for this podcast.  Graham started getting in the sea a few years ago after an accident left...

Brett Richardson is a Wellington swimmer who swam across Cook Strait (Te Moana-o-Raukawa) in 2020 and Foveaux Strait (Te Ara a Kiwa) in 2024. He swims in the ocean year round, often early in the morning – which, in winter, means it’s pitch black in the water (aside from his head torch) from start to finish. In this episode Brett shares how his swimming grew from new-to-ocean-swimming to marathon l...

Clarissa Dunn is a Radio New Zealand Concert presenter, a marriage celebrant, an event MC, a soprano, and an ocean swimmer. She swims to connect with her family and with nature, and it also provides a mental break from her busy life. For her episode, Clarissa had the brilliant idea of making an 'ocean music' playlist on Spotify. I'm still embedded in the '90s hard rock era, so this has opened my m...

Our first 'swim history' episode! Featuring special guest John Hancock, a marathon swimmer and the organiser of this year's ANZAC Day swim in Wellington. In this episode John tells the story of the brave, accomplished, and fascinating Sir Bernard Freyberg who painted himself in black and undertook a stealthy nighttime swim in Gallipoli during World War One. We also discuss a few other notable swim...

Melissa Donaldson is a marathon swimmer and SwimMastery coach from Brisbane, Australia. When Melissa was approaching 50 and working in the corporate world, she began to swim as a hobby. Within a few years she was swimming 20km-plus distances and trained as a swim coach to help others safely achieve their goals and find joy in swimming. She runs the SwimMastery Swim Studio in Brisbane and continues...

Adrienne Linney is an ocean swimmer, a jewellery maker, and the founder of the Better Beach Babes, a dipping group in Wellington that started three years ago and is now a thriving cold-water community.  The BBBs appeared on the cover of the NZ Women's Weekly in August 2022. Adrienne's jewellery is inspired by the colours, textures, and movement of the ocean. 'Beach Babes' daring dips': www.nowtolo...