The Hydro Tracker GPS – a must have device for open water swimmers

February 27, 2012

Finis, the provider of select training equipment for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team, has announced the launch of the Hydro Tracker GPS.

The Hydro Tracker GPS is a tracking, mapping and performance reporting device designed for open water swimmers.

The free online FINIS Streamline Training Log allows swimmers to set goals and analyze stats including splits, speed, distance, accumulated time, and elevation.

“We created the Hydro Tracker GPS to meet the needs of open water swimmers” says John Mix, President of FINIS. “Our Hydro Tracker GPS and free Streamline Log allows swimmers to dig deeper into their key workout stats, providing them with invaluable ongoing feedback.”

The FINIS Hydro Tracker GPS easily and securely attaches to swim goggle straps on the back of the head, or included neoprene armband and does not require GPS calibration. Full features and benefits include:

• Accurate GPS Tracking – Engineered to rest on the back of the head so swimmers receive a constant GPS signal
• Online Mapping – View your route on a Google Maps™
• Hydrodynamic Clips – Attaches the tracker securely to goggle straps for optimal signal detection
• Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery – Up to 16 hours of use
• 2 Button Operation – Simple and easy to use interface with LED indicators
• Multi-Sport Compatible – Can be used for swimming, running, walking, biking, skiing and hiking.
• No Calibration Needed -Just put on the tracker and you’re ready to go

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Mally swims his 59 Redhouse Mile

February 23, 2012

South Africa’s oldest open water swim event, the Redhouse River Mile was a one man show as veteran swimmer from Jeffreys Bay; Mally Richards swam his 59th mile. This is a record that will probably never be beaten.

Jessica Roux won her first title at the Redhouse River Mile . Photo: RRAD

Another Jeffreys Bay swimmer, Brenton Williams also established a new record at the Redhouse Mile by becoming the first person to ever swim the mile using only the butterfly stroke, regarded as the most difficult of all the swim strokes.

Jessica Roux, the queen of the Steers Marina Mile added another title to her name by winning the Redhouse River Mile for the first time.

“I have wanted to win the Redhouse for a long time now and am really happy that it has eventually happened”, said Roux after the race. It was a tough swim with Jessica Liss setting a fast pace but I remained calm and made my move towards the end of the race.

Olympian Troy Prinsloo travelled down from Durban and dominated the men’s race to win his first ever Redhouse River Mile title.

“It was a fast race and we had the current pushing us the whole way so I could really put my head down and have a fast swim”, said Prinsloo who also won silver at the Midmar Mile last weekend.

Troy Prinsloo dominated the 2012 Redhouse River Mile

The South African 5 K champion, who won his title at Marina Martinique at the SA Champs last year, is hoping to be back in Jeffreys Bay to swim a 10 K event in March as he goes about trying to qualify for the marathon swim at the Olympic Games in London later this year.

Up and coming swimmer Caro de Jager finished in the top 10 in the women’s Mile, indicating that she is a swimmer who could well challenge for top honours in time to come.

Seth de Swart (12 yrs) was the youngest finisher in the top 30, also proved he stands a chance of competing for top honours in years to come.

Seth de Swart had a great swim in the 2012 Redhouse River Mile

The next open water swim event is 4 March at Marina Martinique.

Women’s Mile

1. Jessica Roux
2. Jessica Liss
3. Megan Van Wyk
4. Carmel Billson
5. Lauren Billson
6. Genna Greevelink
7. Christie Vaughn
8. Lise Mari Goosen
9. Caro de jager
10. Michaela Barnes

Men’s Mile

1. Troy Prinsloo
2. Thomas Hansford
3. Chris Reid
4. Andrew Fischer
5. Allard bassoon
6. Jonothan Roux
7. Alaric Basson
8. Keenan April
9. Nizaam Kafaar
10. Elrich Botha

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Extreme swimmers take on icy Atlantic Ocean

February 8, 2012

Cape Town swimmer Lisa Cowling streaked ahead of a field of 39 extreme swimmers last weekend to win a 5 km Atlantic Ocean race, which is notorious for great white sharks and icy water.

Lisa Cowling won the swim which was held in 12 degree water

The event, in 12 degree C sea, titled Shipwrecked, took the swimmers past the wreck of the Seli 1 in Blouberg and ended at Big Bay beach.

The swim was a qualifier for the Cadiz Freedom Swim, a 7.5km race from Robben Island to Big Bay on April 28, known as one of the most extreme swims of its kind in the world.

The start of the swim at Blouberg.

The majority of swimmers wore only Speedo costumes, caps and goggles. Cowling finished in just over one hour.

Table Mountain served as a majestic backdrop for the cold water swim

In the field were two Guinness world record holders, SA ice water swimmer Ram Barkai (for swimming lkin in an Antarctic lake) and Slovenian long distance swimmer, Martin Strel, who has swum several of the world’s greatest rivers.

Jeffreys Bay swimmer, Brenton Williams completed the 5 K event by swimming only butterfly. Williams is the only South African swimmer doing long distance butterfly in open water swim events.

South African swimmers will now shift their attention to the Midmar Mile, which is being held this coming weekend, with an estimated 20 000 swimmers taking part.

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EP Open Water Swim Champs this weekend

January 27, 2012

Jeffreys Bay will host the prestigious Eastern Province Open Water Swim Champs this weekend at Marina Martinique.

The event is the last opportunity for swimmers to qualify for the South African Open Water Swim Champs to be held in April at a venue still to be confirmed.

Local swimmers Caro de Jager, Seth de Swart, JC Van Wyk and Brenton Williams have all been selected in the provisional EP team for the national championships.

The format of the EP Champs will follow international standards with the 10 K marathon swim and the 3 K swim taking place on Saturday afternoon.

Marina Martinique is regarded as the best open water swim venue in the Eastern Cape and swimmers from all over South Africa are expected to attend the event.

Online entries can be made at www.ecswim.co.za

The full programme is:

Saturday 28th January 2012

Event 1 – 13h00 : 10km Mixed Swim
Event 2 – 15h00 : 3km Mixed Swim

Sunday 29th January 2012

Event 3 – 09h00 : 5km Mixed Swim
Event 4 – 10h30 : Kids 14u 500m swim
Event 5 – 10h50 : Kids 10u Bank to Bank
Event 6 – 11h00 : 1km Mixed Swim

Entry Fees

10km: R 100
5km, 3km, 1km Swims : R60.00

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Records tumble at Steers Marina Mile

January 17, 2012

Just short of 200 swimmers took on the canals of Marina Martinique in the 2011 Steers Marina Mile in conditions that varied from great to really choppy .

Jessica Roux successfully defended her Steers Marina Mile crown . Photo: RRAD

Jessica Roux, the Springbok open water swimmer continued to dominate the Steers Women’s Mile and successfully defended her title once again.

Up and coming Jeffreys Bay swimmer Caro de Jager took third place and showed talent that could one day see her becoming the first local to win the Steers Mile.

Earlier in the day Roux won the Double Mile as well. “I love racing at Marina Martinique and am happy that I managed to defend my titles” said Roux, who is now training in Durban.

South African 25 K Champion Tyron Venter also did the double and won both the Steers Mile as well as the Double Mile.

Tyron Venter won the 10 K, 5 K, double mile and Steers Marina Mile

“The Steers Marina Mile is one of the big swims on the South African calendar and I am proud to have won my first title ”, said Venter.

Venter went on to win both the Steers 10 K and the 5 K swims the following day, to make it 4 out of 4, the first time this has ever been accomplished at the Jeffreys Bay open water swim festival.

Tyron is a great example to the younger open water swimmers in South Africa. “He is a tough competitor who comes to an event and swims hard in as many events as he can”, said event organiser, Brenton Williams.

Williams went on to set some records himself over the two day event by swimming the Steers Mile only using the butterfly stroke, regarded as the most demanding of the swim strokes.

Brenton Williams completed a 10 K swim just using the butterfly stroke.


The veteran Jeffreys Bay swimmer, who is also a DA Councillor on the Kouga Council, went one further the next day by swimming the 10 K butterfly.

This is the first time that a 10 K open water swim, sanctioned by Swim SA, has been completed by only using the butterfly stroke, in South Africa.

Williams used about 5500 butterfly strokes to complete the marathon swim and is doing the swims to raise funds and awareness for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).

Another local swimmer Seth de Swart had a great mile to finish in 5th position despite only being 12 yrs old and having to swim against older competitors.

Sponsor of the event, Breyten de Beer from Steers Jeffreys Bay said that the 2011 Mile was a great success and that he was looking forward to the 2012 Steers Mile.

“We will be looking at ways of making the Steers Mile even bigger and better than what is already is”, said De Beer. The Steers Mile is already a drawcard that brings swimmers to Jeffreys Bay and we want to make sure the event remains one of the top Mile events in South Africa.

Full results can be found at www.marina-mile.co.za

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Enter online for Marina Mile

December 27, 2011

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Plenty of action at the Steers Marina Mile

December 15, 2011

The Original Jeffreys Bay Ugg Boot - by Instep Leather

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Bell Buoy swim is an extreme event

December 14, 2011

Open Water swimmers from around South Africa and internationally will welcome the move by event organizers to have separate categoties for wetsuit and non wetsuit swimmers.

The purists in the fledgling sport adhere to English Channel rules when swimming, which means that only a swimming costume (speedo), goggle and a cap maybe be worn.

Wetsuits are regarded as being an unfair advantage as they prevent a swimmer from feeling the cold and add to buoyancy which means a swimmer wearing a wetsuit will be able to swim faster as well as for longer in cold water.

Steve Munatones, a former world open water swim champion has succinctly described how open water swimmers feel about what they do.

“As swimmers prepare themselves on the shoreline to face the rigors of open water swimming, they truly stand exposed to the elements.

Confident in their own skin, they do not need much equipment or many tools.

At its very core, open water swimming is a primordial contest in which athletes are stripped nearly bare and asked to test themselves against Mother Nature”

The 2010 Bell Buoy was swum without wetsuits in 15 degree water and cold conditions.

Another positive move by the organisers, Zports is that a 5 K qualifying swim is mandatory for all swimmers who have not yet completed a prior Bell Buoy swim.

This will make the event much safer for the participants who will have to swim 2.5 K out to sea, braving open ocean swell, wind and currents to round the Bell Buoy reef. Water safety will also have the assurance that swimmers out there have the capabilities to have a good shot at finishing the swim.

The following swims have been graded as qualifying swims and include the 5 K which forms part of the swims at the 2011 Steers Marina Mile.

* Marina Martinique (www.marina-mile.co.za) – Saturday 31st December.

* EPA Open Water Swimming Championships (www.ecswim.co.za) – Saturday 28th / Sunday 29th January 2012

* Cirrus Bio-Ears Swim Challenge Series (www.ecswim.co.za) – Saturday 3rd / Sunday 4th March 2012

* 3-Beaches Swim Challenge – Wednesday 21st March 2012

* Cirrus Bio-Ears Swim Challenge Series (www.ecswim.co.za) – Saturday 31st March / Sunday 1st April 2012

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Crises with roads in Eastern Cape

December 9, 2011

The Eastern Cape Department of Roads has not budgeted for emergency road repairs caused by flooding.

This could make it increasingly difficult for the Kouga Municipality to access the R 87 million in flood damage funding authorised by the Council.

The border between the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape tells a story.

Our roads have taken a hammering in Jeffreys Bay, with patchwork fixing of potholes commonplace and without the help of the local community the roads would have been in a parlous state.

The Marina Martinique Homeowners Association stepped into the breach and did emergency fixing of potholes in the CDB and community organizations fixed roads in St Francis Bay as well..

However, the state of the roads in the Kouga is mirrored elsewhere in the Eastern Cape.

Recently the Democratic Alliance (DA) highlighted the state of the roads leading from Sundays River Valley to the harbours.

These roads are used by trucks carrying citrus for export: a revenue worth R1,5 billion to the province annually.

Due to the deterioration of these roads it is estimated that only 260 000 tons or 60% of the yield of citrus will be exported this year.

As the citrus season is only six months long such a loss has dire financial consequences for the citrus and related industries.

This will have an immediate knock-on effect on further job losses, something this province can ill afford.

Other industries such as the tourism and dairy industries have been left stranded because clients and deliveries could not take place due to damaged roads.

The DA in the Eastern Cape has suggested the following quick wins that must be implemented to improve the dire situation in the Kouga and elsewhere:

• There needs to be sufficient budget for damage caused by floods and other weather perils.

• The MEC, Thandiswa Marawu, needs to be more pro-active in sourcing emergency funding from parliament.

• The money spinner and job creator roads like the Sundays River Valley and elsewhere must be maintained on a sustained basis so that these industries do not collapse.

• The use of competent contractors and legal staff to ensure maintenance clauses are inserted into construction projects to prevent long term maintenance costs that would be incurred as is now happening.

• Finally there needs to be a shift of transport of freight from road to rail.

If this can be achieved quickly, the life span of our roads and road maintenance costs will decrease substantially leaving budgeted money for other developmental priorities.

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New events for open water swimmers

December 8, 2011

The first FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships will be held in Canada in 2012.

The August event will be held in the Welland Recreational Canal in Ontario.

Swimming Canada’s CEO Pierre Lafontaine described the Welland Canal as perfect for open water racing, “The water conditions are stable and the spectators are able to follow the race at arms length of the field of play.

It will make for a great festival of swimming.”

The ages of the participants is determined by their age as of December 31st 2012. The events will be divided into the following age groups:

• 14-16 years Boys and Girls
• 17-18 years Boys and Girls


The individual events will include the following:

• 14-16 years 5 K Boys and Girls
• 17-18 years 7.5 K Boys and Girls

The mixed-gender 3 K team event will comprise of 3 swimmers (either 2 boys and 1 girl or 2 girls and 1 boy) in two age categories:
• 14-16 years
• 17-18 years

Source: Daily news of open water swimming

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