Swim4TheOcean: - Day 5: Another 15km swim day - 6 hours in the water
by Swim4TheOcean 10 Jan 21:48 NZDT
Jono Ridler - Day 4 - Swim4TheOcean - January 68 2026 © Swim4TheOcean
Jono Ridler hit the water at 11am off Great Exhibition Bay after transferring by boat to the last marked GPS point, with the mission beelining toward Karikari Peninsula.
He finished his swim leg just after 5pm, exiting the water close to the peninsula. From there, the team rounded the point and set up a new base camp at Matai Bay for the night.
The sun was out, but the breeze and sea state were up. It was another single-leg swim day, with solid progress of more than 15km. Ridler’s average pace was down slightly on yesterday due to the conditions.
Andy Tuke, on-water lead for the Swim4TheOcean Operations Team, said:
“Conditions weren’t ideal – a consistent 16–18 knots all day. It hasn’t been an easy day, but Jono’s done really well, and the IRB crew have done an extremely good job in testing conditions. Full credit to them.”
“This is our first experience of an open stretch of water, and that brings its own challenges. Jono’s had to work through his technique in the waves and try different angles. We’re on a steep learning curve – probably for the whole mission – but at the end of the day, he’s done really well.”
Ridler said he’s swum in conditions like this before:
“It’s not that enjoyable, but it’s doable. What happens underwater is that your body gets thrown around in different directions, and you’re constantly compensating. You never really feel like you’re in a rhythm in stuff like this.”
Before heading out from Rarawa Campground, Jono crossed paths with Kai Kara-France, the well-known New Zealand UFC fighter.
“‘Taking it one day at a time’ was something that resonated for both of us. That’s something I started this with and something I will keep moving with – because if you look all the way down to Wellington, this thing is huge. So, I’m just taking it one day at a time – one stroke, one feed, one stage – and that all builds together.”
While underway, a local Coastguard vessel swung by and offered encouragement over VHF:
“Every hour is a bloody big effort isn’t it – a big, big effort. This is Houhora Rescue saying well done, great effort, and all the best for the rest of your journey.”
With the mission base now on the move, Andy Tuke reflected on the team’s time at Rarawa:
“Rarawa was great. The locals received us well, and there was lots of interest from all sorts of people – Kiwis and visitors – all really interested in Jono and what the mission is all about. It’s been a very successful start.”
About Swim4TheOcean
Ridler is best known for his 33-hour nonstop, 99 km swim from Aotea Great Barrier to Auckland in 2023 - the longest swim ever completed in New Zealand. This time, the 36-year-old Aucklander is attempting to go further than anyone has before in an unassisted staged swim, using his epic effort to shine a light on ocean health.
Ridler is partnering with Live Ocean, the marine conservation charity founded by champion sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. As Ridler pushes south, he will carry a clear message to decision makers: it’s time for New Zealand to make a quick transition away from bottom trawling, with the first priority being an end to bottom trawling on seamounts and other vital marine ecosystems.
More than 120 rest stops (between swim shifts), and six community stopovers are planned along the route, giving coastal towns the chance to welcome Ridler ashore and show their support for a healthy ocean.
Swim4TheOcean is backed by Platinum sponsor TMNZ alongside supporting swim sponsors including APL, Forsyth Barr, Generate KiwiSaver, and StabiX
Follow the mission at Swim4TheOcean.org and on Live Ocean’s channels @itsliveocean.
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Website: liveocean.org/swim4theocean Follow Jono's progress on the live tracker.
The Swim4TheOcean project is heavily reliant on PredictWind for forecasting of both weather and currents as well as data transmission on progress using a PredictWind Datahub.
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