Swimmer to attempt record-breaking 100km swim from Aotea to Auckland

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - Jono Ridler, a 33-year-old Aucklander, is set to attempt a New Zealand record non-stop ultra-distance open water swim from Karaka Bay on Aotea Great Barrier Island to Narrow Neck Beach in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of conservation in the Hauraki Gulf marine park.

The event, called Swim4TheGulf, is expected to happen in a weather window on or soon after April 25th, with the unprecedented attempt at the more than 100km open water swim testing the limits of human endurance.

Ridler's swim is driven by a personal desire to inspire urgent action to protect and restore the health of the Hauraki Gulf, Tīkapa Moana Te Moananui-ā-Toi. 

Conservation groups have hailed the government's 2021 plan to turn the health of the Gulf around, but nearly two years on, few changes have come into effect. 

Jono says his swim acknowledges the significance and value of the Gulf and also acts as a call to the government to move now to protect and restore it.

America's Cup sailors and founders of ocean restoration charity 'Live Ocean' Blair Tuke and Peter Burling have welcomed Jono as a fellow ocean athlete who, like them, will use his voice to help drive action for a healthy ocean. 

“The platform of sport is a powerful way to bring more people around important issues, so it’s awesome to welcome Jono into the Live Ocean whānau.  It’s an unreal challenge and it’s going to raise real awareness for what’s happening below the surface here in the Gulf. This used to be one of the great coastal ecosystems of the world and it’s a heart-breaking to see the state it’s in.” Tuke said.

Jono is already one of only ten people to conquer New Zealand's 'Triple Crown' of marathon swimming, which includes crossing Cook Strait, swimming up Lake Taupo, and crossing Foveaux Strait. But now, he's taking on a challenge that's more than twice the distance of his longest ocean swim to date. 

Jono concedes the swim will be a grueling test of physical and mental endurance, and he's hoping to complete it in 30 hours or more. If successful, he'll break New Zealand's current record for the longest continuous solo-unassisted open-water swim. 

To prepare for the Swim4TheGulf, Jono has been following a rigorous training regimen. He'll adhere to the rules set out by the Marathon Swimmers Federation, which means he'll swim without a wetsuit and will be restricted to using a set of standard equipment. 

He'll depart in optimal tide and weather conditions sometime between April 25th and May 5th and will swim throughout the night and the following day before arriving at Narrow Neck beach late the following day.

Hauraki Gulf CE Alex Rogers says Jono's journey is one that traverses so many of the beautiful albeit troubled areas of the gulf today.

“Jono’s route will take him through some of the most beautiful and under-pressure parts of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. His starting point, Aotea Great Barrier Island, is battling a recent invasive seaweed infestation; then around Hauturu Little Barrier Island where out-of-control kina are grazing down the last kelp forests. In the inner Gulf fishing pressure and pollutants washing off land are creating dead zones." Rogers says.

"Jono’s swim will not only highlight the issues but also give us hope that we have the capacity to do more and do better than we have in the past. We need much more marine protection and restoration to ensure a healthier Hauraki Gulf for the future.”

What's clear is the journey looks to have already captured the hearts and minds of both ocean swimmers and conservationists alike.