The Spud Buds - Wellington

Location: Wellington, usually swimming from Freyberg Beach, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington’s beautiful harbour.

Frequency of Swims? Several times a week, but almost always Saturday mornings year-round, followed by coffee, toasties, and banana bread outside at Gelissimo (even if it’s raining).

Approx Number in Group? 21

Usual Number of Swimmers?

Usually between 2 and 10

Level of Swimmers? Everybody in the group has either completed or is training for, a marathon swim of 10km+, so we have the capacity to keep going for a long time. However, there’s a big range of speeds within the group. We’re all enthusiastic about cold water on the skin, but neoprene is also welcome.

Minimum Swimming Ability?

Able to swim 5km+ confidently in sometimes cold and tempestuous conditions

Cost to join/for swims?

No cost

Ethos of Group? We started as a little messenger group, planning sea/pool training swims while a few swimmers were preparing for the 40.2km Lake Taupō swim, and it grew from there! Our ethos is to support, and encourage each other as we prepare for (and recover from) long swims. Meanwhile, we swim together in all sorts of weather and conditions, undertake some crazy feats, and share our love for the sea and the challenges she offers. It’s quite windy down here sometimes, and the water isn’t always hospitable, but ‘every day is perfect (for something).’

What are you trying to achieve?

Even though your long swim is an ‘individual’ undertaking, every long swim really is a team effort. By sharing training, sharing knowledge and experience, sharing cake, and crewing for group members’ swims, we provide motivation to each other and make swimming even more enjoyable.