Get training for the popular ocean swim
Ocean swimmer Wes Dening has swum in many faraway places, but The Big Swim around the rugged headland from Palm Beach to Whale Beach is one of his favourites.
“It’s one of the most unique and distinctive swims on the planet,” Wes tells PL. Wes, 42, won the men’s 40 to 49 age group in the 2025 Big Swim, and can’t wait for the next swim on 25 January.
Presented by Whale Beach Surf Life Saving Club in association with Macquarie Bank, the 2.8-kilometre Big Swim begins at Palm Beach Pavilion and ends in the middle of Whale Beach.
It has become a summer ritual for ocean swimmers since the first event in 1974, when there were only 48 swimmers. Now in its sixth decade, the event, which is more of a personal challenge than a race, attracts up to 2,000 participants from Australia and overseas.
Wes says The Big Swim is a unique swim
Wes lived in California for 14 years and says the waters here are a lot cleaner than Santa Monica, but the ocean can be more intimidating because of the swell.
“It’s such a nerve tingling swim because you really do feel like you are in the wild and in the elements,” says Wes. “When you see the headland to your right, it looks so raw and wild and if you breathe to your right, it feels like it goes on forever.”
Wes, who lives in Balgowlah, trains three times a week, 13 to 15 kilometres in a pool and ocean. He’s fast, but training is vital.
“When you haven’t trained for a race, it can be like having a washing machine strapped to your back,” Wes explains. “You can feel like you’re sinking out there.”
Wes advises participants to pace themselves. He started too hard in his first Big Swim in 2023 and burned out ‘like a candle in the wind.’ The second year he took it steady and managed his pace.
“Once you get out past the break, you really feel like you’re in true ocean and it feels wild,” Wes says. “The headland is longer to get around than you might think, but that’s the engine section of the race where you need to find your pace. Once you get around the headland and see the beach, your kick comes in. That’s where your fitness pays off and it’s really a sprint for the beach.”
There are 13 age categories in the Big Swim (male and female) from 12 years to 70+. Swimmers should be confident in open water and there will be cordon of lifesavers on recue crafts along the buoyed course and helicopter surveillance.
For those not confident for the bigger swim, The Little Big Swim sponsored by McGrath Pittwater is a one-kilometre event along Palm Beach, a good introduction to ocean swimming, with about 350 entrants.
Online entries close at 3pm on 24 January, the day before the race. On the day, registration for The Big Little Swim opens at 7.30am for an 8.30am start. Registration for The Big Swim opens at 8.30am for a 10am start. Each person’s swim is electronically timed and there are medal presentations at the finish.
Parking is limited, so you’re encouraged to park at North Avalon soccer fields and use the free shuttle bus to and from the race.
The Big Swim is part of the Pittwater Ocean Swims Series and competing in three of the five Pittwater swims can win you a prize.
The Big Swim | The Big Little Swim
Palm Beach to Whale Beach Sunday 25 January Registration from 7.30am I $42+ oceanswims.com thebigswim.org.au