Bare Island can look a bit innocuous, but swimming around it wasn't all fun and games. Photo / Paul Taylor
Bare Island can look a bit innocuous, but swimming around it wasn't all fun and games. Photo / Paul Taylor
Dale Long and three others have achieved their goal of swimming around Te Motu o Kura, but they picked up a few bumps and bruises on the way.
Long, 16-year-old Trent Kamper, former Oceania boxing representative Craig McDougall and local swimmer Steve McCain set off to conquer the island off Waimarama Beach, known colloquially as Bare Island, in tricky conditions at 8am on Saturday.
Trent Kamper, Dale Long, Craig McDougal and Steve McCain all finished the swim in around two hours. Photo / Paul Taylor
"I was a little cautious before we set off," Long said.
"Only because the swells were quite rough, but after a while it settled and managed to get off."
Trent Kamper and Steve McCain fought hard against the strong swells during the swim. Photo / Paul Taylor
Long said none of them had swum close to the island before, meaning it was a plunge into the unknown.
"To be honest none of us had any idea what we were expecting," Long said.
Dale Long swan from Waimarama beach around Te Motu o Kura (Bare Island). Photo / Paul Taylor
"We did know sort of what to expect around the island.
"We knew there were two notable reefs on either side but, me being me, I thought I would cut across one of them, but the swells were chopping on the reef and I got punished quite a bit."
Long came into some trouble along the reef as he made his way round the island. Photo / Paul Taylor
"That was probably the only time I feared for my life, other than that it was quite a pleasant swim."
Long was able to do the 7km swim in 1 hour 52 minutes, while the others came in around the two-hour mark.
He said they didn't seem to come across any kind of wildlife to disrupt their swim - "just a couple of seals having a snooze in the sun".
Long's wife Maria Gigney with their dog Hector checking the conditions ahead of the swim. Photo / Paul Taylor
The 52-year-old organised the event as a practice run to look to bring it into next year's Hawke's Bay Ocean Swim Series.
This year's series is set to finish on Saturday, March 30.
"I think it will be a guaranteed inclusion to next year's series, it's just a matter of whether we make it go around the island or just there and back."
The view of Bare Island from the ocean's side. Photo / Paul Taylor
For Long, it was a successful swim and he said that he didn't feel too bad the next day - just a bit groggy.
"I think the only problem I had from the swim waking up this morning was celebrating too hard the night before."
