Napier Port Ocean Swim to go ahead this weekend

Swimmers will once again be able to prepare for the 2.5km dash or their race of choice at the Napier Port Swim this Saturday. Photo / Supplied

Organising this weekend's Napier Port Ocean Swim has been "a bit like the Grand National with hurdles and falls".

The 10th annual swim is going ahead, after three days of significant Covid-19 level 2 uncertainty that forced Art Deco Festival organisers to pull the pin on their festivities.

Then on Wednesday evening Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Hawke's Bay would return to level 1 and ocean swim organiser Trevor Adsett suddenly found himself on the home straight and ahead by a nose.

The swim did not happen in 2020 because of Covid-19, and alert level 2 had been a "very stressful" three days. Had it been extended, the swim likely would not have gone ahead again, he said.

"It was a huge relief when I was watching the TV and the Prime Minister announced we were going to level 1, it was great."

After a blip during level 2, entries are back on track and Adsett expects more than 200 people will participate.

He expected "a rush of online entries" today and possibly some late entries tomorrow.

Originally created to fundraise for the Napier Aquahawks Swim Club, the ocean swim is now a "real community sporting activity" in association with TriHB, Surf Lifesaving Hawke's Bay and Sport Hawke's Bay and now with a number of sponsors.

"That's what keeps me doing it even though I'm not involved with the club any longer - I just think it's a great thing to do."

Adsett says ocean swimming is becoming increasingly popular, notably at Ahuriri.

The first race begins at 9am on Saturday and Adsett encourages people to come and watch.

The four race distances with a kids' 200 metre dash, 500m, 1 kilometre and the popular 2.5km swim.

Late entries can be registered at the race pack collection at East Pier tomorrow between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.