Here's What you Missed !
Episode 4 of After Swim was one of our most honest conversations yet.
From remote island circumnavigations to ice swimming in Finland, and a deep dive into one of the world’s most respected channel crossings, this week was all about challenge, unpredictability, and what it really takes to commit to big water.
It also marked the anniversary of Andy’s Cook Strait crossing, which made the conversation even more meaningful.
What we covered:
🌊 This Week In the Water
We looked at what’s unfolding across the global open water community, including:
Dina Levicic’s 48km circumnavigation of St Helena, almost 17 hours around one of the most remote islands on earth
Joanne Norman completing the Ocean Seven with her Molokai Channel crossing
The Winter Swimming World Championships in Finland
The Coogee Jetty to Jetty 30th anniversary
The Trans Cape SwimRun in Western Australia
The open water world keeps moving. And so do the stories within it.
🏊 in The Main Set: Cook Strait
We went deep into the realities of swimming Cook Strait:
Why it has the reputation it does
Tides, wind funnels and shifting conditions
Neap vs spring tides and how they influence swim strategy
Where to base yourself; Wellington or Picton
The legendary local swim groups that shape the culture
The pilots, history and people behind the crossing
Cook Strait isn’t just 22km of water.
It’s decision-making, timing, trust, and respect for the environment.
💙 Weekley Wisdom: Dealing with Uncertainty
This week’s conversation went beyond the swim itself.
Cyclones.
Narrow weather windows.
Doubt. Noise.
Being told something “isn’t possible.”
We unpacked:
How to manage uncertainty when timelines shift
How to block out external noise
Trusting your team when the outcome isn’t guaranteed
Letting go of control while staying fully prepared
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the swim.
It’s the waiting.
The doubt.
The space before the start line.
Live Q&A with Andy & Jay
This week’s community questions included:
What can you do to battle salt tongue?
What are your thoughts on the Enhanced Games?
What are your favourite goggles?
From practical race-day challenges to bigger conversations around sport and performance, and even the small gear choices that matter over long swims, the discussion covered a wide range of open water topics.
Words of the Week
When nothing is sure, everything is possible. - Margaret Drabble
If you missed it live, the full replay is now available;
Thank you to everyone who joined us live and contributed to the discussion.
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✉️ Email: afterswim.team@gmail.com
After Swim is a global online community for open water swimmers — built around conversation, shared experience, and connection.
Because the most important conversations in swimming happen after you get out of the water.
Let’s keep the conversation going.
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