Resources

An overview of where to swim and who to swim with around Cape Town, the Western Cape and more. Join any of the social groups or the more serious training athletes!

Social Swim Groups in Cape Town

Robben Island Swim

There is usually someone training for a crossing, so contact anyone listed below or CLDSA for more information: info@cldsa.co.za | swims@cldsa.co.za

Camps Bay Beach

There is a social swim at Camps Bay every Sunday morning with the Sunday Hot Chocolate Swimming Group at 9h00 all year round. This is a purely social swim and newcomers are welcome and will be looked after by the more experienced swimmers as they acclimatise to the cold. Sea temperatures are usually around 13 degrees but can go as low as 9 degrees. The course of 1.5km is close to shore so that swimmers can exit at any point.

The group meets on the lawns in front of Cafe Caprice with hot chocolate afterwards. This is an ideal opportunity to meet many of the best and most experienced local swimmers and to find out what is happening locally.

Contact Ram Barkai on WhatsApp: +27 082 656 8909
Facebook group: Sunday Hot Chocolate Swimming Group

Atlantic Seaboard

There is a separate WhatsApp group for social swims on the Atlantic side particularly from Camps Bay and Clifton 4th beaches during the week.

Contact Delle Henry: +27 083 292 2928 to be added to the WhatsApp group.

Big Bay Beach, Blouberg

If you live in the Northern Suburbs, Tableview and Blouberg areas, social swims take place from outside Big Bay Life Saving Club and Small Bay. The distance is temperature related.

Request Monéne Murray on: +27 082 570 2917 or Michelle Petring on: +27 083 269 8673 to be added to the Big Bay WhatsApp group.

False Bay swimming

If you live in the False Bay area, there are Sunday social swims called ATB “Around the Buoy” at Simon’s Town Long Beach at 09h00.

Contact Scott Tait on: +27 76 1562 619 or swimcapetown@gmail.com

There is also a social False Bay swimming WhatsApp group. 
Contact Clare Louise Thomas on: +27 078 430 4730 or clarelouisethomas@gmail.com

Gordon’s Bay

If you live in the Gordons Bay area, contact Celia Pienaar on +27 083 463 1827 or celia@celiapienaar.com and Jean Degenaar on +27 072 778 1690. They have a kind of regular group on Sunday 16:00 and in summer Friday mornings at 06:00.

Social Swim Groups Outside of Cape Town

LocationName of GroupContact PersonContact Details
Durban Harbour WallDurban Undersea Club (DUC) open water swimmingSteve Evans+27 082 855 5516
evans.s@mweb.co.za
Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) Ralph West+27 082 806 3030
www.adventureswimsza.com
HermanusHermanus Open Water GroupHerman de Vries+27 082 739 0159
(WhatsApp Group)
Jeffrey’s BayMarina Mile 30 DecBrenton Williams+27 083 549 6795
brenton2311@gmail.com
Johannesburg Karon “Kiki” Marx+ 27 083 692 6399
kikimarx@worldonline.co.za
Colin Gluch+27 083 255 1199
colin@extruder.co.za
Benoni, GautengBOWS in Ebotse EstateTommy Gibsontommy.e.gibson@gmail.com
Mosselbay Bronwyn MacDonald+27 83 275 2141
KnysnaKnysna SeahorsesDelle Henry+27 083 292 2928
LangebaanLangebaan Lagoon Open Water Swim ClubWalter Hart+27 072 795 5371
walter@sicitur.co.za
Floating DucksHanli Theron+27 082 853 8187

Swim Training

Swim Coaches and Squads in Cape Town

LocationCoach / ClubContactDetails

Green Point Virgin,
Clifton Swims on a Wednesday afternoon for beginners (Summer)

Experienced swimmers (All year)

K8 CoachingBritt Hyland
WhatsApp: +27 82 337 2885 britt@k8coaching.co.za
Britt runs a swim squad and she trains open water swimmers for Robben Island crossings.
Goodwood Swimming PoolPhoenix Open Water Swimming ClubJoyce Blows
+27 083 648 4338
joyceblows@gmail.com
Find more details on Facebook: “Phoenix Open Water Swimming Club”

Summer:
Mon/ Wed evenings at Clifton

Winter:
Saturday mornings

Cape Town Open Water CoMaryse Pretorius
+27 071 878 7941
info@capetownswim.com
Find more details on website: capetownswim.com
Wynberg Military BaseGary Freeling+27 082 216 3633
garyfreeling@hotmail.com
Squad coaching:
Mon/Tues/Thurs
Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun
The Quadrant ClaremontFUNdamental Swimmingadmin@fundamentalswimming.comCoaching by top open water swimmers including, Claire Amner
 Sea Point Pavilion

Maike Diercks

Nadine Borchardt

+27 068 259 6325
maik.diercks@gmail.com

+27 083 7359777
coachnades@gmail.com

Coaching
AthloneMarlin Swimming Club (MSC)

Fagri: +27 0833207366
Anwar: +27 0827708627

marlinswimmingclub@gmail.com

More information: marlins.co.za
Cape TownOceanfit Cape Town
Coach Karen
WhatsApp: Karen 083 375 7503
Email: chchamani@gmail.com
www.oceanfit.co.za
Ocean swims
Squad and private coaching

Swim Coaches and Squads in Johannesburg

Location

Coach

Contact

Details

Johannesburg North, Cradle Moon

Sue Young

+27 071 870 8083
Sue@swimfast.co.za

Last Sunday of the month casual swim at Cradle Moon.

More information on: swimfast.co.za

Other Places to Open Water Swim in Cape Town

Waterfront Canals

The canals carry the underground Foreshore sea water back to the harbour. The canals sit roughly 8m higher than the harbour. The water is clean and clear and very well maintained. Its also quite cold, so its advisable to wear a swimming wetsuit.

ATC Swimming has access to the canals often on Friday mornings 6am in Summer and Friday 16h15 in winter (from 1 May to 1 Oct).

Contact ATC/Embark Steve Atwell on: +27 082 739 9010 or steve@embark.co.za
Or Gert Wilkins on: +27 082 774 7910

Silvermine Dam

In 1898 the reservoir was built to be used as a water supply, but since 1912 this beautifully still body of water, surrounded by picnic spots and trees as part of the Silvermine Nature Reserve, is home to birds, fish, dogs in search of sticks and happy human swimmers. The Dam temperatures are usually warmer than the sea in summer but can drop quite low in winter. The distance from one length of the dam to another is about 300m. If a swimmer follows a triangular route around the dam, each route or lap, can equal about 700m.

Public Pools in Cape Town

Cape Town’s swimming pools boast world-class facilities such as Olympic-sized pools, springboard diving pools and splash pools for children. There are 35 public pools in Cape Town.

Some of the more well-known and popular pools for open water swimmers are listed below, other swimming pool information can be found here: capetown.gov.za

LocationDescriptionInformation
Long Street Indoor PoolThis 25m heated pool is a popular training facility especially used in winter.

Hours: 7h00 – 19h00

Cost: Adults R33 Under 16 R19

Newlands Swimming Pool CLOSEDThis 50m pool on the Main Road Newlands is a popular site for the local school galas. 
Sea Point PavilionThis beautiful 50 m Sea Point sea water pool is part of the Sea Point Promenade Lower Beach Road. Open throughout the year.

Hours:
Summer Mon 7am – 18h45
Tues – Sun 7am – 7pm
Winter April-September
09h00 – 17h00

Cost: Adults R33 Under 16 R19

Trafalgar Swimming Pool, WoodstockThis 48m pool provides a good City Bowl training option located in Woodstock

Hours: 10h00 -17h00

Cost: R9 Under 16 R3

Wynberg Swimming PoolThis 30m pool is on Rosmead Avenue, Wynberg.

Hours: 10h00 -17h00

Cost: R9 Under 16 R3

Cape Town Tidal Pools

Cape Town has several tidal pools with some being used for open water training offering a relatively protected environment when the sea is too rough to swim in.

Some of the more popular tidal pools are listed below:

Location

Name

Description

Atlantic Sea Board

Camps Bay Tidal Pool

The most popular tidal pool to train on the Atlantic Seaboard as swimmers can get distances of up to 50m.

Maiden’s Cove

A smaller tidal pool in-between Camps Bay and Clifton often used by holiday makers.

Saunders Rock

A popular dipping tidal pool in Bantry Bay,

False Bay

St James

A shallow tidal pool near the famous colourful St James beach houses. This can get very busy in summer.

Dale Brook - Kalk Bay

This tidal pool has become very popular with a large number of swimmers each morning.

Brass Bell - Kalk Bay

There are two interconnected pools. Can often have bluebottles and debris lurking in it.

Woolys - Clovelly

A tidal pool located below the railway line which is a great place for a dip.

Millers Point

A beautiful pool with a slide.

Glencairn

The recently refurbished tidal pool is beautiful but very shallow.

Cape Point Nature Reserve

The tidal pools at Buffel’s Bay are beautiful but there is an entrance fee into the Cape Point Nature Reserve.