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
| Location | Name of Group | Contact Person | Contact Details |
| Durban Harbour Wall | Durban Undersea Club (DUC) open water swimming | Steve Evans | +27 082 855 5516 evans.s@mweb.co.za |
| Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) | Ralph West | +27 082 806 3030 www.adventureswimsza.com | |
| Hermanus | Hermanus Open Water Group | Herman de Vries | +27 082 739 0159 (WhatsApp Group) |
| Jeffrey’s Bay | Marina Mile 30 Dec | Brenton 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, Gauteng | BOWS in Ebotse Estate | Tommy Gibson | tommy.e.gibson@gmail.com |
| Mosselbay | Bronwyn MacDonald | +27 83 275 2141 | |
| Knysna | Knysna Seahorses | Delle Henry | +27 083 292 2928 |
| Langebaan | Langebaan Lagoon Open Water Swim Club | Walter Hart | +27 072 795 5371 walter@sicitur.co.za |
| Floating Ducks | Hanli Theron | +27 082 853 8187 |
Swim Training
Swim Coaches and Squads in Cape Town
| Location | Coach / Club | Contact | Details |
Green Point Virgin, Experienced swimmers (All year) | K8 Coaching | Britt 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 Pool | Phoenix Open Water Swimming Club | Joyce Blows +27 083 648 4338 joyceblows@gmail.com | Find more details on Facebook: “Phoenix Open Water Swimming Club” |
Summer: Winter: | Cape Town Open Water Co | Maryse Pretorius +27 071 878 7941 info@capetownswim.com | Find more details on website: capetownswim.com |
| Wynberg Military Base | Gary Freeling | +27 082 216 3633 garyfreeling@hotmail.com | Squad coaching: Mon/Tues/Thurs Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun |
| The Quadrant Claremont | FUNdamental Swimming | admin@fundamentalswimming.com | Coaching by top open water swimmers including, Claire Amner |
| Sea Point Pavilion | Maike Diercks Nadine Borchardt | +27 068 259 6325 +27 083 7359777 | Coaching |
| Athlone | Marlin Swimming Club (MSC) | Fagri: +27 0833207366 | More information: marlins.co.za |
| Cape Town | Oceanfit 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 | 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
| Location | Description | Information |
| Long Street Indoor Pool | This 25m heated pool is a popular training facility especially used in winter. | Hours: 7h00 – 19h00 Cost: Adults R33 Under 16 R19 |
| Newlands Swimming Pool CLOSED | This 50m pool on the Main Road Newlands is a popular site for the local school galas. | |
| Sea Point Pavilion | This beautiful 50 m Sea Point sea water pool is part of the Sea Point Promenade Lower Beach Road. Open throughout the year. | Hours: Cost: Adults R33 Under 16 R19 |
| Trafalgar Swimming Pool, Woodstock | This 48m pool provides a good City Bowl training option located in Woodstock | Hours: 10h00 -17h00 Cost: R9 Under 16 R3 |
| Wynberg Swimming Pool | This 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. |