Diving into harbour for ocean swim
A 7-year-old Lower Hutt schoolboy is looking forward to making his ocean swim debut by diving into Oriental Bay this weekend.
Dylan Howsan, from Stokes Valley, is the youngest registered participant in the Capital Classic swim, part of the 2016-2017 New Zealand Ocean Swim Series.
He will compete in the Banana Boat OceanKids 200 metre event on Sunday, alongside his older brothers, Killarney, 12, and Quentin, 10.
Their mother, Shelley Howsan, says Dylan loves to swim and is excited about the event.
‘‘I asked all three kids if they wanted to take part and Dylan was the one that jumped up first and really wanted to do it’’
Dylan is no stranger to competitive pool swimming, having started when he was 5.
He normally trains two to three times a week at his local club, Swimzone, and has increased this to everyday in the build up.
New Zealand Ocean Swim Series event director Scott Rice says swimming in the ocean is an entirely different beast in comparison to the pool.
‘‘It’s great to see young swimmers like Dylan getting excited about taking part and diving into our series alongside his friends and family.’’
Kids are given tips before they start and there is a strong contingent of lifeguards to ensure everyone is safe. ‘‘The whole idea is about water confidence. Once a child has swum in the ocean by themselves, in an event, and with all the applause and hype at the finish line, they might go on to other things and longer distances,’’ Rice says.
He says the event usually attracts up to 1250 entrants.
The Capital Classic event is the third of seven events in the nationwide New Zealand Ocean Swim Series which offers a range of distances to suit all ages and abilities.
Youngsters who win their age group in the Banana Boat OceanKids 200m event (7-12yrs), are eligible to secure one of 36 places in the Jetstar Super Swim Squad.
This includes the opportunity to attend an end of season training camp in Auckland in May with top name elite swimmers and coaches.
Registrations close 5pm on Friday. For more information or to register visit oceanswim.co.nz.