Atlantic Ocean — South Africa

Milnerton Lighthouse - Big Bay

10.2 km
Distance
Milnerton Lighthouse ↔ Big Bay, Bloubergstrand
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · Copernicus Sentinel data
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Crossings
79
Swimmers
64
Countries
4
Women
20%
Median time
3:10:48
Busiest month
May

Crossings per year

Each bar is a year, split between skin and wetsuit.

102020052010201520202025
SkinWetsuit and other assisted swimwearOther
Show the data as a table
YearCrossingsSkinWetsuit and other assisted swimwearBestMedian time
20261103:12:153:12:15
2025000——
2024000——
20235325:48:185:48:18
2022000——
20214402:28:243:30:31
2020000——
20195413:21:203:48:25
2018131212:28:112:55:53
2017101002:202:53:30
201611002:32:333:09:17
20153003:08:323:30:57
2014000——
20131102:322:32
201224002:303:14:30
2011000——
2010000——
2009000——
2008000——
2007000——
2006000——
2005000——
20041104:044:04

When people swim it

The month with most crossings is May.

50JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Show the data as a table
MonthCrossings%
January56%
February00%
March11%
April11%
May6279%
June79%
July11%
August00%
September00%
October00%
November00%
December11%

Women and men

20%Women
  • Women16 · 20%
  • Men63 · 80%

Equipment and format

79Crossings
  • — · Race39 · 49%
  • Skin · Solo36 · 46%
  • Wetsuit and other assisted swimwear · Solo4 · 5%

Where swimmers come from

4Countries
  • 🇿🇦 South Africa75 · 95%
  • 🇬🇧 United Kingdom2 · 3%
  • 🇳🇦 Namibia1 · 1%
  • 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe1 · 1%

Age at the crossing

Solo crossings only, where the source gives the age.

510<2020–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970+

Youngest: Kyle Allan Stephens🇿🇦, 16 · Oldest: Walter Hart🇿🇦, 63

Time distribution

Solo crossings, in half-hour bands. Mean 3:25:05, median 3:10:48.

202:002:303:003:304:004:305:005:30

Times year by year

Median and best time of each year's solo crossings; higher is faster.

2:27:304:04:095:40:4820052010201520202025
Median timeBest

The record over time

Each step is a crossing that beat the best time up to that day, in its category.

2:23:453:124:00:15200520102015
— · Race
DateSwimmerTimeTaken off the record
May 12, 2012Brian Allot🇿🇦2:30—
Skin · Solo
DateSwimmerTimeTaken off the record
May 14, 2017Zac Ellis🇿🇦2:20−0:12
Dec 31, 2013Buff van Westenbrugge🇿🇦2:32−1:32
Jul 27, 2004Martin Vleggaar🇿🇦4:04—
Wetsuit and other assisted swimwear · Solo
DateSwimmerTimeTaken off the record
May 19, 2018Tyron Venter🇿🇦2:28:11—

Countries

  • 🇿🇦 South Africa75
  • 🇬🇧 United Kingdom2
  • 🇳🇦 Namibia1
  • 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe1
Show the data as a table
CountryCrossingsWomenBestFirst from the country
🇿🇦 South Africa75142:20Martin Vleggaar🇿🇦 · Jul 27, 2004
🇬🇧 United Kingdom222:37Emma Alsop🇬🇧 · May 12, 2012
🇳🇦 Namibia103:00:52Bruce Salt🇳🇦 · May 21, 2016
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe103:22:08Tim Stiff🇿🇼 · May 12, 2012

Where swimmers land

  • Big Bay3
  • Big Bay, Blouberg1

Distance is the shortest straight line between the start and finish coastal stretches, not the GPS track length: currents cause swimmers to cover much more distance.

Source: Cape Long Distance Swimming Association. Crossings as recorded by the body that ratified them.