(PAST EVENT)
2025 IISA Aotearoa NZ Ice Swimming National Championships
Are you ready for a challenge? The next IISA Aotearoa open water ice swimming championships will once again be hosted at St Bathans, Central Otago.
Ice Swimming is swimming in water temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees F), unassisted with a silicone cap, pair of goggles, and standard swimming suit. Wetsuits and other swimming aids are not permitted. Swimmers must have passed a medical with an accompanying ECG test result.
At the 2025 IISA Aotearoa NZ National Open Water Championships, swimmers set off on their chosen distances individually, accompanied by an IRB crewed by lifeguards and medics.
The open water championships will be held in Blue Lake, which one of our swimmers called “the cathedral of swimming”. This beautiful man-made lake is situated in the small historic village of St Bathans, Central Otago.
Entries now open and filling fast
Entries close 31 May 2025 (or sooner if spaces are full) / ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED
Registration and Medical checks: Wednesday 9th July, 1-5pm, Lake Front St Bathans
Acclimatisation swim: Wednesday 9 July, 3-4pm. This is free to join for those registered to swim at the event and who have completed their medical check. You can swim up to 250 metres at the acclimatisation swim.
Event Dates: 10th–13th July 2025
Event Times: 8.30 am – 3.30pm each day (Finishing time each day may vary)
Venue: Blue Lake, St Bathans
Prize giving: Sunday 13 July, in the afternoon (time TBC), at the Vulcan Hotel, St Bathans Village.
Dinner: Following Prize giving, Sunday evening at the Vulcan hotel. Cost TBC. Supporters are welcome at the prizegiving and dinner. To register your interest, please contact the Event Director, Susan Sherwen.
Distances available to enter
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- 250 metres
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- 500 metres
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- 1 km
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- Ice Mile (1.6 km) – this is an individual challenge, not a race
Prerequisites: You must have completed a 500m ice swim at an IISA event before attempting the ice kilometre. You must have completed an ice kilometre before attempting an ice mile.
All swims will be done individually, accompanied by an IRB crewed by lifeguards and medics.
Recovery facilities are tents positioned by the lakeside. These will be staffed by doctors, nurses and St John paramedics.
You will be assigned a second (or you can arrange your own). Your second is responsible for helping you to remove your wet toggs etc and dressing you in warm, dry clothes immediately after your swim. They will then assist you to the recovery tent, where you’ll be checked by the medical crew. Swimmers typically spend 30–45 minutes re-warming in the medical tent. The tent will have heaters, blankets, sleeping bags and hot water bottles. We encourage all swimmers to bring extra hot water bottles, blankets etc.
Event Costs (NZD)
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- 250m ($100)
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- 500m ($150)
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- 1000m ($200)
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- One Mile ($250)
(These costs reflect the expenses involved in providing the medical and on-water support you receive at the Championships, along with the fees we are required to pay to the Department of Conservation for using the lake.)
How to enter
You will need to enter via the International Ice Swimming Association.
IISA is the governing body for ice swimming around the world. You will need to be a Global IISA member and set up a profile before being able to enter swims. This is easy to do and costs €21 (around $45 NZ). The Global membership says that it expires in June, but this has been extended to August for us.
Once you have a Global IISA membership, log into your account and navigate to the Events –> Events Calendar.
Look for the ‘IISA NZ Open Water Champs’ event, click Enter and complete the form. You will need to pay after completing the form to make your entry official.
Compulsory medical check
Once you have entered and paid for your entry, you should complete a medical check and an ECG (note that this is an additional cost that’s not included in your entry fee). All swimmers need to have a recently completed (dated within 12 months) medical assessment form to help prove they are fit and able to attempt an ice swim. Remember, this is an extreme sport! Your local General Practice should be able to do this.
Bring the completed medical assessment form and your ECG with you to the event. Download the PDF medical form below:
If you have any questions, please contact Event Director Susan Sherwen.
