- This event has passed.
North Bondi Classic ocean swim
Sun, 10 Feb 2019
The 2019 event has been cancelled on the directive of the Bondi Lifeguards. Entries will carry over to next year’s event. See event organiser for full details.
The North Bondi Classic ocean swim is one of the staples on Australia’s ocean swimming calendar.
With a 1km course and a 2km course, it can attract hundreds of competitors who come out to enjoy a carnival atmosphere while living it up on North Bondi.
In recent years, the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club has partnered up with Melanoma Institute Australia to help raise money to fight skin cancer in Australia.
If you’re after an ocean swim close to home on one of Sydney’s most famous beaches, the North Bondi Classic is one not to be missed.
Double up in the North Bondi Roughwater
The North Bondi Classic is one of two events run by North Bondi Surf Club, along with the North Bondi Roughwater in January.
Competitors who finish either of these races will have their name go into a random draw for one lucky male and one lucky female to win a trip to Hawaii to enter the Waikiki Roughwater, courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines.
As part of the prize, the lucky winners will receive: a return ticket for one person between Sydney and Honolulu, four nights accommodation at the Waikiki Parc Hotel, and free entry into the Waikiki Roughwater.
Each event completed will earn you one entry, and swimmers who finish both will have two entries into the draw
The draw itself will take place at the end of this event, with the Waikiki Roughwater to take place in September.
Swim courses
Both the 1km and 2km courses in the North Bondi Classic start and finish in front of the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club.
They follow a similar pattern, heading out past the break, heading south before coming back to the same starting point.
It’s a course that can be tricky depending on conditions, but it’s rarely as pretty as it looks on the television.
Be prepared for shifting banks, gutters and rips.
1km ocean swim
The 1km course is a smaller, replica of the main 2km swim that sits squarely inside the bay, not quite reaching the far flung corners like the 2km. Use this as your main goal, or go long by using it as a warm up to the 2km.
2km ocean swim
The 2km course starts in front of the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club and reaches into every corner of the bay before returning to the same spot on the beach.
While you’re there
After the North Bondi ocean swim, the suburb of Bondi is waiting for you to explore.
Over recent years Bondi’s cafe, bar and shopping scene has exploded, and there is something for everyone around every corner. You need to head off the well worn tourist path to find the gems.
Venture up Hall Street for the largest cluster of restaurants and cafes, and don’t miss family favourite Messina. Just a short walk behind North Bondi surf club, you can dine out at The Depot, Porch & Parlour, Speedos, or for something a little more cute and intimate, visit an OceanFit favourite, Mamma Mia India at 38 Wairoa Ave.
Are the kids Bondi Rescue fans? Why not play a game of hunt the lifeguard! Hoppo, Harries, Deano and crew can be spotted around the beach and are up for photos (as long as they’re got the beach under control).
Instagram highlights
#northbondiclassic
Travel and parking
The Bondi Beach carpark has 100’s of paid parking spots, but you’ll need to be early to beat the locals. At $8/hour you might need to budget it into your day’s experience. If you venture deeper into the suburb away from the beach you’ll pass through paid 2-hour parking zones and then into free all-day parking.
The hot tip is to catch public transport and enjoy your day out in Bondi after the swim to make the travel time investment worth it. If you must drive, follow Campbell Parade to the end until you reach Military Road, then head up past the golf course for all-day free parking. It’s downhill to the beach, but you’ll need to save some energy to get back up!
