Busselton Jetty Swim organisers have announced a significant change to the format of next year’s event, ensuring that more places will be available for all swim categories.
To cater to the growing number of people wanting to swim the whole way around the Busselton Jetty, and increase the number of participants overall, the two and four person team swims will move to Saturday.
When the online ballot registrations open on October 1, 2024, a record 3,500 entries will be available for the 2025 3.6km Solo Swim around Busselton’s beloved Jetty.
To facilitate the move to Saturday, the team course has been modified. Teams will still swim a combined distance of 3.6km, however instead of swimming the length of the jetty, all team swimmers will start on the beach, swim out to the Jetty elbow, cross under the jetty and then swim back to shore, to tag their teammate.
President of Busselton Jetty Swim’s volunteer organising committee, Kat Rafferty, said that the event’s strict safety protocols and reliance on volunteers was the driver for the change.
“Each year we work with our local partners, including Busselton Surf Life Saving Club, to determine the number of entrants that we can safely accommodate. When managing an event that involves thousands of people swimming almost 2 kilometres out to sea, you cannot compromise on safety”.
“For our signature swim on Sunday, we have around 100 volunteers from local surf lifesaving clubs on the water as well as a helicopter doing an aerial patrol. As much as we would like to it’s just not feasible or affordable to do that on Saturday and Sunday,” said Kat.
“While we appreciate that some people are used to swimming on Sunday, we know that with more team places available, a lot more people will be happy to swim the 3.6km distance with their teammates.”
Kat confirmed entry for the new-look team events would not be subject to the ballot process.
“We will use the ballot for the 3.6km Solo Swim and One Mile Swim to Shore. Once the ballot is complete, we will open entries for the team events, plus the Simons 500m ‘short-cut’ category and the dedicated kid’s swim and they’ll remain open until 21 January unless sold out.”
While the inaugural Busselton Jetty Swim had just 82 participants, the annual event is now held over two days with more than 5000 swimmers of all ages and abilities participating in range of categories.
The 30th Busselton Jetty Swim will be held on the 8th & 9th February. The online ballot will be open from October 1 to 8, 2024. Team entries will open on October 16.
Team Q&A
When will 2025 Busselton Jetty Swim team events be held?
The team events will be held on Saturday 8 February from 2pm.
Why have the team events moved to Saturday?
To cater to the growing number of people wanting to swim the 3.6km Solo Swim around the Busselton Jetty, and to increase the number of participants overall.
Moving teams to Saturday means we can offer a record 3,500 entries into our signature 3.6km Solo Swim.
Will teams still swim around the Jetty?
No. Teams will still swim a combined distance of 3.6km, but they will now swim along the Jetty part of the way out, then swim under the Jetty and follow the Jetty back to the shore.
Why won’t teams swim around the Jetty?
When managing an event that involves thousands of people swimming almost 2 kilometres out to sea you can’t compromise on safety. We rely on 100+ volunteers from local surf lifesaving clubs and Marine Rescue to be out on the water to keep our swimmers safe and contract a helicopter to undertake an aerial patrol during the event.
It’s not feasible or affordable to a do this to the full capacity on two days. Surf Life Saving, Marine Rescue and aerial surveillance will still be in place on Saturday.
What is the new team course?
Teams will still swim a combined distance of 3.6km, however rather than swimming the length of the jetty, all team swimmers will start on the beach, swim out to the Jetty elbow, cross under the jetty and then swim back to shore to tag their teammate.
For teams of two: each team member will swim 2 laps of the course.
For teams of four: each team member will swim 1 lap of the course.
If I join a team, how far will I swim?
Each lap of the team course is approximately 900m.
For teams of two: each team member will swim 1.8km (2 laps of the course).
For teams of four: each team member will swim 0.9km (1 lap of the course).
Where will I tag my teammate?
When you complete your swim, you will exit the water cross the timing mat and then tag you team-mate on the beach.
When will Team entries open and how do I register?
Team entries will open on 16 October after the results of the ballot results are announced (3.6km Solo Swim and One Mile Swim to Shore)
One member of the team should register via the Busselton Jetty Swim website. A link will be provided for other team members to complete their details.
Entries will remain open until 21 January 2025 unless sold out sooner.
How much does it cost to enter the team event?
The entry fee for each team member is $90
Do swimmers need to be a minimum age to join a team?
Swimmers must be a minimum of 8 years. Swimmers aged 8-12 years must provide a level 10 swimming certificate plus a letter from a swimming coach or swim instructor stating that they are competent to complete their registered event and distance as an open water swim.
Can I swim on Sunday and in a Team event?
No. To ensure that as many people as possible have a chance to swim, swimmers who are registered on or on a waitlist for the 3.6km Solo Swim or One MiIe Swim to Shore, may not enter a team event on Saturday.
Can I swim on Sunday and in the Simon’s Short Cut?
Yes.
Do I received a towel if I complete the team swim?
Yes – All team members will receive a finisher towel.
Why are the number of entrants into Busselton Jetty Swim capped?
To keep everyone safe, we need to limit the number of swimmers who can participate in our event. We work with our local partners, including surf life saving groups, to determine the maximum number of entrants we can safely accommodate.
Can I withdraw or transfer by entry?
See our refund/ transfer policy here – link