Avoca Ocean Swim

The Avoca Ocean Swim is part of the Central Coast Beach Fest, a celebration of the region's surf and beach culture.
The ocean swim is just part of the festival which also features surfing and bodyboarding contests, and a fun run.
Avoca is one of the Central Coast's gems, located just an hour and a half north of Sydney's CBD.
There are two ocean swims as part of the festival: a 500m course and a 2km course, both of which are subject to change depending on conditions.
But one thing is for certain, taking on the Avoca Ocean Swim is a great way to get into the spirit of the Central Coast Beach Fest.

Swim courses

The exact course of the Avoca Ocean Swim will be determined on the day once conditions are assessed.
However, if all goes to plan, the course will both start and finish next to the rock pool at the southern end of Avoca.
The beach itself can be hazardous, with rips a frequent feature.
The spot is also subject to big swells and big waves, so care needs to be taken depending on conditions.
However, the event itself will be heavily patrolled by the Avoca SLSC with water safety paramount.
Despite this, swimmers still need to be at least eight-years-old to take on the Avoca Ocean Swim 500m event, or 12-years-old to take on the 2km event.

500m ocean swim

A short, very beginner friendly, 500m ocean swim to have-a-go, or to warm up for the 2km - because sometimes we just want to swim as much as possible! Course located at the southern end of Avoca Beach in the same location as the 2km swim course.

2km ocean swim

The longest of the event's two swims starts next to the rock pool at the southern end of Avoca Beach and heads out around a set of buoys before returning to the beach at the start/finish area.

While you're there

The Avoca ocean swim is just part of the larger festival.
There is also a fun run for those who also see themselves as more comfortable on shore.
There are two distances in the fun run, with both a 2km and a 4km event.
If you fancy yourself for a bit of a show, there are also surfing and bodyboarding contests for your entertainment.
Finally, there will also be plenty of activities for kids and adults alike, with sand sculpting, ice cream eating races and live music all part of the festivities.
So make a weekend of it, get out of the major cities and make the most of the Central Coast Beach Festival.

Travel and parking

There's a little bit of parking at the surf club, but plenty of free parking in the streets behind the beach.

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