There’s a particular pleasure in ocean swimming that’s hard to explain to someone standing safely on dry sand.

The early morning starts. The first shock of cold water. That slightly nervous moment before you head through the break. Then suddenly you’re out the back, swimming with the coastline beside you and wondering why everyone else is still in bed.

And once you’ve discovered it, there’s another pleasure almost as good: helping someone else discover it too.

A friend. Your partner. Your sister. Your kids. A workmate. That person who watches you head into the ocean and says, “There is absolutely no way I could do that.”

Because quite often, they can.

And chances are, someone came to mind while you were reading that.

Maybe they’ve always wanted to try ocean swimming but don’t know where to start. Maybe they’re comfortable in the pool but nervous about waves. Or perhaps they’ve been telling you for years that they’ll join you “one day”.

This summer could be their day.

CanToo’s Summer Ocean Swim program helps people learn the skills and build the confidence to swim in the ocean with professional coaching and a supportive training community, while raising funds for early and emerging Australian cancer researchers.

Know someone who’d love to give ocean swimming a go? Send them this article and tell them: “This could be your summer.”

>> DISCOVER THE CANTOO SUMMER OCEAN SWIM PROGRAM

Sometimes all it takes is one person

CanToo ocean swimmer Kirstie knows better than most how much difference a little encouragement can make.

Growing up in Melbourne, Kirstie was comfortable swimming in a pool but had never learned to swim in the ocean.

When a friend suggested she enter the 800m Warriewood Ocean Swim in 2023, she decided to give it a go.

It didn’t exactly go to plan.

The surf was rough, her nerves kicked in and, after struggling to make it through the waves, Kirstie was picked up by a boat and taken back to shore.

She was embarrassed and disappointed. It would have been an easy moment to decide that ocean swimming simply wasn’t for her.

Then a stranger approached her.

Rather than talking about what Kirstie hadn’t done, she congratulated her for getting in and trying when plenty of people hadn’t entered the water at all.

That stranger happened to be a long-time CanToo participant.

It was a small encounter, but it stayed with Kirstie.

Coming back for another go

After losing her childhood best friend Laura to cancer in 2024, Kirstie decided it was time to try again.

This time, rather than simply entering another ocean swim and hoping for the best, she joined a CanToo ocean swimming program.

She began learning the skills that had previously frightened her, including how to negotiate the surf, while training alongside other swimmers and fundraising for cancer research in Laura’s memory.

And this time, things looked very different.

The swimmer who had once struggled to make it through the waves at Warriewood went on to complete The Big Swim, the 2.8km ocean swim from Whale Beach to Palm Beach.

She didn’t stop there.

Kirstie later completed her Bronze Medallion at Whale Beach Surf Life Saving Club, continuing to build her confidence, surf knowledge and skills around the ocean.

It’s quite a journey from being picked up by a boat on your first attempt.

But perhaps the nicest part of Kirstie’s story came afterwards.

From beginner to buddy

This year, Kirstie volunteered to swim alongside fellow CanToo participant Jeremie as he took on his first 2km ocean swim at Newport.

The beginner had become the buddy.

The person who once needed reassurance was now the person providing it to someone else.

“Everyone supports each other,” Kirstie says of the CanToo ocean swimming community.

And that’s one of the great things about ocean swimming.

Very few of us wandered into the surf for the first time knowing exactly what we were doing.

Someone showed us where to stand.

Someone explained how to get through the waves.

Someone waited when we needed a breather.

Someone said, “Come on, you’ll be fine.”

Eventually, many of us get the opportunity to do the same for somebody else.

Who could you encourage this summer?

If ocean swimming has become part of your life, there’s probably someone in yours who has watched from the sand and wondered whether they could do it too.

They don’t need to swim as far as you.

They certainly don’t need to swim as fast as you.

And they don’t need to already feel confident in the ocean.

In fact, you might be the person who inspires them to give ocean swimming a go without needing to be the person who teaches them how to do it.

For someone new to the ocean, learning alongside other people at a similar stage, with structured coaching and a supportive group around them, can make something that once seemed intimidating feel much more achievable.

Kirstie is a pretty good example of just how far that first step can lead.

For her, ocean swimming has become much bigger than finishing an event.

It has given her something she does for herself, shown her children what perseverance looks like, connected her with a community and allowed her to honour her friend Laura by raising funds for cancer research.

And now she gets to help other people discover it too.

That may be the real magic of our ocean swimming community.

Someone encourages you into the water.

You discover what you’re capable of.

And eventually, you turn around and hold out your hand to the next person standing nervously on the sand.

So, who came to mind when you started reading this?

CanToo’s Summer Ocean Swim program could be their opportunity to finally give it a go.

Share this article with them and tell them: “This could be your summer.”

>> DISCOVER THE CANTOO SUMMER OCEAN SWIM PROGRAM