The route is either a 'MILER' (one mile long loop) or a 'LAPPER' (2 laps of an 800m course). The route is chosen on the day and is based on the sea conditions, safety and comfort of the swimmers. 

All routes have a wet-start wet-finish protocol. That is start is typically beyond the wave break while a finish buoy placed at swimming depth is where timing stops.

The direction of swim (except for finish) is clockwise -so keep each buoy on your right shoulder.

All routes start from Clifton 4th Beach.

 

The MILER route: The route is 1600m long and the swimmers need to round 4 buoys. The 1st buoy (labelled Buoy 4) must be passed on the right of the swimmer, the 2nd buoy (labelled Buoy 1) is farther out, also a right shoulder buoy, where the swimmers turn right towards Clifton 1st Beach (landmark is 3rd block of flats). The swim extends to 1st Beach, and again another right turn around buoy 3 (lablelled Buoy 2), another right turn around buoy 4 (labelled Buoy 3) and then head back to buoy 1 (using the red roof bungalow on the Ridge as a landmark). Buoy 1 is now a left shoulder turn towards the shore. Timing stops at finish buoy..

 

The LAPPER route: Used when the conditions are not optimal for the MILER, also 1600m long but 2 loops of a shorter course - also using 4 buoys, the 1st and 2nd buoys (labelled Buoy 4 & 1) are positioned the same way as the MILER route, but buoy 3 (labelled Buoy 2) is situated at the end of 3rd Beach, a right shoulder turn is made towrads buoy 4 (labelled Buoy 3), another right shoulder turn and then a swim back to buoy 1 (labelled Buoy 4), where instead of a left turn towards shore - a right turn is made and a second lap done, finishing as a left turn on buoy 4 and then heading back to shore. Timing stops at finish buoy.