Ocean Swim Challenges and Japan
Japan's answer to the English Channel Swim
The world is full of uninviting locations. For many, the open ocean falls into this category. The usual list of fears are Great White Sharks, other dangerous sea creatures, giant waves, the freezing cold, and (let’s not forget) drowning. If you were to consider exposure therapy to fix a fear of water, consider an ocean swim challenge.
Ocean swim challenges exist almost wherever there is ocean separating swimmable distances of land. Of course, the term swimmable is subject to debate. One person’s challenge is another person being lost at sea. Given that completing any ocean challenge can be viewed a major achievement, what is involved?
Level One: My First Ocean Swim
Well level zero is really learning to swim and being comfortable in the water. Please don’t attempt an ocean swim until you are a confident swimmer. Even then, each ocean swim is different, depending on the conditions of the coastline.
With that warning out of the way, a typical first time ocean swim ranges from 1km to 5km in distance. It will be between a stretch of coastline that is more protected from the surf and swell. Often they end up being courses along a beach and double as the scene for the swim portion of triathlons.
The training for an ocean swim at this level can be compared to distance events in pools. In landlubber terms, this involves doing a lot of laps at different intervals, occasionally focusing on either stroke length or kicking. No doubt tiring and worth training for, but these events are cousins of the city run. Something that a relatively fit person can achieve with about two months of more of intense training.
Level Two: Olympic Challenges
These venture into qualification only events. Distances are greater, competition more fierce, and oceans rougher. Usually taking at least 2 hours, the concept of outdoor marathon swims has been around since the first Olympic Games.
While there are gradients in between a fun swim at your local beach and Olympic-length races, the variants aren’t actually that large. Even in the fun swims, competitors are provided with a transponder that can show the geo-location of swimmers throughout the race. Beyond that, there are ongoing safety measures with checkpoints, rescue boats and even shark shield technology.
When we start getting into 10km swims, we are matching the current Olympic distance for marathon swims. Japan is no stranger to such competitions. Beyond their recent Tokyo Olympics marathon swim held at (or more accurately around) Odaiba, Japan is host to the current world swimming championships held in Fukuoka. The results of this world championship will directly decide who gets to compete in the next Olympic Games.
These competitions are often fierce, with the racers battling not only the elements but each other; yet they are not as admired in a spectator setting. Without the neatly divided pool lanes, the filming ends up being high drone shots of little swimmers many metres apart from each other. It is an event to be experienced in the water or on the finish line cheering, but not for those tuning in on television. But even Olympic length races bear minimal challenges compared to the toughest recreational swims on the planet.
Level Three: Ocean’s Seven
If none of these have satiated your desire for harm, there are seven that have become known in the film industry as the Ocean’s Seven. That’s misleading; the Ocean’s Seven bear no relation to George Clooney’s movie franchise. Instead, the Ocean Swimming community has mapped and listed Seven Straits (English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Cook Strait, Catalina Channel, Tsugara Strait, Moloka’i Channel, and North Channel) that are globally iconic. Basically, swimmers wanted something equivalent to mountaineers with their Seven Summits and ancient travelers with their Seven Wonders came up with this.
To complete the Ocean Seven, the rules are seemingly simple. Swim across seven famous straits. Also, you can’t wear wetsuits or any buoyancy devices. That’s it. Simple!
The most famous of the Oceans Seven is of course the English Channel crossing between long-time frenemies England and France. At a distance of 33 km, the solo crossing has been a feat that is famed across disciplines. From the first solo swim to the plane flight, the crossing has allowed people to etch their names in history.
While the English Channel is the most well known, which of the Ocean’s Seven is most difficult?
For that, we come back to Japan. The Tsugara Strait to be precise. Like the English Channel swim, it crosses two land masses that are normally traversed by power vehicles. Tsugara Strait separates the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, measuring 20 km as the crow flies. This “shorter” distance is misleading however, as most actual attempts of this swim begin 10 km south of the northern tip of Honshu at either Cape Tappi or Cape Kodomari.
Still you might wonder, why is a 30 km swim in Japan more difficult than the longer English Channel (or any of the other five)? The main factor is the relentless current, southwest to northeast. This current is non-stop with the potential for massive 15 metre swells, which is why swimmers choose the longer route with an additional 10km so they don’t fight the current. While this is the most visible reason this swim is considered difficult, it’s just the tip of the iceberg of other concealed issues.
Most swimmers have trained for months, and likely already completed one or more of the other Ocean Seven swims. They will arrive in Japan at times of the year that don’t coincide with typhoon season. Then, they make a beeline to Aomori Prefecture readying themselves to swim. Before they jump in, to safely swim the passage (and officially record it), support boats are required. Regulation requires the use of Ocean Navi, the local specialist in ocean swims, if one wants to safely and legally cross the strait. This isn’t a cheap venture, costing upwards of $6000 USD per attempt.
As part of their role, Ocean Navi organises support boats, ensures that local government protocols are met, and monitor for shifting currents. Not an easy job, especially finding workers to man the support boats. Why? Support boats moonlight as fishing boats, manned by local fisherman. With the area being famed for their bluefin tuna (and larger apex predators), there’s a lot more money to be made in catching fish than monitoring and releasing humans.
Beyond the challenge of finding fishermen willing to give up a prime fishing night to aid swimmers, there are further issues that have meant this swim is notorious. This crossing is not just filled with incredibly valuable fish and marathon swimmers. There are frequent Japanese, Chinese, and Russian warships crossing, in addition to fisherman and just general debris. So swimmers will follow a bright ribbon at the back of the boat to hopefully avoid any collisions.
Then, there are specific Coast Guard guidelines in which swimmers must begin their swim after 3am, and finish within 14 hours (otherwise the support boat will pick up the swimmer). To most of us these sound reasonable. None of my friends have appreciated their 3am wake up and 14 hour swim. Just like those television warnings, if your swim lasts 14 hours or more see a medical professional! Yet these rules along with the capricious nature of the sea, has meant only one single solo swimmer has completed this challenge in 2023 (correct as of late August).
This covers most of the obstacles involved with completing the world’s most difficult ocean swim (Besides the bone chilling cold, mental fortitude and physical endurance required to embark on this journey)
As your guide to the Hidden Japan, I can recommend other options for my readers who prefer not to swim in this strait. If you wish to cross it by sea, might I suggest the Ferry. The Tsugara Ferry is under 4 hours, costs less, and you won’t get wet. Or the Shinkansen crosses underneath in about 10 minutes, which personally sounds nicer than a 14 hour swim.
Let me know in the comments if ocean swimming is in your future!