Sea Swimming the IronMan Wales Circuit
Get familiar with the world famous IronMan Wales swim route.
Get a written swim assessment, cam footage, and follow up training!
IronMan Swim Options
Tenby is the location for the IronMan Wales event, touted as possibly the hardest of all of the IronMan routes. That starts with the swim, which starts at the crack of dawn as the sun rises over the horizon, with thousands of spectators swinging the Welsh national anthem from the cliffs behind the athletes. There's really nothing like it!
The sea can be beautiful and calm, or more often than not, choppy with big swell, making it an extremely challenging swim by anyone's standards. Chop, waves, jellyfish and a mid course sprint around Goscar Rock, all make this a very 'interesting' swim experience.
If you're an IronMan competitor and want to hone your swimming skills and experience, there are two swim options for you to choose from:
Route TE01 - Long Course / Iron Man Wales Swim Route
Tenby is famous for the Long Course Weekend (LCW) and Iron Man Wales events, which attract tens of thousands of visitors every year.
The iconic Iron Man sea swim leg starts on North Beach where we will walk you through the entire process: from the start point, various race strategies, logistics, route and distances, and then we will swim the route itself.
It's up to you whether you do half or full distance. We're qualified open water swimming coaches so the course can be used for timing, swim drills, endurance training or a bit of everything.
This route is perfect for those who have entered the Iron Man or Long Course Weekend events and who would like to get some practise in and speak to people who have done it!
Distance: 2- 3km
Duration: 1-2 hours
Difficulty Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Route TE-02 - IronMan Swim Training Package
If you're serious about your swimming and want the full package, then our IronMan Swim Training Package is for you:
- Swim the IMW route
- Learn about sighting landmarks, sighting techniques and sighting frequency
- Practise starts, exits and turns
- Learn about drafting and practise different drafting methods
- Get a live swim assessment during the initial session, assessed by an ex-Welsh swim champion
- Receive a written feedback report on your swim technique
- Get underwater camera footage of various elements of your stroke
- Follow up session to consolidate stroke feedback and do some hardcore swim training - we will push you to your limits!
Considerations
Tenby's bay is dominated by the harbour, which has been a full working harbour for a very long time. Swimming around the entrance area is not prohibited but you need to be careful of the boat traffic. There are also life boat ramps and of course swimmers should avoid swimming around this area. You will also encounter a variety of jellyfish in the swim season but by knowing a little about these creatures you can avoid the stingers and grow to love them!
Facilities
Equipment You'll Need
Standard list of sea swimming equipment applies, click here for more details.
Wildlife
Pembrokeshire waters are famous for their jelly fish during the spring and summer. You may also see a variety of fish and even larger animal like seals and birdlife.
