Jono Ridler's on a record-setting journey to swim the 1350km length of the North Island's east coast.
The journey is expected to take 90 days to complete, and he's doing it all unassisted, meaning it's all done in togs, cap and goggles with no wet suit in sight.
Live Ocean co-founder Blair Tuke is heavily involved in Ridler's journey and he says he's covered over 550km so far as he reaches the Bay of Plenty.
"In a week, he'll be halfway, so he's going really nicely...it's just an incredible human endurance feat that he's taking on."
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks edb SO.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
For the last month, I have been obsessively following the
journey of Johno Biddler. Johno is one third through his
swim for the Ocean, a journey swimming the entire length
of the east coast of the North Island. It's going
to take about ninety days. He's covering one thousand, six
hundred kilometers and he's doing it unassisted, which means it's
all done in togs, caps and goggles, no wetsuit in sight.
(00:34):
It is absolutely bonkers and I just love his ambition.
Live Ocean co founder Blair Chook is heavily involved in
John O's journey, and he joins me now for a
bit of an update. Good morning, Blair, mor dinner.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Good to be on.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Talk me through John O's swim so far. Where is
he at?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, he's pretty much in the middle of the Bay
of Plenty. I think he's just south of Makatou. So yeah,
Mount Mong Andui yesterday or man who serves lay left
from had another great day, covering almost thirty kong is yesterday,
So he's well and truly into the Bay of Plenty now,
so yeah, I mean he's getting there over five hundred
(01:13):
and fifty kilometers covered, eight hundred and thirty odd to go,
so you know within a week you'll be halfway. So's
he's going really nicely.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
What toll has the swim head on him, both physically
and mentally.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
It's been interesting. As he said in the Coverty, I've
been well and truly involved in all aspects of it.
So it's it's just an incredible human insurance feet that
he's taking on. And I knew it would be in
the build up, but just see him go through it,
hour after hour, day after day now. It has been awesome,
and his body for the most part, is adapted really
(01:52):
well to the load he's putting it under. He's has
been I guess identified the tang salt. I think he
called it swimmers tanue or salt tanged where salt based
where it eats away from all the salt water. Mouth
ulcers are challenging and you know if they get away
(02:14):
on him then it's going to really slow his progress.
But the rest of his bodies handling it well. It's
kind of like the Till de France if people follow that.
Where As cyclists go on and you know, on that
over weeks and weeks, they obviously become more fatigued, but
at the same time their bodies get better or stronger,
(02:35):
so you actually can deal with more loads. So he's
into that phase now where he's actually his bodies. He's
starting to put bigger k's in each day, and that's
due to his body adapting.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I mean, I'm in awe of what he's doing. I
kind of almost can't eat my head around it.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Can You No that there's times where I'm still just like,
what is humanly possible? And he it defies belief And
you know that's for me who's and seeing how it
all comes together, but it is really it's a feat
that's never been done before, and the complexities around it
(03:11):
a challenging. Like you know, people do these long distant
runs or bikes and yeah, that's hard. I'm not going
to take that away from them, But when you're on
the ocean, everything is harder. It's hard for the support crew.
You know, he's got seven people around him the whole time.
There's two support boats, there's Campa Van's caravans on shore,
(03:32):
on shore it's a it's a big operation to get
them there safely, and it's challenging for John Paul first
and foremost, but also for the for the wide support team.
You know, now they're months in, but they are all
getting into the group of it, and and Wellington's firmly
in sights and I believe they can do it.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Why did they decide to do day and night swims?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Why did they decide Yeah, yeah, well, actually it's it's
an interesting point. We they haven't been swimming at night
is as much as initially plans, but that's due to
so or quick overview. I guess the tide goes on
cycles only six hours incoming sick ours outgoing. When you
(04:18):
get out to the wider coast, the current flow, so
the water movement is more affected by the overall pressures
between high and low pressure and by where the wind's
coming from, so you get the surface drift is mainly
coming from that. So you'll actually get days where wind
will be going one way and the current will then
(04:40):
go with it, so it's outweighing the tidal effects for
the most part. So they've actually managed to get the
kilometer the target that that aim for, which is about
twenty five to thirty kilometers a day. They've managed to
do that mostly in daytimes hours. They've had some night swimming,
but it's happened mainly in daytime hours, and that's better frequent,
(05:00):
it's easier to operate. It's yeah, it's less load on
all of the crew. Just everything's harder at nights. Some
of it sails around the world now.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
But that's really interesting. Cliar and I knew that you
were going to be the person that could explain to me,
like everything that you have to deal with on the
water and how it comes together. So as you say,
you've got currents, you've got tides, you've got the weather,
you've got all these things. So are they literally sort
of having to all that determine how you approach each league?
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yes, yeah, well the crew will get out of plan
for the week. So John is swimming between four and
five days at a time, again twenty five to thirty
k's a day, but that gets adapted the whole time
as the latest current models come through. In the higher
resolution current models that we get through predict when come
(05:49):
they two to three days in the varance that we
can see, so as they come along online, then those
swims will get our adepts. So sometimes you know, bigger
session in the morning, sometimes in the evening, or sometimes
even just it might only be that it can get
one really good swim in the day. So that's just
constantly updating.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Why did Live Ocean get on board and team up
with John O.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Well, I think we just saw the potential. We obviously
teamed up for swimming for the golf two and a
bit years ago with John shone a light on the
hodoche golf and the need to try and improve it,
and obviouly the hodaki Olt Marine Protection Bill went through
we came into law just a few months ago. So
if it's there showed that bringing people around endurance, if
(06:39):
it's can have a real positive influence on the ocean.
So when he came to us with this crazy idea,
in simple terms, we said, absolutely, there's huge potential here. Obviously,
but at first we didn't know exactly. Of course it
was going to be for the ocean, but we didn't
(06:59):
know what that pointed message would be. But within a
short space of time we realized this is a heck.
If it John is going to do, he's going to
put himself absolutely on the line for this and we
need a clear call to action to match that, and
that's where we decided that call of ending bottom trawling
and ault New Zealand and you can.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Find out more about that at Live ocean dot org.
If you want to head there, look blue while I've
got you. We can't let you go without mentioning sale
GP the Auckland events coming up in the weekend. How
are you feeling about it after Perth?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
We're feeling good. It's going to be great to get
back on the water. The SALGP Technologies team has done
a great job to get I'makuda all but ready to go,
so it's still a couple more days of work to go,
but the halls all back in one piece now here
in Auckland, so yeah, we're ready to go. There's a
really tough start for the team, but what bitter way
(07:52):
to turn around and get the opportunity to raise in
front of your home fans. So yeah, really looking forward to.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
The week in the head absolutely, and do you get
a chance to get that boat out on the water
before the.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Weekend, and not more than just our Friday training session
which everyone will get. It's still a race against time
to make it there. But like I say, the team
are doing a good job at repairing it. It was
an incredibly complicated repair really, probably one of the most
complicated sal Gyp's ever undertaken in the mid season. So
(08:22):
you know they've pulled all stops out to get us
on the start line for a home event, and very
grateful to them for that. So we'll take any training
we can get, but we'll be ready.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Oh good to hear, look blear. Thank you so much
for your time. Please give our best to John O.
Tell them we are following and we wish them all
the best.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yes, I will, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudken, listen
live to News Talks it Be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks edb SO.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
For the last month, I have been obsessively following the
journey of Johno Biddler. Johno is one third through his
swim for the Ocean, a journey swimming the entire length
of the east coast of the North Island. It's going
to take about ninety days. He's covering one thousand, six
hundred kilometers and he's doing it unassisted, which means it's
all done in togs, caps and goggles, no wetsuit in sight.
(00:34):
It is absolutely bonkers and I just love his ambition.
Live Ocean co founder Blair Chook is heavily involved in
John O's journey, and he joins me now for a
bit of an update. Good morning, Blair, mor dinner.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Good to be on.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Talk me through John O's swim so far. Where is
he at?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, he's pretty much in the middle of the Bay
of Plenty. I think he's just south of Makatou. So yeah,
Mount Mong Andui yesterday or man who serves lay left
from had another great day, covering almost thirty kong is yesterday,
So he's well and truly into the Bay of Plenty now,
so yeah, I mean he's getting there over five hundred
(01:13):
and fifty kilometers covered, eight hundred and thirty odd to go,
so you know within a week you'll be halfway. So's
he's going really nicely.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
What toll has the swim head on him, both physically
and mentally.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
It's been interesting. As he said in the Coverty, I've
been well and truly involved in all aspects of it.
So it's it's just an incredible human insurance feet that
he's taking on. And I knew it would be in
the build up, but just see him go through it,
hour after hour, day after day now. It has been awesome,
and his body for the most part, is adapted really
(01:52):
well to the load he's putting it under. He's has
been I guess identified the tang salt. I think he
called it swimmers tanue or salt tanged where salt based
where it eats away from all the salt water. Mouth
ulcers are challenging and you know if they get away
(02:14):
on him then it's going to really slow his progress.
But the rest of his bodies handling it well. It's
kind of like the Till de France if people follow that.
Where As cyclists go on and you know, on that
over weeks and weeks, they obviously become more fatigued, but
at the same time their bodies get better or stronger,
(02:35):
so you actually can deal with more loads. So he's
into that phase now where he's actually his bodies. He's
starting to put bigger k's in each day, and that's
due to his body adapting.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I mean, I'm in awe of what he's doing. I
kind of almost can't eat my head around it.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Can You No that there's times where I'm still just like,
what is humanly possible? And he it defies belief And
you know that's for me who's and seeing how it
all comes together, but it is really it's a feat
that's never been done before, and the complexities around it
(03:11):
a challenging. Like you know, people do these long distant
runs or bikes and yeah, that's hard. I'm not going
to take that away from them, But when you're on
the ocean, everything is harder. It's hard for the support crew.
You know, he's got seven people around him the whole time.
There's two support boats, there's Campa Van's caravans on shore,
(03:32):
on shore it's a it's a big operation to get
them there safely, and it's challenging for John Paul first
and foremost, but also for the for the wide support team.
You know, now they're months in, but they are all
getting into the group of it, and and Wellington's firmly
in sights and I believe they can do it.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Why did they decide to do day and night swims?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Why did they decide Yeah, yeah, well, actually it's it's
an interesting point. We they haven't been swimming at night
is as much as initially plans, but that's due to
so or quick overview. I guess the tide goes on
cycles only six hours incoming sick ours outgoing. When you
(04:18):
get out to the wider coast, the current flow, so
the water movement is more affected by the overall pressures
between high and low pressure and by where the wind's
coming from, so you get the surface drift is mainly
coming from that. So you'll actually get days where wind
will be going one way and the current will then
(04:40):
go with it, so it's outweighing the tidal effects for
the most part. So they've actually managed to get the
kilometer the target that that aim for, which is about
twenty five to thirty kilometers a day. They've managed to
do that mostly in daytimes hours. They've had some night swimming,
but it's happened mainly in daytime hours, and that's better frequent,
(05:00):
it's easier to operate. It's yeah, it's less load on
all of the crew. Just everything's harder at nights. Some
of it sails around the world now.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
But that's really interesting. Cliar and I knew that you
were going to be the person that could explain to me,
like everything that you have to deal with on the
water and how it comes together. So as you say,
you've got currents, you've got tides, you've got the weather,
you've got all these things. So are they literally sort
of having to all that determine how you approach each league?
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yes, yeah, well the crew will get out of plan
for the week. So John is swimming between four and
five days at a time, again twenty five to thirty
k's a day, but that gets adapted the whole time
as the latest current models come through. In the higher
resolution current models that we get through predict when come
(05:49):
they two to three days in the varance that we
can see, so as they come along online, then those
swims will get our adepts. So sometimes you know, bigger
session in the morning, sometimes in the evening, or sometimes
even just it might only be that it can get
one really good swim in the day. So that's just
constantly updating.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Why did Live Ocean get on board and team up
with John O.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Well, I think we just saw the potential. We obviously
teamed up for swimming for the golf two and a
bit years ago with John shone a light on the
hodoche golf and the need to try and improve it,
and obviouly the hodaki Olt Marine Protection Bill went through
we came into law just a few months ago. So
if it's there showed that bringing people around endurance, if
(06:39):
it's can have a real positive influence on the ocean.
So when he came to us with this crazy idea,
in simple terms, we said, absolutely, there's huge potential here. Obviously,
but at first we didn't know exactly. Of course it
was going to be for the ocean, but we didn't
(06:59):
know what that pointed message would be. But within a
short space of time we realized this is a heck.
If it John is going to do, he's going to
put himself absolutely on the line for this and we
need a clear call to action to match that, and
that's where we decided that call of ending bottom trawling
and ault New Zealand and you can.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Find out more about that at Live ocean dot org.
If you want to head there, look blue while I've
got you. We can't let you go without mentioning sale
GP the Auckland events coming up in the weekend. How
are you feeling about it after Perth?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
We're feeling good. It's going to be great to get
back on the water. The SALGP Technologies team has done
a great job to get I'makuda all but ready to go,
so it's still a couple more days of work to go,
but the halls all back in one piece now here
in Auckland, so yeah, we're ready to go. There's a
really tough start for the team, but what bitter way
(07:52):
to turn around and get the opportunity to raise in
front of your home fans. So yeah, really looking forward to.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
The week in the head absolutely, and do you get
a chance to get that boat out on the water
before the.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Weekend, and not more than just our Friday training session
which everyone will get. It's still a race against time
to make it there. But like I say, the team
are doing a good job at repairing it. It was
an incredibly complicated repair really, probably one of the most
complicated sal Gyp's ever undertaken in the mid season. So
(08:22):
you know they've pulled all stops out to get us
on the start line for a home event, and very
grateful to them for that. So we'll take any training
we can get, but we'll be ready.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Oh good to hear, look blear. Thank you so much
for your time. Please give our best to John O.
Tell them we are following and we wish them all
the best.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yes, I will, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudken, listen
live to News Talks it Be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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