2025 Weather Report
In the early hours of Saturday morning, we’ll experience fresh southerly winds, which will gradually ease and shift southeast, helping to push you towards the island. At the start of the race, expect winds from the S/SE, ranging from 12 knots nearshore to 18 knots offshore. By 8 AM, winds will settle to 10 knots inshore, picking up to 16 knots closer to Rottnest Island. By 11 AM, we’ll see winds shift to a steady 12 knots from the S/SE.
While conditions will feel favorable through the morning, winds will start to increase around midday, shifting towards a S/SW direction. Although there’s some uncertainty about the exact timing, we expect winds to be in the range of 15-20 knots by 2 PM, increasing to 20-25 knots by 5 PM.
In terms of how the sea is looking, expect a southerly chop from the overnight winds at the race start. However, as the winds turn SE and ease through the morning, the conditions will gradually improve. Keep in mind that the further you swim offshore, the bigger the swell will become as you approach the finish line.
Temperature-wise, we’re looking at milder-than-usual conditions for this time of year, with Perth forecasted to see a minimum of 13°C and a maximum of 26°C. While we’ll start with some cloud cover, it will clear up, and the day will turn mostly sunny. On the water, expect air temperatures ranging from 16°C to 24°C, but with wind chill, it will feel more like 12°C to 18°C. To ensure your comfort and everyone on board your support vessels safety, and particularly for our duo and team swimmers, we strongly recommend bringing dry towels, hot flasks and warm clothing to keep warm when out of the water.
The water temperature is quite pleasant, averaging around 24°C.
We’re expecting a 0.6 metre per second south-to-north current at its strongest just East of Phillip Rock, based on consistent patterns we’ve seen over the past few days. To help you steer clear of the Northern Rescue Corridor and maximize your chances of success, we strongly recommend that all swimmers utilize the UWA Route Optimisation Tool. It will help you navigate the currents and evolving weather, it will be updated regularly throughout the week to ensure you have the most accurate information and the best guided course at all times.
While there is a possibility that we could reach the event’s safety threshold, whether it’s a 2-meter swell or 20-knot winds, this is not anticipated until after 2 PM, as the tail swimmers get closer to the island’s protection. Safety teams will be closely monitoring conditions throughout the day, and we’ll provide regular updates via the Event Channel on VHF 71.
BOM – Bureau of Meterology
Accurate as of Thursday 21 Feb 2025 – 11:30am
