Welcome to the North Shore Swim Series! Each summer the North Shore Swim Series kicks off the highly anticipated season of ocean swimming with its popular race cache of open water events. Now entering its 37th year, the NSSS gives recreational and competitive swimmers alike a chance to test their mettle (as well as enjoy the scenery) in the beautiful waters of Oahu's fabled North Shore. The NSSS b
egins with the Summer Sprint, a 1.0M swim from Sunset Beach to Ehukai Beach Park. This swim is truly a "sprint" as finishing times are often under 20 minutes for the elite swimmers! Swimmers usually encounter following seas and small surf along the surf as it passes many popular winter surfing breaks. The second event, the Waimea Bay Swim, is a 1.2M swim circling Waimea Bay. The event is popular because of its crystal clear water and convenient location. The swim course changes from year to year, adding variety into this event. The third swim, the Chun's to Waimea Bay Swim, is a 1.6M swim starting at Chun's Reef and ending at Waimea Bay. This course can be challenging as competitors often swim upwind for much of the course. Participants say the spectacular views on offer from this course are well worth the effort. The final swim, the North Shore Challenge, is from Ehukai Beach Park, the home of the famous Banzai Pipeline, to Waimea Bay. At 2.3M it is the longest and most prestigious of the 4 swims. It is considered the most scenic both above and below the water. BASIC INFORMATION:
• We employ Hawaii's finest certified Water Safety Patrol on jet skis and surfboards.
• Each swim is electronically timed
• In addition to Individual Event awards for age divisions, event times are combined from all races and Overall NSSS Awards are presented in each age division
• In 2025 average participation was 500 entrants per swim.
• Swims range from 1.0M to 2.3M—appealing to swimmers of all ages and abilities. Bonus Additional Swim:
One week after the series wraps up we also offer a 5k or 10k swim option for those swimmers ready to test their endurance with a 3.0M or 6.2M swim!
