Hamilton Island Ocean Swim 2025
Hamilton Island is a gorgeous tropical island destination in the famous Whitsunday Islands of Queensland. Drawing in Aussie locals and international travellers alike, the island has everything from luxury resorts to fine dining restaurants to wild national park hiking trails and more.
With a vibrant local community and passion for the outdoors, Hamilton Island is hosting an epic ocean swim event this November. Here is our guide for anyone interested in attending or participating in the competition!
About the Hamilton Island Ocean Swim 2025
This November 2025, Hamilton Island is hosting a spectacular ocean swim event. Testing the strength, endurance, and competitive spirit of athletes from all over Australia, the Hamilton Island Ocean Swim is the perfect place to test your fitness in one of the Whitsundays' most beautiful locations.
When is the Hamilton Island Ocean Swim?
This year's event will be held on Sunday 16 November 2025. The race itself begins at 8am, with several pre and post-race events taking places throughout the day. It's the same weekend as the Hamilton Island Triathlon and the Junior Hamilton Island Triathlon, both of which are on Saturday 15 November. So if you plan on visiting Hamilton Island this weekend, prepare for the hustle and bustle of local events!
Where is the Hamilton Island Ocean Swim held?
The Hamilton Island Ocean Swim is held at Catseye Beach. As the most popular beach on Hamilton Island, Catseye Beach is easily accessible via foot or golf cart from the ferry terminal and most centrally-located accommodations. With a long stretch of golden sand, calm turquoise waters, and the distant peaks of the island's national parks, Catseye Beach is a stunning location for a swim and an outdoor event in the Whitsundays.
Hamilton Island Ocean Swim 2025 Schedule
Here is an overview of the schedule for the day of the Hamilton Island Ocean Swim. For guests travelling to Hamilton Island from Airlie Beach or Shute Harbour, the schedule includes the times for the first and last ferry of the day. However, ferries run throughout the day, so you can catch the ferry back to the mainland at whatever time suits you best!
Saturday 15th November 2025
11:30am - 12:30pm - Registration and race kit collection at the Beach Pavilion*
Sunday 16th November 2025
6:30am - Cruise Whitsundays ferry service departs from Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach
7:00am - 7:30am - Registration and race kit collection at the Beach Pavilion*
7:05am - Ferry arrives from mainland arrives at the Hamilton Island Ferry Terminal
7:40am - Briefing at the Beach Pavilion
8:00am - Race begins
10:00am - Post-race recovery and presentations at the Beach Pavilion
5:20pm - Final ferry service departs from Hamilton Island
*Note that it is compulsory for all swimmers to register during these times. You must bring identification to present at check-in.
Race types and age categories
The Hamilton Island Ocean Swim will include a 2km swim and a 750m swim, both of which require a minimum age of 13 to participate. There is also a 350m race for anyone under age 13 who wants to swim! The age categories are as follows:
- 13-19
- 20-29
- 30-39
- 40-49
- 50-59
- 60-69
- 70+
Note that the age categories may change closer to the event based on the number and ages of everyone signed up. There are prizes awarded to the winners in each age category, though a minimum of 5 participants is required in a category for prizes to be awarded.
Can I still register to compete in the swim?
Registrations for the Hamilton Island Ocean Swim are open until 5pm on 7th November, 2025. However, if there are still spaces available after that date, registrations may remain open for longer until the maximum numbers are met.
The cost is $90 per competitor, or $30 per junior competitor. Prior training and an adequate level of fitness is strongly recommended for competing in the ocean swim! Though lifeguards will be present, it is still essential that competitors are able to complete the ocean swim safely. So if you plan to join the race, make sure you train beforehand.
Register online via the Hamilton Island website!
Explore the Whitsundays from Hamilton Island after the event!
Ferry transfers to Hamilton Island
Cruise Whitsundays offers ferry transfers from Airlie Beach to Hamilton Island! If you are registered as a competitor, your ferry transfers will be free of charge (just use the unique code given to you upon registering to book your ferries). Race participants also get 50% off ferry transfers for an additional adult and two children!
If you are not participating in the race, you can easily book your ferry transfers online or at the front desk at the Cruise Whitsundays terminal. As it will be a busy weekend, we highly recommend booking ferries in advance to avoid your chosen time slot selling out.
