About Scilly Swim Challenge

Dewi Winkle (a Yorkshireman) and Nick Lishman (a Scilly native/Scillonian) joined forces after meeting whilst swim guiding in Scilly. Dewi is also a Triathlon Coach & Wattbike instructor in Ripon; Nick is a keen trail runner & kayaker who also loves mountain-biking and micro-adventures.

The Scilly Swim Challenge started in 2014 - we wanted to show off the stunning Isles of Scilly and the fantastic and varied island-to-island swimming on offer, so the formidable one day event was born!

With the addition of a two-day option in 2016 and a Spring event in 2017 we have now hosted ten swim events bringing over 1000 swimmers to the islands. The combination of swimming in the cold sea with the backdrop of the beautiful islands & changing (often challenging) conditions provides an incredible experience for people. We have sought to tweak things year on year as we endeavour to provide top class events that cater for those wishing to take on a big physical &/or mental swimming challenge.

So - to break it down bit, here’s what we offer…

Swim Challenge Events

The main focus of the Challenge events is on the swim journey as a group, from one island to another, in varied open water conditions. Emphasis is placed on the challenge aspect (i.e. NOT a race) & getting everyone around the course with expert safety cover in place.

  • One Day Scilly Swim Challenge - an epic journey, our original and now iconic event:15km over six swims all on one day in ‘balmy’ September.
  • Two Day Scilly Swim Challenge - a slightly more leisurely version of the One-Day event also in ‘balmy’ September, spread across (yes you’ve guessed it) two days!
  • Spring Scilly Swim Challenge - the epic One-Day journey, set with an extra element to the challenge of the crisp *colder* sea of beautiful Spring (ideal for Channel swim preparation or cold water junkies).
  • *NEW* Kvarner Swim Challenge - a chance to swim over 20 km from Cres island to Kvarner mainland over two days in the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic. This year's event is limited to 100 swimmers. [more information]

*NEW* Race Event

We are excited to launch our inaugural swim race, Scilly 360 - a testing circumnavigation of St Mary’s in four stages, the faster you swim the longer you have to recover each leg! Solo entries or teams of 2/3/4.

More detailed info can be found on the event pages.