All finishers will receive a bespoke medal, a finisher swim bag and some goodies. A Great North Swim t-shirt can be purchased as an add on at the point of entry.

Yes, you can choose your swim day and time from the options provided on the entry form. The event features waves of swimmers throughout the weekend. View the full timetable above.

On the event day, check-in for each wave opens 30 minutes before the start time. Swimmers should be in their wetsuits and ready to swim at the start area. You’ll have a chance to acclimate to the water before a safety briefing 5 minutes before your start.

If you need to change your swim time, you can do so (subject to availability) by updating your booking or by contacting us. Note that changes are only allowed for the same distance you initially registered for.

Yes, the age limit depends on the distance you have entered to swim:

• You must be 8 years or over on the day to enter the 250m. Each child aged between 8 - 12 years must be accompanied by one paying adult (per child).
• You must be 12 years or over on the day of the event to enter a ½ mile swim
• You must be 16 years or over on the day of the event to enter a 1 mile, 2 miles, 5K
• You must be 18 years or over on the day of the event to enter a 10K swim

Wetsuit use is optional for water temperatures of 15C or above. Swimmers choosing not to wear a wetsuit MUST use an approved high visibility tow float, swimmers wearing wetsuits can also choose to swim with a tow float. This only applies to swimmers aged over 16 years old. Swimmers aged under 16 will be required to wear a wetsuit. More information can be found on our FAQ page here.

Wetsuit Hire

We are delighted to be working with Zone3, our official wetsuit partner. Day and Season Wetsuit rental available from just £30. Click here to find out more.

For most distances, you can take as long as you need to complete the course. We will have safety kayakers in the water who will be monitoring participants and if they think you are safe to continue, you can do so.

For the longer distances (5K & 10K) we do ask participants to agree to the following statements on entry:

10k - I declare that I will be able to complete the 10K swim continuously and unaided within 4.5 hours (< 27 mins per km). If I fall behind this schedule, I understand that the safety team may not allow me to complete all my laps or may extract me from the water at any point if it is deemed inappropriate for me to continue based on medical and/or safety grounds.

5k - I declare that I will be able to complete the 5K swim continuously and unaided within 2.5 hours (<30 mins per Km). If I fall behind this schedule, I understand that the safety team may not allow me to complete all my laps or may extract me from the water at any point if it is deemed inappropriate for me to continue based on medical and/or safety grounds.

Please note: It is rare that we have to enforce this but your safety will always be our priority.

Each swimmer will be offered 2 wristbands when they collect their pack on event day. These are to be given to friends and/or family members who wish to enter the spectator viewing area. The colour of the wristbands will match the colour of the wave the swimmer is in, and they can choose to take both wristbands, just 1 or none.

Spectators can enter the spectating zone half an hour before their swimmer’s wave starts. We will soon publish the exact schedule for each wave, but don’t worry, you will be given plenty of time to watch your swimmer.

Anyone under the age of 12 can go in too so long as they're supervised. They do not need a wristband.