Melbourne swimmer John Van Wisse takes second crack at shattering Loch Ness world record

Melbourne-based ultra marathon swimmer John Van Wisse is taking a second crack at the Loch Ness swim world record — and he has a new approach to get him across the line in time.

Ultra-marathon swimmer John Van Wisse. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Melbourne-based ultra marathon swimmer John Van Wisse is aiming to break the record for the fastest ever swim of Scotland’s famed and mythical Loch Ness.

Van Wisse, who has swum around Manhattan Island, across Port Phillip Bay and traversed the English Channel on numerous occasions, leaves for Scotland on Sunday, ready for the most challenging swim of his life.

He hopes to break the current record of 9 hours, 25 minutes and 37 seconds set in 1995 for the 36.2 km stretch of water in the Scottish Highlands.

He attempted the record last year but was thwarted by unkind weather. This year he returns fitter and wiser following his 2023 experience.

Van Wisse has been granted a window between August 17-24 to make his record attempt.

Van Wisse has been training his body to be comfortable in the chilly waters of the loch. Picture: Nicki Connolly

“Generally it gets windy at lunchtime so I either start the swim really early – last year I left at 7am. Had I left at 3am I would have beat the wind – or I wait for it to blow up and go with the wind and hope the wind doesn’t change,” he said.

“Last year I had perfect conditions for the first half and then against the predicted forecast a gale force wind came up. The first half took four hours to swim and the last half took eight and a half hours. It was a traumatic swim.”

Van Wisse has been training his body to be comfortable in the chilly waters of the loch.

“I have an electric chest freezer that I use as an ice bath and I spend half an hour daily, sometimes longer, in the ice water at minus two degrees,” he said.

“I have been swimming 80kms a week. I often do 10km in the pool and then go straight to the bay and do another 4km without a wetsuit.

“I have been doing some big training sessions because it is going to be cold this year (in Loch Ness), they have had their coldest winter in a long time.

“The water is probably going to be a couple of degrees colder than last year. I am going to give it a good crack.”

Swimming Loch Ness is a well managed system and record attempts are carefully scrutinised.

“It is well organised; you pay a fee and they provide you with a boat and an official observer, you can only wear one pair of bathers, normal Speedos, one cap and goggles,” Van Wisse said.

“You can’t touch the boat, you can’t touch anyone until you are fully out of the water at the end of the swim.”