Jesus Samuel Neri Gutiérrez (62, Mexico, MSF bio here, @triton_mexicano, shown above on left) one-upped Hank WIse (58, USA, MSF bio here, @dolphin_boy, shown above on right) across the Catalina Channel earlier this month.

With his latest crossing, Neri has now completed 10 Catalina Channel crossings and recalled the title of the reigning King of the Catalina Channel. Wise is right behind him with 9 career Catalina Channel crossings – and intent on doing another crossing.

On Thursday, if all goes well, the two men – one from Mexico City and one from Long Beach, California – may be all tied up again.

Tomorrow morning at 2:00 am, Wise will walk off Santa Catalina Island with the goal to finish somewhere on Palos Verdes Peninsula on the Southern California mainland in a tandem swim with SWIM Long Beach teammate Brandon Samaniego [shown below in green swim cap].

Their tracker is here.

Wise explains his strategy for his first career tandem crossing:

Same Speed = Swim Together = More Fun

When doing endurance challenges, like a 50-mile run or a Catalina Channel Swim, it can be really fun to have a same speed partner with whom to race. The “same speed” element is really the key here to making it “more fun” for both people.

Blue Zone Pacing

In the case of tomorrow’s 32.2 km Catalina-to-Mainland crossing, Brandon and I decided a long while ago that sub-aerobic speed is the best way to swim together. That said, my sub-aerobic, blue zone pace and his sub-aerobic blue zone pace are slightly different shades of blue. Brandon’s blue zone will be “even easier” than my blue zone pace, however on his first attempt, this measured approach is a superb way to begin his channel swim experience.

The Kayak is the Lane Line

We will have Adam Luco (@adamluco) on the kayak between us – I will be on the left side, Brandon on the right side. We will pace off the kayak. The kayaker’s shoulder will (ideally) be on our headline and we will be three peas in a pod, crossing the big ocean, one stroke at a time. Adam will need to lead and direct us to stay on the “red line,” navigating by compass and GPS.  The feeds every 30 minutes will be an important part in which to keep efficient.  We have to grab our bottles, sip quickly, give back and go onward, together.  Adam will have to have octopus-like limbs to manage all the gauges and the feeds simultaneously. 

Teammates Brandon (23) and I (58) swim in the same lane at the pool and pair up on all our ocean swims at Sea Monkeys

We also have done our share of 10-mile training swims leading up to this. One of our favorite swims this summer was actually an 11-mile bodysurf swim we did from Newport Beach to the Anderson Street water tower in Sunset Beach with two other teammates [see here]. We wore fins, goggles, and our special industrial strength sunscreen. It was all down current on a south swell, just swimming and catching waves the whole way. Our friend and open water maestro, Steven Munatones, drove us to the starting spot and assisted us as we buried and unburied our feeds on the beach.

Catching Glide?  

The swim may have similar elements, as in catching small runners towards the mainland – who knows? One thing is for sure: a whole lot more swimming and a whole lot less bodysurfing (ha!).

Always an Adventure

All joking aside, it does feel great to get even the slightest positive push from swells. That’s one of the biggest differences between doing 32.2 km in the pool versus doing 32.3 km in the ocean – getting pushed around by the wind, currents, and swells. Will it be helpful, sideways, or against us…? We shall see and feel what tomorrow brings – it’s always an adventure.

Captain Max, a certified United States Coast Guard approved captain

We will be driving his boat “Bushman’s Friend,” a sturdy 32-foot, 1989 Ericson, manufactured in Costa Mesa, California. Captain Max and I share a common philosophy and career path – be seriously engaged in what you love and give it to others. While I’ve been directing youth and adult swimming at Belmont Plaza Pool, he’s been the director of youth sailing for the City of Long Beach at Leeway Sailing Center. Fun fact: our work locations are also one mile apart. Max is striding the tender balance between family, work, and adventures like these – he’s got two daughters under age four.

The First Mate on this mission, assisting Captain Max, will be Leeway sailing instructor Darrin Wolfgang Perrin.

Our kayaker, Adam Luco

Adam is once again at the helm. He’s been a quick learner and highly dedicated. Between moonlit training swims and actual channel crossings, he already logged over 129 km this summer on the kayak. This is his third Catalina Channel Swim assist in six weeks. In early August he kayaked for our SWIM Long Beach teammate and friend, Jon McMullen, on his 13 hour and 46 minute swim, and my last Catalina Channel Swim two weeks later. On the water, kayaking, he finds time and space to be awed by nature, help his friends, and challenge himself to draw the straight line within the vast ocean.

A prolific and internationally-experienced channel swim observer on this tandem solo attempt is the uber-dedicated Elaine Van Vleck 

Elaine Van Vleck hails from San Francisco and comes down to Long Beach in the summer for stints, specifically to observe Catalina Channel Swims. In this two-week period of mid-September 2026, she will observe about eight to ten crossings for the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation. We met on the phone and shared a few stories. I look forward to meeting her in person.

In an interesting twist of fate, she also served as the observer for Samuel Neri who regained the title of the King of the Catalina Channel in September with his 17 hour 46 minute crossing.

Elaine will be flanked by Sam Rollins

Samantha Rollins is a 29-year-old avid and local, charismatic open water swimmer, who’s in her halcyon days of observing channel swims. Elaine and Sam, Hank and Brandon: experienced veterans swimming and working together with fresh energy, keeping the sport alive and thriving into the next generation.

A couple special shout-outs:

Thank you to Paula Selby from the CCSF for staying cool and doing great work behind the scenes! She handles so many details with a calm, friendly, and professional demeanor. Thank you to my wife, Kristin, who keeps our home life running smoothly for me, our 15-year-old son Fox, and our pets. Thank you to SWIM Long Beach and our Sea Monkey Crew, and all our local aquatic community members who support each other through thick and thin. Our crew makes this all possible. We work together on the daily, weekly, and yearly to make big moments like this possible.

Training & Paddlers

As expected, the training up to this point has been filled with many miles in the ocean and the pool.  The warmer El Niño spring and summer has provided the team with more opportunities for ocean swims and their list of longer swims has extended deep down the white board in my office.  Our  local, home-waters, training paddler (age 80!) took good care of the team this season with many pre-dawn missions on his kayak.   

Catalina Crossings of Hank Wise, Co-King of the Catalina Channel

1. October 2010, age 42: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 8:07:03
2. June 2015, age 47: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from the Palos Verdes Peninsula to Santa Catalina Island in 8:07:37
3. October 2015, age 47: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 10:56:44 at the age of 47.
4. November 2016, age 48: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 8:20:10 at the age of 48.
5. October 2017, age 49: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 10:14:00 at the age of 49.
6. November 2017, age 49: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 10:01:52 at the age of 49.
7. October 2018, age 50: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 7:55:06
8. September 2025, age 57: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Palos Verdes Peninsula to Catalina Island on Arrow Point in 8:07.53
9. August 2026, age 58: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Arrow Point on Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 9:38:35

Catalina Crossings of Samuel Neri, King of the Catalina Channel

1. September 2011, age 46: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 13 hours 44 minutes
2. July 2013, age 48: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 12 hours 16 minutes
3. October 2014, age 49: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Southern California mainland to Catalina Island in 17 hours 32 minutes
4. October 2015, age 50: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 11 hours 55 minutes
5. October 2016, age 51: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 11 hours 50 minutes
6. June 2017, age 52: 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 14 hours 40 minutes
7. November 2019, age 55: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 13 hours 7 minutes
8. June 2023, age 59: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 15 hours 17 minutes.
9. November 2025, age 61: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 15 hours 27 minutes
10. September 2026, age 62: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Palos Verdes Peninsula to Catalina Island in 17 hours 46 minutes

© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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