Hank Wise (57, USA, MSF bio here, @dolphin_boy) of Long Beach, California is back training again for additional crossings of the 32.3 km Catalina Channel this summer.

His track record across the Catalina Channel is historically unique. Out of his 8 career crossings, 3 of the crossings have taken him 8 hours 7 minutes. Imagine that: 32.3 kilometers across a dynamic ocean, starting in the night and ending in the morning, over a 15-year period … and he swam nearly same the exact same time on three separate occasions between the ages of 42 and 57 years. That is otherworldly consistency.

Hank Wise Career Catalina Channel Crossings

1. 8 hours 7 minutes 3 seconds in October 2010
2. 8 hours 7 minutes 37 seconds in June 2015
3. 10 hours 56 minutes in October 2015
4. 8 hours 20 minutes in November 2016
5. 10 hours 14 minutes in October 2017
6. 10 hours 1 minutes in November 2017
7. 7 hours 55 minutes in October 2018 (at the age of 50)
8. 8 hours 7 minutes 53 seconds in September 2025 (at the age of 57)

He also holds 4 of the fastest 12 crossings in history.

Fastest Catalina Channel Crossings in History

1. 7 hours 15 minutes 55 seconds by Penny Lee Dean, USA, MC in September 1976
2. 7 hours 27 minutes 25 seconds by Grace van der Byl, USA, CM in October 2012
3. 7 hours 37 minutes 31 seconds by Pete Huisveld, USA, MC in August 1992
4. 7 hours 41 minutes 14 seconds by John York, USA, MC in September 1978 (first leg of a two-way crossing)
5. 7 hours 43 minutes 6 seconds by Karen Burton, USA, CM in October 1994
6. 7 hours 55 minutes 6 seconds by Hank Wise, USA, CM in October 2018
7. 7 hours 57 minutes 40 seconds by Andreas Waschburger, Germany, CM in August 2024
8. 8 hours 4 minutes 12 seconds by Ceinwen Roberts, Australia, CM in September 2013
9. 8 hours 5 minutes 44 seconds by Todd Robinson, USA, CM in August 2009
10. 8 hours 7 minutes 3 seconds by Hank Wise, USA, CM in October 2010
11. 8 hours 7 minutes 37 seconds by Hank Wise, USA, MC in June 2015
12. 8 hours 7 minutes 53 seconds by Hank Wise, USA MC in September 2025
13. 8 hours 9 minutes 0 seconds by Susan McKay, Canada, CM in September 2022
14. 8 hours 11 minutes 13 seconds by Miquel Suñer Comalat, Spain, CM in July 2012
15. 8 hours 14 minutes 46 seconds by Chad Hundeby, USA, CM in September 1993
16. 8 hours 18 minutes 27 seconds by Blair Cannon, USA, CM in August 2011
17. 8 hours 19 minutes 30 seconds by Danielle Wahl, USA, CM in June 2014
18. 8 hours 20 minutes 48 seconds by Gemma Jensen, Australia, CM in August 2006
19. 8 hours 27 minutes 24 seconds by Jim McConica, USA, CM in September 1983
20. 8 hours 28 minutes 21 seconds by Rendy Lynn Opdycke, USA, CM in August 2008
21. 8 hours 31 minutes 20 seconds by John York, USA, MC in October 1977
22. 8 hours 32 minutes 49 seconds by John York, USA, CM in October 2000
23. 8 hours 33 minutes 18 seconds by Andrea Karge, USA, CM in September 2001
24. 8 hours 33 minutes 59 minutes by Penny Lee Dean, USA, CM in September 1977 (first leg of a two-way crossing)
25. 8 hours 35 minutes 44 seconds by Derrick Wong, USA, CM in September 2011
26. 8 hours 35 minutes 44 seconds by Anna DeLozier, USA, CM in August 2006
27. 8 hours 36 minutes 32 minutes by Mallory Mead, USA, CM in August 2010
28. 8 hours 38 minutes 19 seconds by Anshuman Jhingran, India, CM in August 2023
29. 8 hours 42 minutes 57 seconds by Heather Royer, USA, CM in October 1998
30. 8 hours 43 minutes 16 seconds by Mary Beth Colpo, USA, CM in August 1977

King of the Catalina Channel

Jesus Samuel Neri Gutierrez (Mexico, MSF bio here, @triton_mexicano) is the current King of the Catalina Channel with 9 career crossings.

• September 2011 in 13 hours 44 minutes
• July 2013 in 12 hours 16 minutes
• October 2014 in 17 hours 32 minutes
• October 2015 in 11 hours 55 minutes
• October 2016 in 11 hours 50 minutes
• June 2017 in 14 hours 40 minutes
• November 2019 in 13 hours 7 minutes
• June 2023 in 15 hours 17 minutes
• November 2025 in 15 hours 27 minutes

Hank Wise Training for Catalina Channel Crossings

This week, Wise did a 9 km coastal swim along Huntington Beach.wards together with Steven Munatones. Munatones said, “It was – and always is – an honor training with Hank. You can easily sense and see the joy that he exudes for the ocean while standing on the sand and swimming in the ocean. On our recent training swim, the water temperature was 16°C (61°F) in Huntington Beach.

We swam from Dog Beach to the Huntington Beach Pier in pretty heavy surf. We swam right along where the surfers lined up to catch the waves on the swim to the pier. On the way back, Hank wanted to swim inside the impact zone. It was great training because it is hard to replicate that kind of constantly rough water swimming with constant focus. Navigating through the surf relies on timing and ocean awareness. We had to be cognizant of the surfers riding the waves and an occasionally larger set of waves that would break further out.

I saw two dolphins just casually swimming outside the surf zone a bit, which was not unusual in Huntington Beach.

But what was extremely unusual – and I have been swimming in the area since the 1970s – was the low-flying Goodyear Blimp. The airship was flying low, really low, and traveling ever so slowly. It seemed like the blimp’s passengers were watching us swim. It eventually landed on the beach as part of the annual Pacific Airshow®  Huntington Beach promotion.

It was a totally cool training day. And the best was watching Hank finish a two-hour rough water workout with a bodysurfing session and emerge from the ocean with a huge smile on his face. We ate some great breakfast burritos afterwards. Great morning, great memories, great training.“

© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“

World Open Water Swimming Federation, a human-powered project.

New Open Water Swimming Educational and Motivational Course – register here