Masters Squad
Swim for fitness, train towards a goal, or fall back in love with the water. Christchurch's newest masters squad pairs elite-level coaching with a private pool, a quiet atmosphere, and music on deck to carry you through the hard sets.
Ideal For: Fitness swimmers, triathletes, ocean swimmers, ex-competitors, and adults who simply want structured sessions. Training scales to where you are right now and where you want to get to, whether you’re training for fitness or working towards a specific goal.
Entry Criteria: Adults (18+)
Training Commitment: Can comfortably swim 2,000 - 3,000m
Gear required: Kickboard and pull buoy
Our Pool: Training is held at Kings Swim School in Sockburn, purpose-built swim facility. No public lane congestion, no inflatables, no fighting for space. Heated pool, free parking, and no public sessions running alongside your training.
Music on deck: Sessions run to music. When the set gets hard and your arms go heavy, you have a rhythm to push through it.
Early mornings are: Quite and clam, the water is warm, and squads numbers will be capped to ensure quality coaching.
Squad Fees: $130 per month for up to 3 trainings a week.
Interested?
Get in touch with Hannah for a chat about the squad, the training and whether it’s right for you and enjoy a one week FREE trial session to get a feel for our training environment and coaching style.
Masters Trainings
Three coached sessions each week, all in the morning, giving you the structure to train consistently without taking over your day.
Tuesday · 6.00am – 7.30am
Start the week with a full 90-minute coached session, with approximately 2,000–3,000m of structured swimming, depending on the session focus and individual pace.
Thursday · 6.30am – 7.30am
A focused 60-minute coached session covering approximately
2,000–3,000m, keeping your training moving through the week.
Saturday · 6.00am – 7.45am
An early start and a longer 1 hour 45-minute coached session, covering approximately 2,000–3,000m to kick-start the weekend.
Meet your Coaches
The Vikings Masters Squad is coached by the same experienced coaching team behind our competitive swimmers. George Long and Hannah Sutherland-Bates bring their knowledge, experience and passion for swimming to every Masters session, with coaching that is practical, purposeful and tailored to the swimmers in the pool.
Whether you’re swimming for fitness, working towards a personal goal, training for an event or looking to get back into structured swimming, you’ll have experienced coaches on deck to help you make the most of every session.
George Long
Head Coach
George brings 3 years of experience as the Assistant Head Coach at Vikings Swim Club, alongside 4 years as a full-time Assistant Head Coach at JASI. He has a proven track record of developing competitive swimmers from junior ranks through to high-performance podium finishes.
Coaching Philosophy: George focuses on a well-rounded programme across all competitive strokes, distances, and abilities. By combining sharp technical development with essential physical and mental skills, George ensures every squad member grows individually while contributing to team success.
Hannah Sutherland
Assistant Coach
We are thrilled to have Hannah working alongside George to ensure elite coaching quality across all squad tiers. Hannah is highly respected globally, being one of only 20 coaches worldwide selected for the prestigious World Aquatics International Swimming Coaches’ Certification Course.
International Experience: Hannah was selected to coach the New Zealand Team at the Oceania Championships in Fiji, bringing invaluable international racing insights straight to our local pool decks.
Are you looking for a new Masters Squad?
Looking for a more structured approach to your swimming? Whether you’re swimming for fitness, training towards an event, getting back into swimming or working towards a specific goal, Vikings Masters could be a great fit.
Keen to find out more?
Get in touch with Hannah for a chat about the squad, the training and whether it’s right for you and enjoy a one week FREE trial session to get a feel for our training environment and
coaching style.