Water temperatures were already about 19C. "Your water is already quite warm."
Even though Tauranga could have warmer weather, that did not mean it would be a drier summer.
Meanwhile, to celebrate the beginning of summer, a group of about 20 people got together to work out for a full 12 hours as part of Moana Radio's 12 Hours of Fitness, which saw people complete 10 different fitness activities from 6am in the morning until 6pm.
The initiative was part of the station's Health and Fitness Show "Māorivation" and station manager Takiri Butler said the aim was to "highlight and promote some of the cool community fitness programmes that are available to our people as well as focus on the awesome recreational areas we have around us such as Papamoa Hills, Mauao, Pilot Bay".
"There's so much to do here in Tauranga so we've spread this event from Te Puke through to Papamoa, Arataki, the Mount and then finishing in Tauranga," Butler said.
"These activities are also very affordable and are either low cost or free to the public."
There were about 20 people doing the full 12 hours.
"We did, however, open it up for others to pick and choose which activities they wanted to take part in and then closed off the numbers at 30 for each activity."
Butler said the day was awesome, with everyone who had set out to complete the 12 Hours Of Fitness completing it.
She said everyone who took part also made long-lasting friendships.
"When you meet people for the first time and struggle and sweat alongside them through burpee miles and climbing mountains, you form a bond ... I think we've made some strong connections today and definitely some memories."
The 12 Hours Of Fitness
6am – Patu Fitness Te Puke
7.30am – Up Papamoa Hills
8am – Animal Flow at the Summit of Papamoa Hills
9.30am – Burpee mile
11am – Waka ama (Pilot Bay)
12pm – Underwater rock running relay (Pilot Bay)
1.30pm – Up Mauao
3pm – Pound Fitness with Amy Finlayson
4.30pm – Boxing conditioning with progressive training
5.30pm – 300 Challenge (300 sit ups, push ups and squats)
6pm – End