WHILE teenagers typically fill the hours after school hanging out with friends, playing video games and dragging their feet over homework, Lochie Hinds is training to swim the English Channel.

If successful, the 16-year-old, year 11 student from St Leo's Catholic College in Wahroonga, will become the youngest Australian male to complete the 34-kilometre crossing.

''It's my dream,'' he said. ''People have their 'bucket list' and I just want to start mine a bit earlier.''

In preparation for the event in July, the teenager is clocking up 14 kilometres in the water at his local pool every day.

This season he has already competed in 14 ocean races. He got his first taste of competitive ocean swimming at age nine, entering the The Sydney Morning Herald Cole Classic, which will be held at Manly today.

Next month, he will race in the 1.5-kilometre The Sun-Herald Surf Swim at Dee Why Beach. In last year's inaugural Surf Swim, Lochie finished third in a time of 19 minutes and 2 seconds.

''First is ideal,'' he said, ''but my competitors last year were extraordinary. To come third in that amazing field was great.''

When Lochie competes in the Surf Swim on March 18, the water temperature will be about 23 degrees and the most he will have to worry about is putting on enough sunscreen.

For the Channel crossing, with the water averaging a cool 16 degrees, he will have to smear thick grease - made up of 50 per cent wool fat and 50 per cent Vaseline - over his body to protect his skin and keep in the warmth for the 10 to 12 hours he expects to be swimming. He will also need to put on about five kilograms, which he will burn off during the swim, to keep warm.

During his ocean swims this season Lochie will be raising money for the Westpac Life Saver Helicopter Rescue Service. His target is $10,000.

''I tried to find a charity where I would not just give money, but also raise awareness,'' he said. ''The helicopter watches over my fellow ocean swimmers and me every time we go out in the ocean.''

Lochie's schoolfriends are supporting him, but ''they think I'm crazy''.

His mother, Stephanie Hinds, said she and Lochie's father, Darren, are not nervous about his big swim.

''He's prepared very well and has great coaches who believe in him,'' she said. ''I'm amazed a 16-year-old has the drive and insight to want to do this. He's inspiring.''