Warrnambool competitors Brayden Casamento and Paddy O'Brien to compete in 2022 Coolangatta Gold

Brayden Casamento will test himself in the 41-kilometre multi-discipline long course section while Paddy O'Brien will compete in the short course category.

Casamento, who moved to Queensland two years ago, will compete on Sunday with Geelong-based O'Brien to fly north on Friday for his race on Saturday morning.

O'Brien, who still competes for Warrnambool Surf Lifesaving Club while studying a civil engineering degree, decided he wanted to watch his close mate compete in the long course event which comprises a 23-kilometre ski section, 3.5km swim, 6km board paddle and 9.2km run, mostly on sand.

He decided, given he was going to be in Coolangatta for the competition, he might as well enter and will tackle the 10.5km ski, 2km swim, 3km paddle board and 5.5km run.

O'Brien is in awe of Casamento who juggles full-time work as an accountant with training for the gruelling surf lifesaving competitions.

"Paddling to Port Fairy (from Warrnambool) is 23 kilometres so that puts it in perspective - that is what he is doing on the ski followed by three legs after that so it's pretty impressive," he said.

"It's pretty crazy to see what he's achieving now. He's always flown under the radar a bit but now - and I don't want to put too much pressure on him because he'll put a lot of internal pressure on himself - but I think he could push it with the top guys in the race.

"It's pretty amazing because a lot of those top guys might only work part-time but Brayden's working full-time, so he's juggling that as well. He's basically putting in the workload of a professional athlete."

Casamento was full of praise for O'Brien - a clubmate at Warrnambool since under eight nippers - too.

"He is a hard trainer too," he said. "It will be good to cheer him on Saturday and he'll be there to cheer me on Sunday."

Casamento, now aligned to Alexandra Headlands Surf Lifesaving Club on the Sunshine Coast, said he was "nervous and excited" ahead of his first Coolangatta Gold.

"I'd like to think I've done the work but like anything you get nervous you might not finish or might struggle," he said.

"But it's my first time and I'm not putting too much pressure on myself."

A rigorous training regime will give Casamento the best chance in the elite male category.

"I do four swims a week, about 90 minutes each, and three skis, averaging up to two hours, and two boards for about an hour and throw in four runs," he said.

"Then there's a longer three or 3.5 hour session on Saturday mornings."

O'Brien is tempering his own expectations in the short course.

"I am not the greatest swimmer compared to a lot of the East Coast swimmers," he said.

"I haven't got a time in mind, I'll just do my best."

O'Brien said he enjoyed surf lifesaving for its healthy lifestyle benefits and "good culture".

"It's not always about the competitive side, the whole purpose of it is having a surf club that can provide patrols to the beach and for the public," he said.

"There's that volunteering side of it which is important."

Casamento's calendar is full of events he wants to tick off, starting with a Summer of Surf competition in two weeks' time. The Nutri Grain Ironman Series trials in November are also on his to-do list. He made the top-22 at the trials last year.

"On the Saturday, the top-20 is heats and the top-20 they take through to the Sunday and then they take seven out of the 20 to go into the (Nutri Grain) series," Casamento said.

"Hopefully this year making the Sunday might be a goal. It is more of a stepping stone for the rest of the season."

His season will also feature state and national titles.

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