He proved it at the weekend when he broke six Otago age group records at the 29th annual Neptune Queen's Birthday swimming carnival.
His home in the suburb of Avonside was badly affected by the earthquakes and it received a red sticker.
His family had to find a new home and shifted to Dunedin.
He enrolled at Otago Boys' High School and joined Osca coach Gennadiy Labara's squad.
He had been a member of the QE2 club in Christchurch which trained in the 1974 Commonwealth Games pool that was destroyed by the earthquake.
"I like swimming in Dunedin," Trembath said.
"The coaching structure is better here and I feel better in the water because of my improved stroke technique."
Trembath won a New Zealand surf life-saving title when he lived in Christchurch but he wants to do it in the pool and is targeting the short course national championships in Wellington in September.
At the weekend, Trembath (15) broke Otago short course records in the following boys aged 14 and 15 events: 50m freestyle (25.25sec), 50m backstroke (27.55sec), 100m backstroke (59.91sec), 100m breaststroke (1min 08.16sec in the heat and 1min 07.18sec in final), 200m breaststroke (2min 26.81sec), 100m individual medley (1min 00.93sec).
His best performance was in the 100m breaststroke when he broke the 1989 record swum by Craig Ford (Zenith).
In the 100m backstroke he broke the record that has been held by Simon Walker (Neptune) since 1993.
Kate Godfrey (Neptune) broke three Otago open women's records in the backstroke events - 50m (29.40sec), 100m (1min 02.04sec) and 200m (2min 12.24sec).
Jeremy Hopkins (Neptune) broke another one of Craig Ford's 1989 records in the boys 14 and 15 grade when he won the 100m freestyle in 54.58sec.
Carina Doyle (Waves) won three senior women's freestyle events- 50m (27.41sec), 100m (59.53sec) and 400m (4min 17sec) - but missed out on the clean sweep when she was narrowly beaten in the 200m.
That race was won by London Olympian Natalie Wiegersma (Waverley, Southland) in 2min 03.82sec and Doyle was second in 2min 03.94sec and Godfrey third in 2min 05.02sec.
Godfrey topped the senior women's points with 198 and was followed by Natasha Lloyd (North Canterbury) 152 and Katie Kenneally (Neptune) 140.
The senior men's grade was won by Matthew Hutchins from the Christchurch club of Wharenui with 223 points from Nick Tyrrell (Neptune) 203 and Trembath 154.
Hutchins (17), a pupil at Lincoln High School, finished top of the individual rankings and was followed by Jack Plummer (Porirua City Aquatics) 220 and Jeremy Hopkins (Neptune) 209.50 points.
Hutchins is an accomplished swimmer on the national scene and won four gold and five silver medals at the national age group championships in Wellington in February.
His best performance at the weekend was in the open 100m freestyle that he won in 50.44sec.
Plummer topped the boys 10 and under grade and his club mate Sophie Wilkinson won the girls 10 and under grade with 193 points.
She was followed by Ella-Rose Lawrence (Clutha United) with 185 and Alana Walsh (Oamaru) with 181 points.
Sophie Gibson (Queenstown) won the girls aged 13 and 14 section with 198 points after winning six gold medals, two silver and one bronze.
She swam nine personal best times.
Hopkins won the boys aged 13 and 14 grade with 209.50 points.
Kyra Forrest (Wharenui) won the girls aged 11 and 12 grade with 189 points and Courtland Ellis (Taieri) the boys aged 11 and 12 section with 188 points.
There were 302 swimmers from 32 clubs competing in the 3500 events.
There was a big contingent of swimmers from Christchurch clubs with Wharenui having the most swimmers outside Dunedin with 43.
Neptune won the teams event with 2651 points from Wharenui 2101, Waves 2017, Aquagym 1156, Queenstown 1010, QE2 1003, North Canterbury 855, Oamaru 740, Jasi 602, Murihiku 444.50.
Queenstown was the top club with less than 10 swimmers on 1010 points and was followed by Porirua 413 and Ashburton 327.
