Sunday, March 28, 2010

Ocean swimming at its finest...

This weekend, Stanwell Park, North Steyne, Port Macquarie...

We did Stanwell Park, and a finer example of ocean swimming you would not get... water was c 23 deg C, which is perfect; air was warm without the oppression of summer, which is perfect; breeze was from the nor'-east, but so light as to hardly ruffly your hair, which is perfect; water was clear, although not quite as good as we've seen it before at Stanwell Park, which is perfect; and no blueys or anything else to sting, which is perfect... It just goes to show, autumn is the best time of year to swim. It's just perfect...

Tell us about your swims... North Steyne, Stanwell Park, Port Macquarie, and more...

Sunday, March 21, 2010

South West Rocks, Balmoral...

Sensational day at South West Rocks, when the 1st and 2nd placegetters were penalised 3 mins 30 secs each for "missing" a couple of guide booees along the course. Both did the course by respecting the key booees, but a vociferous protest from 3rd brought the penalties after they swam outside guide booees laid in between. Rough? Tell us what you think...

Balmoral had 1,000 we're told, although at the time of writing we're still waiting on the results.  Just proves what we've been saying: the growth in the sport is at the 1km end. Shows there's a demand, need for shorter swims.

Tell us what you think...

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Vale, Saxon Bird...

Saxon Bird, the 19-year-old iron man who died at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast on March 19, also was an ocean swimmer. While not at every swim, he took part in enough, regularly, to be classified as "one of us". Saxon was a member of Queenscliff SLSC and Epping Bullets Swimming Club. He always seemed to pop up at Northern Beaches swims, and on the lower and mid  north coasts. He won Avalon, and he won Pacific Palms, plus others that we can't be specific about here. He was a good swimmer.

Many swimmers knew him. They feel the grief.

Vale, Saxon Bird...

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Day on the harbour, Bonbeach at season's end...

The morning after, the night before... After the pelting rain in Sydney on Sat'dee night, multinational geologist John Bamberry was driving from Singleton, in the Hunter Valley, to Sydney for the harbour swim, but the rain was so heavy passing through Newcastle that he considered turning back. What a lucky boy! Had he turned back, John would have missed one of the most magnificent days on the harbour,  warm, yet not oppressive, refreshing water c. 22-23 deg C, the gentlest of currents, and a  spirited run into Farm Cove on the back leg with a nor-easter-driven swell behind us. What a wonderful day!

How was Bonbeach? We'll hear later from Aquagirl on that one. Shark Island? Novice staff correspondent Chris "Numbers" Flanagan is reporting that one for us. Port Elliott in SA...

Tell us about your swims this weekend...

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Super Sundee, sublime Saturdee...


A big weekend for swims... Saturdee at Lake Macquarie gave us glorious conditions, for those of you who managed to get there for the start, unlike os.c. We got there for the last swimmer home. Then dinner at the Gunyah, leading into Caves Beach on Sundee. There were six swims scheduled in NSW on Sundee. How silly is that. Some were spread out, but three were in spitting distance: Freshie, Manly and the Bridge to Beach. And another two, Caves and Speers Point, were a long spit apart. Not to mention Indented Head on the Bellarine Peninsula, Bunbury on Saturdee, Coogee (WA) on Sundee, Port Augusta, Carlton in Tassie on Monday...

Swims all around the place on the biggest swim weekend of the year. Tell us about your experiences, thoughts, etc. Click the comments button below. And tell us who you are...