South Head, Noosa ... lovely days in late season ...

The season is winding down and the fat lady is warming up her tonsils ... two swims on Sunday, South Head (Bondi to Watsons Bay) in Sydney, and Noosa in Queensland ...

It was a lovely day where we were, but how did it go where you were?

Tell us about South Head or Noosa ... click the comments button below to leave your message ...

Byron Bay ... The Ultimate Swim ... North Steyne ...

Wow! What a swim was Byron Bay! The Gods were kind to us ... record numbers in the swim, weather ominous, then clearing to a glorious, sunny day, water 25 deg C ... And was it the clearest water in which you've swum?

North Steyne ... we weren't there ourselves so we can't tell ... But what did you think?

Tell us ... click the Comments link below to add your comments ...

Please, leave your name so we know who is saying what. We can't award the James Squire Award to an anonymous poster.

Autumn swims at last ...

Welcome, welcome to a new swim ... South Curly to Freshwater finally got done, after failing last season due to big seas, and after a prelude this season that included big seas. A course that has to be done, but which some said couldn't be done. This could be another new classic. Perhaps that is what this season, now approaching closure, could be about: the discovery of new classics.

Meanwhile, over on the south side, Coogee-Bondi had its second outing under new management, and Avoca finally got done on the Central Coast ...

Tell us what you thought ... And please leave your name on your blob ... we like to know who's talking to us, and we can't award the James Squire Blob Award if we don't know whom you are ...

Press the Comments link below to leave your comment and to read what others are saying ...

Hawaii -- Plea for pals ...

My name is Les O'Keefe, i am a member of aussi masters and i have competed in a few ocean swims.

I was wondering whether you are aware of any people who plan on attending the Hawaii rough water swim in September. I would be interested in going and would rather go with a group or stay with other Aussies.

Could you please pass this email onto anyone you know who may be attending this meet.

Thanks, if anyone wants to call me i can be contacted on 0418712555 or email.

Les P'Keefe

Now, THAT was an ocean swim ...

Just back in town after four hour drive from Mollymook ... and THAT was an ocean swim! Rising seas, chop, wind in your face, no two strokes the same ... rain squalls rolling through, obscuring beach, headlands, landmarks ... and dumped at the end on a shallow bank! It was a terrific swim, so much fun, and full credit, as the footy players would say, to the boys at Mollymook for going ahead in very difficult conditions ...

DY called off ...

Shellharbour, Saturday ... what a wonderful little swim, short, sharp, fast, with a breeze and swell behind us rolling over rocky and weedy bottom back into the beach ...

We love these regional swims ... They make us feel as if they're really pleased to have us there ...

But what did you think?

Paddlers, escort boats for Coogee-Bondi, South Head ...

A number of swimmers have contacted oceanswims.com looking for help in finding escort paddlers for Coogee-Bondi on April 26, and escort boats for the South Head Roughwater on May 17. We will post their messages here, and if you can help, please respond.

If you post a request, please remember to include your email and/or phone contacts.

South Head organiser John Fallon has a number of options to help with escort boats for that swim. Watch the South Head listing on the NSW calendar for more info ...

TamaCloey, Pacific Palms ... we discover a new classic ...

Wow! what a ripper of swim from Tama to Clovelly. We thought beforehand that this swim could be a ripper, but it was more than that. TamaCloey may build to be one of the best swims on the ocean swimming calendar! Enigmatic course, spooky day, onshore breeze, following swell but backwash off the rocks ... cliffs most of the way ... once you're out, you're committed ... and what a glorious bottom from the point into Cloey ... this bottom was maybe more rocky and reefy that Wedding Cake Island ... what did you think of the starting wave arrangement? ... What did you think of the swim overall? ... Cloey has to have the best clubhouse on the coast, sitting right on the sea ...

And Pacific Palms ... what a lovely day out, yet again. A hidden gem of the north coast, one that we'd never have found but for ocean swimming ... that's what we love about this caper: there are so many places we go, so many experiences for which the swim is merely the catalyst ... What do we like about ocean swimming? Travel and meeting people!

Tell us what you think ... Click the comments button below ...

What do you do when the swims are washed out?

The two main swims around Sydney over the weekend -- North Steyne and Avoca -- were called off due to the seas, but Nowra went ahead with an amended course. We're told there was lots of weed but it was a nice swim with 37 punters.

North Steyne are mulling an alternative date; Avoca have rescheduled to April 26, making that Sunday a very busy day, with South Curl Curl-Freshwater and Coogee-Bondi also scheduled for that day.

Hervey Bay happened in Queensland, above the rain and storm line, with a record 170 starters. They had a lovely day, by all accounts.

But what did you get up to on a washed out Sunday, which turned out to be a very nice day in Sydney? We had a social engagement at North Curl Curl, so os.c and Glistening Dave went for a frolick in the North Curly rockpool. We did laps whilst Dave took pitchers of the seas crashing onto the rocks and into the pool. Watch for some pics very soon. Then we celebrated Tacoma Jim's birthday, and his mum's birthday -- Jim's mum, G-L-O-R-I-A ... GLOOOOORIA! -- has been visiting from, well, Tacoma, and heads back there later this week. Her birthday is Monday, April 6.

Tell us your story? Did you swim somewhere? What was it like? ...

South West Rocks, Balmoral ...

Epic swim at South West Rocks, where record numbers got out of gaol by swimming from the old prison at Trial Bay around the beach to the Boulders at South West Rocks ... occasionally bigger sets thumping on the beach, otherwise smooth conditions with a bit of rolling ... "deep water" start, each wave diving off a sandbank into a gutter ...

And how was Balmoral? Big numbers registered there, too...

How were both swims? Click the Comments button below to post your own blog ...

Stanwell Park - new record for Big Swim of the South ...

There were record entries for the Stanwell Park Ocean Challenge - the Big Swim of the South. A record by almost 50 per cent. We knew this swim would take off eventually. It was an epic this time around -- glorious, gentle seas, but into a stiffening breeze and, it seemed, a stiff current. Schlepping along the Illawarra Escarpment, it seemed the cliffs would never end. Shortly before the finishers reached the beach, there was a 2 metre ray cruising through the break around the finishing area, too. Big schools of whiting, and the aeriel surveillance aircraft patrolling up and down the beach whilst the swim progressed.

How did you find this swim?

Surf life saving ... new rules for ocean swims ...

Surf Life Saving, with its insurers, are beginning to implement new rules for ocean swim events which would limit ages eligible to take part to 14 years and up, and limit distances to 2.5km. There may be some flexibility in this, but there still is considerable uncertainty about these new rules.

Surf's insurers also are planning to levy surf clubs $500 or thereabouts per event that they run, to attract the insurance coverage that they now receive as part of their general insurance coverage.

Surf club insurance coverage currently covers organising clubs for public liability and club members working on events for personal accident.

You can see the original story in the oceanswims.com newsletter of March 13, 09 ... click here

What do you think about these proposed changes?

Click the Comments link below to post your comments ...

Forster, Shark Island, Newcastle Harbour ...

Three swims on the past weekend ... We've had good reports about the new one in Newcastle Harbour, Forster was a real ocean swim, and Shark Island lived up to its name, so we hear ...

What did you think of these swims?

Hit the Comments button below to post your thoughts ...

Rotto 2009 - Fooled by currents, sparked by stingers ...

Perth had the Rottnest Channel Swim (on Saturday, Feb 21). This year the event attracted a great turnout with about 2,000 competitors including a large number of four person teams, duo's and almost 180 solo swimmers.

The weather forecast leading up to the event was good and predicted to be c. 34.0°C, but in the end turned out to be closer to 40.0°C. Hot days favour this event as they bring with them a nice easterly that pushes the swimmers and support boats over in the direction they are heading . . . towards Rottnest Island!

Left: there is little like stumbling out of the water after nearly 7 hours and try to get the ankles to flex again!!

My thoughts early on in the morning before the start were that it looked like a pretty vanilla day, should easily get over in less than 6hr but could push to try and get down around 5h30m. But in the end the day turned up a very big surprise and my final time was closer to 7hr.

The first half of the course all went well and was covered in less than 2h45m. The breeze was pushing us along nicely and some small waves slapping us along also. Visibility was great and could see the bottom the whole way across, even through Gage Roads Shipping Channel. It was at about half way across though that the water went cold; it wasn't the temperature of the water however that was the bother but what was bringing it.

For just less than the 2nd half of the course it seemed that we were virtually heading straight into a current. Being able to see the bottom provided an indicator of progress being made for each stroke . . . not much! As we got closer to the island progress still got slower and slower.

My previous slowest time (6h43m) was in 2006 when the weather was terrible and swimmers had to negotiate their way through something like 15kt winds and a 1.5m swell. Just as you can't judge a book by the cover so too you can't predict your time for a swim by looking at the wind and waves alone.

Mother nature can be both subtle and obvious when demonstrating her power; yet obviously this still was nothing compared to her absolute power. I requested our crew to stick to the south of the course as this is usually the best tactic as the current around 4km to go swings you around back on course. Speaking to other swimmers and skippers afterwards though it seems that those who kept slightly north didn't get bogged down in the current nearly as mush as those that went south. On any other day sticking south would have worked and if I had to swim again tomorrow I would be hard swayed to change the request.

Another interesting component of the day were the stingers. You don't normally come across these once offshore but this year I would hazard a guess that they were confused by the different current. I hit my first stinger about 55 mins offshore and it almost made me walk on water. I must have struck it straight in the middle so that it stung me down the face, wrapped around my neck, over the shoulders and then a nice zap perfectly symmetrically across both shoulder blades just for good measure. With the knowledge that the stingers were today offshore it kept me (like other swimmers) on edge in anticipation of the next one; I would then only get stung again the moment I managed to forget they were there. It is a mystery to me as to how this specie of creature survives; just like a hot electric fence I can't imagine purposely going near something that is going to zap me without remorse, no matter what the reward.

I was pleased to have finished but initially disappointed with my result. But with some disappointment comes some consolation. I had only trained properly for about 4 weeks and was relying mainly on some muscle memory from previous training last year. But enough excuses because another factor that I hadn't initially thought of until speaking to my Mum was that I am getting older . . . (I am only 37?!) . . . the trouble with this is that I am not sure what I can do about it?! But really the answer is that the quality of the competition has increased with more great new talent joining the event each year; so as long as I keep on making it across in one piece. I will still be content with that, what I lack in quality I will make up with quantity.

So anyhow that was my 9th solo crossing, I didn't quite get to my personal best but did set a new personal milestone for being able to stick it out longer than before (code for a new longest time taken for the event) and finish in 6h52m.

Once again the Rottnest Channel Swim Association conducted a great event and from my point of view the day seemed pretty seamless. The presentations went well and calling each solo swimmer up on stage in finishing order still seems a good way of receiving our trophies.

But the other great part to the presentations is the sideshow of the final solo swimmers limping in (with three flat types and smoke billowing out of the bonnet - no offence, this honestly amazes me), after almost 12 hours in the water. I have seen this courage and commitment a number of years now and it still makes a little salt water well up in my eye. What impresses me is seeing someone wanting something so much that they were never going to give up.

Now looking forward to Rottnest 2010 and hope to better this years time and get my average back down!!

Cheers

Andrew Page

Caves Beach, Manly ... what do you think?

We had a terrific day at Caves Beach, right down to the big set that came through and knocked the peloton about as they crossed the bombora on the way into the beach. Band on the grass under the pines, free barbie, beautiful water (no bities of any kind or size), and a bit of fun with the sea along the way. A top day.

Manly? Weren't there, unfortunately, but tell us what you think about both swims ...

Sharks ... What's the problem?

Well, here it is, in response to popular demand ... let's have a debate on sharks ...

What threat are they? How real is that threat? Which sharks are nasties and which are our friends? Where are good places to swim and where are the riskier places? What times? Ocean swims generally avoid shark feeding times ... early mornings, dusk ... so is it all that relevant to us?

We ran our shark scarediness poll a couple of weeks back on the oceanswims.com blog/blob, and this was the result ...

Question: Sharks - How does the current meeja hoo haa about sharks influence you on whether to swim in events in Sydney Harbour or in the ocean?

Changes my mind - won't swim 8 (9%)
Casts doubts whether I should swim - 26 (30%)
No change - 29 (34%)
The meeja are shallow and hysterical - 25 (29%)

So, over to you ...

Sydney Harbour Swim ... lots of meeja, no sharks ...

So what did you think of The Sydney Harbour Swim Classic? Notice how many meeja were there, but by the time the presos came around, there were none to be seen. Hard to escape the conclusion that they weren't there to find out who won ... they were there for blood! Sadly, they were foiled, although even more sadly, they might have been happier had they been at Avalon yesterday morning instead ...

Good event at the Harbour? What did you think?

Swimming in Sydney Harbour ...

I was planningo to do the Bridge to beach swim - 11km in the harbour from the bridge to Manly... I am not so sure now.... will the swim still be on? any thoughts?

Anonymous

Little Bay ... What did you think?

The first outing of what could grow to become one of the great classics on the NSW ocean swimming circuit ... Malabar-Little Bay Stockland Challenge. Due to conditions, it was a circuit inside Long Bay at Malabar, rather than the full journey swim. When run over its full course, this swim offers a challenging, once-you're-out-you're-committed course around a broad, flat headland, and did you get a load of all that activity in the water off the headland? Not just backwash from the sou'-east swell, but there was movement there. "That water is really moving," said Willoughby hack Graeme Brewer afterwards, gazing out over the Pacific Ocean towards Auckland. There's a bombora out there, too. On an easy day, this swim would be a challenge. On a difficult day, you should consider seriously whether to attempt it.

Make no mistake, this will be a classic. This will be one of the ultimate challenges for the rank-and-file, journeyperson ocean swimmer.

Well done to Murray Rose and team on their first outing, pulling almost 500, indeed, making it a very healthy first time swim, although not the biggest. And well done to the Rainbow Club, the charity of benefit.

Drafting and heel wafting ... Is that wrong?

I’m not sure if this is an etiquette question or good idea.

I rocked up to Bondi last Sunday with hardly any training under my belt and found a well-proportioned man to sit behind through most of the swim. Sitting in his wake, I had an easy swim but the fact that he must’ve felt someone playing with his tootsies the whole way played uneasily on my mind. I felt most grateful for his slow, steady cadence and particularly the fact that he powered around the buoys.

I tried to find him after the swim and thank him for the ride... if you’re out there, you were wearing red budgy smugglers... thank you!... But was it annoying feeling my fingertips on the soles of your feet, or was it too cold to feel anything? :)

My question for the experts is, where is the best place to sit – behind or alongside the man displacing water for you – and what is the etiquette around drafting in a swim race?

Thanks,

Tamsin Pike

Topic of the day ...

Who let the sharks out?

Anonymous
(posted by os.c on behalf of Anonymous in the interests of generating a new and topical stream)

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