15/01/13 – Always different…Always exciting!

190 swimmers rose to the challenge today with the ocean showing us it’s wild and woolly side! Huge surf with waves breaking out far out towards The Point meant most of us chose the safer option and walked around to Fairy Bower. Waves were crashing there too but it all adds to the fun and excitement! I’ll begin with us all in the calm waters at Shelly Beach…

No clouds in the sky this morning, a beaut sunrise to start off a hot Summer’s Day…

Louise below travels 83 kms to get to Manly to participate in this amazing activity, all the way from The Hawkesbury. (Ros manages to make it down from Balgowlah Heights.) Louise has also clocked up 83kms in 23 days swimming with us!

 There was a huge group at 6.30am for The Drinks Express. Here the leader himself warns swimmers about the challenging surf conditions and advises them to go from Halfway if not really used to raging surf.

Quite a few brave the waves…

Super fit Di, (on the right in red shorts), who started up Wild Women on Top, organises Coastrek and is the record holder for doing the world’s highest handstand on the top of Mount Amadablan decides to swim another day! She has done some incredible, extreme activities but thinks we are all brave swimming in this!

 

 John Kelly and Lesbubbles are back! Yay!! They lead most of the 7amers around to Halfway. Lesbubbles is in her stinger suit, (even though we haven’t had any stingers in months! She’s a Leo she just likes to stand out 😉

 It’s even tricky going in here. ‘Lips’ pictured below had his ‘accident’ getting out at the steps a few months ago but he shows us what a real man he is by powering through that backwash off the wall. (Ian behind has just held his hand and led him through!)

Everyone loves seeing themselves on the blog so I tried to take photos of all of you at Shelly Beach. Hope you can find yourself!It was very sunny, bright and beautiful (and a bit blurry.)

 

My blog would never be complete without a photo of  Blog Tarts! Lesbubbles commented about my lack of success in the matchmaking department of the B&B on her blog yesterday. Here she pulls her most flattering expression to make my job easier 😉

Time to head back through the surf or tackle the stairs at Halfway.

I think everyone made it up the stairs without any gashes!

It’s lovely the way our regular swimmers like Ian, JK and John Bond watch out for everyone and help us in.

 On the walk back I come across Miguel Maestre’s daughter Claudia,who wants to be our youngest swimmer!

Back at the benches for apres-swim, most of us agree, the waves were great for a change.

 

Stephen Coulter sent in a couple of ‘Guess who?’ photos. Please comment on blog comments below.

 

No fishy photos of today’s swim I’m afraid, too murky but I’ll just include a couple of earlier in the week. Bengali sergeants, a cute looking cobblerfish and swimming through schools of diamond fish and mados…

 

 

 

Have a fantastic day everyone!

 

Stats:

190 Swimmers (seemed more)

6 Newbies

21 Water temp

 

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