We are experimenting with blog headlines at the moment. Aim is to maximize click-through rates and traffic on our webiste. So far ‘WHALE!!!’ has proven to be the headline generating the most traffic. Curious to see if today’s headline can beat it…
More on Marc’s pants later.
Today’s 103 swimmers were greeted with the return of some sizable swell! Here’s a photo of John 007 Bond taking the water temperature..
It did look gloomy first thing in the morning though, keeping some of the usual Sunday crowd away from the beach. Still, a good turnout for a mid-winter swim.
Nothing will cheer you up like the smiling faces of Bold & Beautiful swimmers before 7am..
Lesley teaching Simon the pas-de-deux.. or the dying swan or something..
The usual pre-7am posing begins.
Wetsuit or sans-wetsuit? The debate is raging these days..
Finally, it’s time to get wet..
(the following photos were provided by Lesley who is completing a blogging internship with us – I apologize for the picture quality / lack of focus)
The surf was bigger than captured in Lesley’s photos. So some of the swimmers chose the halfway option.
Not many photos from Shelly. But Lesley managed to capture this one featuring Sky in one of her wetsuits. Her thigh straps (featured on yesterday’s blog) unfortunately submerged in the water on this occasion..
Back at the club, everybody is helping out drying and changing each other. It’s exactly this spirit of lending your fellow swimmers a helping hand that makes the B&B such a loveable group to swim with.
Now, it wouldn’t be a B&B blog without the White family photo..
… or one of Shaun’s trademark facial expressions!
Miles, just back from crossing the English Channel, getting his well deserved hero’s welcome.
“Miles, Miles! Do that thing again where you pick up Little Sarah with one arm!!”
The apres-swim scene at Manly Wine..
An all too familiar scene these days – Lesley and Little Sarah cooking up mischief of some kind..
Lesley loves a bit of yoga after the swim. I’m no yoga expert, but I’m pretty sure this one is called downward facing dog.
Changing topics – here’s one of those B&B stories I love…
One of our new swimmers, Roger Harvey, joined in the fun 10 days ago. So far, he has swum 4 times:
And Roger enjoyed swimming with us so much, he has made this funky cartoon for us!!
How great is that?!
And finally, the reason most of you bothered to read today’s blog…
How to get into Marc’s pants:
1. Sleep till 6:40am and pack your swim bag in a chaotic frenzy
2. Swim
3. Try and change for brekkie
4. Realize that you forgot to pack your pants
5. Find Marc and tell him your story (crying helps)
6. Get into Marc’s pants
7. Return Marc’s pants the next day
8. Mention Marc’s generosity on the blog for the world to see
Now, some of the female swimmers told me that steps 1 to 5 can easily be substituded with buying Marc a bucket of sangria. But where’s the fun in that?
Have a great Sunday everone!
Signing off,
Lips (today with Elaine’s legs and what seems to be Lucy’s hand)
*****
The Stats
Regulars: 103
Newbies: Still counting..
Temp: 17.3
Sunrise: 6:55am
Sunset: 5:07pm
Pants returned: 1 pair
*****
Bottom of the Blog – the very useful stuff
Got something to say?
Well if you want to give wings or fins to your creative side – join the B&B blog team. See Ian, JK or Mary after the swim.
B&B Swim School
Join Pacific Jules coaches Warren and Sarah Anne for an hour in the ocean and learn to swim with less fight and more flow! This one hour session will focus on getting you to feel your body position in the water, understand how this affects your efficiency and teach you how to swim with more ease. This technique naturally builds endurance and speed.
When : Saturday 26th July 9:30-10:30am
Cost : $25
Location : Shelly Beach
Open to everyone and all abilities welcome.
What to bring: swim suit, cap, goggles, wetsuit compulsory, water and money for a hot cuppa afterwards!
Contact Sarah Anne at info@pacificjules.com.au to book your place
Week 8 of the Winter Badge season.
There are 14 weeks in the winter season. To qualify for the prized Cold & Bold Badge you simply need to swim 20 times within the season ensuring you have swum in aminimum of 7 different weeks. So, attempting to do it all in the first few weeks does not count!! Make sure you use the i-Log to register your without wetsuit for the WWW badge.
B&B i-Log
The B&B i-Log is the best way to capture your swims!! Log your swim ANYTIME of day using this really efficient and easy way to ensure your swim is recorded in the daily attendance and on the Pacific Challenge.. To get started, send an email to Ian Forster ugoboyo@gmail.com (This is not a link so please copy and paste into your email). He will check that your email address is activated on the attendance register then send you info on how to get started.
Staying safe
There was some big wave action going on this morning. Were you prepared? Remember that there are no badges for scaring yourself silly! While it is great to extend your boundaries, it is important to know your limits. Do read these excellent tips on staying safe in the surf. To read, or even download, click here.
*****
15 comments
Anna McBold
20/07/2014 at 12:22 pm
The thing I love about your blogs, Lips, is that it’s so clear it’s you doing the writing within the first sentence.
Watch out Sarah, the horse is about to take your beanie!!
What happened to poor Shaun?!
Anna McBold
20/07/2014 at 12:28 pm
Just sharing some light shark humour:
https://m.facebook.com/NewYorkerCartoons?refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com.au%2F&_rdr
Lesbubbles
20/07/2014 at 12:41 pm
Wow I love that cartoon by Roger!!
Bottom left is definitely Jane … Far right running to loo in brown uggs is probably me!?
A few too many awful photos of me on today’s blog (except last one)…but as I have said to people in the past who complain of similar “it’s not awful it’s what you actually look like” 🙁
Fun blog Lips!!
ros
20/07/2014 at 1:12 pm
Fine blogging Rainer! Roger’s cartoon is wonderful: I’m sure the surf club will love it too, with the Bold and Beautiful flag attached to the surf club roof.
Elizabeth
20/07/2014 at 1:13 pm
I enjoyed todays swim and blog a lot. The conditions really separated the real ocean swimmers from the wannabe (me). But i am inspired to keep plugging away. And those doublers – Peter, Jen, Bryan, Ali who i saw while doing my half-double today – wow. Just unstoppable. And a great blog too.
The Spaniard
20/07/2014 at 1:23 pm
I think that the jar of Sangria would be funnier!
Great blog Rainer but never ever think that this was the best blog of the World, you Germans…
LSA aka HKTQ
20/07/2014 at 1:35 pm
Great blog! Blog-tarting opportunities curtailed at Shelly when the Girl jumped the gun, but otherwise a great swim with a good excuse to take an easy Half Way option….Welcome home, Miles!
Marc, Rusty, Greg, John L & Chris have all been demonstrating in recent weeks that there is a big downside to living so close to the surf club that you can jump into your own shower after the swim. You also get called on to share that shower (or apres blue bottle bath with bubbly), provide a computer, cook brekkie for bloggers and make your wardrobe available to any vagabond B&B who arrives half-dressed. Now you know who to call on….all generous guys who understand the “all-inclusive” motto:-)
Lips
20/07/2014 at 2:06 pm
Haha!
Definitely not best blog in the world! Sorry to say mate, but early indication is for one of the lowest click-thru rates ever on the B&B blog.
Even lower than JK’s infamous 2010 blog post ‘confessions of a middle-aged Englishman in budgie smugglers’. And no one thought that would be possible.
Jane
20/07/2014 at 2:10 pm
Yes, definitely me LB – last in as usual…..
Tim
20/07/2014 at 2:13 pm
I knew I should have gotten out of bed.
So what were my blogging stats on Thursday. I’ll keep mentioning whales.
Margot
20/07/2014 at 2:44 pm
Ein ganz toller Blog, Rainer! Du bist ein Word-smith.And Elizabeth- do keep plugging away. You are not the only wannabe. When I get there next I will be so out of practice I will be the only one with floaties. And flippers. From half way.
Voldemort (he who must not be named)
20/07/2014 at 3:16 pm
Agree Rozz, great cartoon, the flag could have been bigger!
But seriously, all the clubbies have a great sense of humour.
Why I’m sure StephenC, Jenny Mc or someone could post this on Manly Surf Lifesaving Clubs website to share the humour around.
Lovely to see Miles back, congratulations. Dropped that extra weight already.
Rainer lovely blog portraying your quirky Germanic humour and wonderful to see your tea cosy resurrected as a beanie being worn by a famous female B&Ber.
Snorkles
20/07/2014 at 4:33 pm
Lips!!! Great blog – thanks for standing in on blog duties whilst Jones and I froze in the blue mountains!
When walking to Govetts Leap, ended up bumping into Bernard and his family!!! Who’d thought? Head away for the weekend and bump into a fellow B&B’er!!
Bernhard
20/07/2014 at 5:11 pm
See how popular B&B is now. But If I have to choose next time between swimming in 16c water and spending a weekend in the Blue Mountains in the middle of winter, its definitively the swimming.
The Spaniard
21/07/2014 at 4:40 pm
I’m happy to share pants with Rainer but we should negotiate the part of sharing shower with him too..!!!!