The best time to do a Summer swim is Autumn

The final swim of the Summer Badge Series was meant to be last weekend, but conditions were rather ordinary, so it was pushed out a week. 

This is what greeted swimmers this morning – hello Autumn! Note the pond-like conditions and lack of wind – you’ll have to take my word on the latter. 

 

It’s fairly dark at 6:30 but the change back from daylight savings in a few weeks will gift us bright mornings for while longer

 

Every sunrise is lovely

Swimmers were gathering and greeting ahead of the 7am starts. There were no announcements which is always a good thing (no warning of stingers or dangerous conditions)

Dorsett in his winner’s yellow jersey. That win is the stuff of dreams – just ask Henrietta

The Women of the Wall are gathering. Did you know there is another group called the Women of the Wall? Look it up! Incredibly, they come up in google searches and we don’t.

 

An honorary WoW on the left

Alison and I were pumped for the 6k swim

 

What prompts the daily migration down the ramp into mysterious depths? Is it the whisper of “7 o’clock”? A primordial urge to join with our evolutionary ancestors? A motivation to exercise? Or is it that we just can’t wait?

 

Chillin’ at Shelley

 

The next few photos are of the rest of the 6km swim to the Freshie pool and back. The conditions were so perfect I almost felt it was cheating to log the swim, but my shoulders are telling me that I did indeed swim that distance.

Manly Point – ready to go

Swimming along the shark net. Very happy to report I saw no creatures stuck in it

 

At Queenscliff, looking over to Freshie

Some of the marine life around the rocks out from the Freshie pool

Back from Freshie, looking towards North Steyne and Manly

These two photos on the way back. The water clarity was so lovely

 

 

Happy 6k swimmers. A few people carried on with the 10km – John Forster and Jon Kelly. Anyone else? Great work, gentlemen

The slavering jaws of terror aka sweet doggie Sir Laurence

Thanks for an awesome morning, Manly, see you tomorrow

 

Stats

450 swimmers
20 newbies
22.7 degrees or thereabouts

2018 Summer Badge Ceremony – Sunday 18^th March

You’ve done the hard yards and got your Summer Badge(s), now come and collect your badges with all the pomp and ceremony the B&B can muster.  Bring along $10 for each badge you have earned (correct money appreciated). The venue is the Royal Far West Children’s Home (opposite the beach) on Sunday 18^th March, straight after the regular swim! Everyone is welcome, family, friends and swimmers alike.

A $5 donation will be payable to the RFW at the gate for hosting this event, and …. RFW will provide a FREE breakfast (bacon and egg sandwich and a coffee/tea). Bookings are essential to ensure there is enough food.  Book here for Badge Breakfast

All 2018 summer badge qualifiers will be presented with their well earned badge(s), so whether you are getting one personally or you want to enjoy the celebrations of your fellow swimmers, a great morning is guaranteed so come along, soak up the atmosphere and get inspired for the upcoming winter badges…

Monthly Dinner – 13^th March 2018 – Guest Speaker

The next B&B monthly dinner for the year will be held on Tuesday 13th March at 6.30 pm at Bluewater Restaurant. The guest speaker on the night will be one of our swimmers, Sharnie Connell who is a marine science specialist. Sharni will present the case for establishing a Sydney Marine Park.

The Sydney region’s incredible coasts and ocean are at the heart of our enviable lifestyle. Our beaches, bays and waterways are truly iconic, and are renowned for their beauty both above and below the water, yet less than 1% of our waters are protected. A science based multi-use Marine Park for the Sydney region will secure a healthy blue backyard for our boating, swimming, surfing, and fishing lifestyle, and protect it from the pressure of coastal development and many other impacts. Sharnie, and many other environmental professionals, maintain that we need a Sydney Marine Park to protect our coastal lifestyle for generations to come. “We’ve got stunning terrestrial national parks around our harbour and coastline, but we have none in the sea. We have thriving marine parks to our north and south, but none around Sydney, where we need it most.”

The cost of the dinner is great value at only $25 a head, which includes shared entrees, and a selection of mains to choose from (including a vegetarian option). Glasses of beer or wine and desserts are also available at the special price of only $5 each. Numbers are limited, so bookings are essential:  To avoid disappointment and secure your spot please book HERE.

RANDOM MONTHLY SWIMMER PRIZES STARTED !! 

First winner – Nicole Piha

Thanks to an amazing new partnership, B&B will be awarding random monthly prizes just for swimming !!!!

What’s the catch… you MUST LOG YOUR SWIMS TO BE IN THE DRAW !!!  To learn more about how to log your swims if you aren’t already, please find details further down in this newsletter

As of 1st February, every time you swim with B&B and log your swim as such, on our daily attendance software, you will automatically be entered into the monthly lucky swim prize !!!

Yep, each time you swim with B&B and log your swim that equals an entry into the random prize draw !!!

Prize draw will be completed at the end of each calendar month and completed by the computer software.

And there’s more… THERE WILL BE AN EVEN BIGGER PRIZE FOR RANDOM SWIMMER OF THE YEAR !

And there’s still more…. there will be a surprise event with maybe even more prizes… launching this relationship and the details of the prizes one weekend in February.  I guess you’ll have to swim to be lucky enough to be there 🙂

*Conditions apply:

You must swim with B&B in the mornings to be eligible to log your swim.

Completing your own swims later in the day, whilst that is awesome, it isn’t eligible for logging.

You must complete your log for the morning swim on the morning of your swim.

All swims, as always, are completed at your own risk, as per general B&B disclaimer.