Receiving a big, friendly smile is one of the best starts to your day and when you do our swim you get plenty! The clock showed a mere 2 degrees this morning but that, nor the threat of jimbles… deterred 120 of us pink cappers from getting in that ocean this morning!
A few of us clocked up our 20th winter swim over 7 different weeks of Winter today. Annie and I reached 20 which will get us the ‘Cold and Beautiful’ and ‘WWW’ badges! Well done all of you have got either already. You can see who has by clicking on the 2015 cold and beautiful badge on the Pacific Challenge. There are around 30 who have already got their www badge!
The water had dropped down to 15.8 brrrr… but luckily the jimbles had all gone. Early swimmers headed North but after Drinky reported the Shelly route jimble free, the 7amers headed to Shelly.
Most people tried to smile when they entered that chilly water!
Jane’s smile was the biggest!
but Nick just looked…COLD!
The water was crystal clear all the way across…
The Shelly ‘Westies’
‘A Teamers’
Shelly “eastern suburbs” posh lot 😉
Blog Tarts
‘Westies’ again
and the famous jimble kisser Lips is back from his holiday in Germany!
There was some dissent in the ranks today when someone didn’t wait for Ian to say the ‘Let’s Go’… but it was blummin cold!
Just as I was questioning my sanity as I swam towards the point freezing my ‘toes’ off… I was rewarded by the sight of a beautiful ray (Jane please identify the type) swimming gracefully beneath me. I dove down to take a better photo but thought of Steve Irwin and resurfaced!
See how clear the water was today? Identify our gorgeous mermaid in blog comments!
Great to have Ian and Pauling back with us too! (Ian pictured with John not Pauline 😉
Back outside the sheltered Surf Club Jane gets interviewed and shows us her special warming patches (bought from Aldi of course!)
Last night we had another great evening at the monthly Bluewater B&B dinner. Wendy was awarded her 500km badge…
and Sterling got his 1000km badge! Is he the first swimmer to reach 1000km in the shortest time?
David Walton (on the right) regaled us with stories of police corruption in Manly in the noughts and was very entertaining. Thank you David. I hope you can put in a word for me at The Manly Boatshed the next time I get thrown out and threatened with police intervention for dancing with my arms above my head!
Don’t miss next month’s Bluewater dinner. Lovely Irish swimmer Caroline Kelly will talk about what led her to set up a foundation for research following the death of her husband from pancreatic cancer 3 years ago. She is organising fun walks all over the country and the first in Manly will be on 16th August from Shelly to Queenscliffe. Let’s ‘give back’ a little and support this worthy cause! click here
A few photos I loaded yesterday of shots I’ve taken since my last blog 2 weeks ago.
Karen, Drinky and Jane
Alana and Henrietta…. Nicky, Mike and Marco
Our lovely Errol
Bev and Izzy
David chilling out at Shelly…
Stats: 120 swimmers, no newbies (!!), water 15.8, air 5.
And just in case you missed this link on the blog earlier in the week to a truly remarkable film of B&B taken last week, here it is. It is gold.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiuzmk1CTKI
TTFN.
End of blog bits.
– – –
Staying safe
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. Also, if you have a bit more experience, keep an eye out for new swimmers who might need company. Do read these excellent tips on staying safe in the surf. To read, or even download, click here.
Local businessman Jim Stackpool is having a “business re-naming” launch in Manly next Thursday night, and Pink Cappers are most welcome
Art Hub Manly – 44 Market Lane (between beach end of Corso and Sydney Road)
Thursday 16th July
6 p.m. – For free drinks and nibbles (Don’t dawdle – it ends at 7.30)
“And a boring ten-minute speech,” says Jim 🙂
Keep smiling and swimming!
Lainey aka Elaine
14 comments
Snorkles
15/07/2015 at 12:50 pm
Booooo hooooo – my Jimble sting from Sunday is keeping me out of the water and preventing me from getting my last winter swims in for my badge!!!! BAd Jimbles!
Thanks for not being here Lips when I needed you, you are supposed ot have them stuck to your face, not me!
Hoping my face is a bit better next week so I can swim again!
John.St
15/07/2015 at 1:18 pm
Grainy mustard on the sting relieves the pain.
Whack it on your face in the morning and off you go to work.
Jane
15/07/2015 at 2:56 pm
Poor Snorkels. It’s always Rainer’s fault; we’re lucky to have him to blame (but don’t mention th…oh, sorry, Lips, I promised not to, nearly forgot).
Lovely fish pics as usual L-L. Please send me all the Ray pics (no, not THAT one, the fish).
Lips
15/07/2015 at 3:39 pm
Or try urine. Always works. I’ll bring some down tomorrow.
Shelly
15/07/2015 at 3:40 pm
Loo-ey you one of the best bloggers around, great blog as usual .
Hope you get better snorkles !! & don’t take silly advice about putting grainy mustard on….. that is just to silly for words ! everyone knows it hot English is the way to go !
Great talk last night from David about police corruption, can’t wait for the next one about B&B badge corruption 😉
Love you all
Shelly
xoxoxo
Lips
15/07/2015 at 3:46 pm
Great blog Lainey. Mermaid quiz is Jane!!
Jane
15/07/2015 at 3:52 pm
Got it in one, Lips. I know – I was there. I promise not to mention you know what for the foreseeable future.
DWSS
15/07/2015 at 4:27 pm
Very nice blog there Lainey Loo.
I wish I could take photos as professional as yours, or Nicks even.
Great to see Lippy back.
We nearly lost the camera a few times when he was away.
None of that now, we know exactly where it is. 🙂
Welcome back.
Snorks, ask Jim what worked for his Jimble sting.
Elizabeth
15/07/2015 at 4:50 pm
The double swim did not count as 2.5km until about just overa year ago so Sterling was helped to quickly get the 1000 badge by that change (like others!) it was a good rule change by management.
Simon
15/07/2015 at 5:54 pm
Thanks Lainey for another great blog.
I think the ray is an F117 Nighthawk.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-117_Nighthawk
mary
15/07/2015 at 6:16 pm
Jane it looks like the Blotched Fantail. We saw it about this time last year. According to Aus Museum, “it has been found as far S. as Northern NSW, so Cabbage Tree Bay might be the furthest Southern sighting.”
http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/blotched-fantail-ray-dark-individual
Mauricio
15/07/2015 at 8:15 pm
I saw one like this a while ago:
http://youtu.be/VjW3DNe8VWo
Jane
15/07/2015 at 10:35 pm
Spot on, Simon!
Veena
16/07/2015 at 9:07 am
Finally read the blog. Love the pics Lainie & the range of people and topics! xx