7/2/14 – And the Winner Is…..Friday! ;)

Happy Friday morning to everyone!

Sun is out and there’s a beautiful SE swell giving us some fun glassy rolling 3-4 footers off the point – as you’re about to see!

Just before we start – February is Heart Research Month, and we’re raising $1 for every kilometer we swim.

We need to start kicking this along! –  here’s the update…

https://redfebrelay.everydayhero.com/au/bold-beautiful-swim-squad-manly

We had a new swimmer with us this week: Ash Brunner from Body Fusion

She wrote about us on her blog! – thanks Ash! x

http://bodyfusion.com.au/blog/

Great to see people out getting fit and enjoying the summer –

Getting fit, sweating, covered in sand, getting it in all their cracks and inbetween bits, flirting with the edge of a coronary…

This is what we think of that………

Lisa and Nic and all the rest of us welcome Jess from her first swim!

Two Ladies…

What do we think of Friday mornings…?

For the ladies….

Time to kit up…

A great entry to the water today with the sun warming us all on the way out through some rolling 3 footers!

18 new swimmers today!

How do you feel??

Attracta and Jenny are always up for some off point clowning ….

It’s been a little chilly this week, but not this morning …

Andrew Thomas – again taking some time out form posting very bad jokes – do another lap Andrew – please!

A newcomer to our playground – The Stars and Stripes Toadfish…

The Stars and Stripes Toadfish is greenish brown or yellowish brown above with white underside. The back and upper sides of the body and tail are covered in small white spots. The lower sides and belly are marked with white to pale blue bars or lines. The base of the pectoral fins and gills are surrounded by light rings. The body is a typical pufferfish rounded box shape. The mouth is like a beak with teeth fused together into plates. The body has small spines except around the nose and tail.

Size
length to 50cm. Weight to 2kg.

Habitat
Found in coral reef slopes, inner reef flats and lagoons, coastal bays, estuaries, rocky reefs. Juveniles are common in weedy areas of estuaries. Swims at depths of 3m to 50m.

Food
Feeds on algae, coral, sponges, starfish, molluscs, anemones and other invertebrates

Range
The Stars and Stripes Toadfish is found in tropical and warm temperate waters throughout the Indo-Pacific. In Australia it is found from southern Western Australia, around Northern Territory, Queensland and south to central New South Wales.

Notes
Contains a potentially lethal poison (tetrodotoxin) in the skin and organs.

Lots of stripeys – hard to photograph!.. they never sit still…

Sometimes categorized with Butterflyfish, the Australian Stripey is actually a Sea Chub that can be recognized by a deep, compressed body, and distinctly slanting black and yellow stripes.

This species lives on rocky and coral reefs in protected coastal and estuarine waters around Hawaii, Japan, China, New Caledonia and Australia.

This beautiful Fanbelly Leatherjacket!

The Fan-belly Leatherjacket (Monacanthus chinensis) has a wide spread distribution around Northern Australia and into southern parts of New South Wales.

It is rare south of NSW and there has only been a few recordings of the species in Victorian waters. It can be found in estuaries and coastal bays, generally in areas that have good sponge gardens or kelp gardens. It is frequently found in areas that have silty and muddy substrate.

It can be recognised by it large expandable ventral flap that can be seen on its underside.

It grows to a maximum size of 40cm.

Plus some old favourites..

Time for some bodysurfing in to the beach on the way back… who could this be…?

…aaaah of course….

Wherever you are reading this – just get to your feet and give Simon a clap …

FOR REACHING 1000KM TODAY!

Someone left behind a nice black cardy – modelled here by Derek Zoolander Foster...

Stats:

Swimmers: 190!

Newbies: 18!

Water: 20.8c

Sunrise: 6:22am

Sunset: 7:55pm

Happy weekend! Nick D

Some of our fellow swimmers are doing a 50km Coastrek to raise funds for the Fred Hollows Foundation. Some of us are not as game, but don’t mind a bit of baking, and some of us (we know from experience) don’t mind eating cake, so here’s a chance to make everyone happy. Remember it only takes $25 to restore sight to someone. Imagine not being able to see our beautiful beach, the lovely marine life and all the pretty bakers and their wares. Bring some coins tomorrow morning. You know it makes sense 🙂

http://www.hollows.org.au/news-media/news/register-now-join-sydney-coastrek-2014?gclid=CIOJ6p7buLwCFYHxpAodJG0A3A

Also:

Eric Miller – who is a B&Ber, is doing a bike ride from Manly NSW to Manly Qld to raise funds for “Fighting Chance”

He’s having a fund raising dinner tomorrow – Friday Feb 7th at The Ivanhoe. 

A $70 tax deductible donation gets you:

Celebrity Hosts
Endless Pizza
Silent Auction
Drink on Arrival

Eric’s target overall is $15,000 and would appreciate B&B support!

B&B i-log

Now that the new work year has kicked in, save time and be ever so efficient, by using the B&B i-log.  It’s a smart phone friendly website so no need to download, just bookmark it.  There are so many good reasons to use the B&B Login – like no queues, no need for glasses to find your name, never missing the 7am call, and you can do it on the bus or ferry on the way to work.

Log your swim ANYTIME that day for an 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). He will check that your email address is activated on the attendance register then send you info on how to get started

Summer badge swims

Every Saturday during summer there will be a 6km swim – usual route is to Freshwater and back; then once a month there is a 10km swim – this is to South Curl Curl and back.  However, the final route depends on conditions that day so it is a good idea to arrive a little early to have a briefing from the designated swim leader.  Both swims kick off at 7am.

The proposed date for the next 10km swim is 15 February depending on conditions.   This date will depend on final confirmation of local surf carnivals so keep checking the blog for updates.

Bolderdash

This daily swim to Queenscliff and back DEPARTS the surf club at 5.50am.  As these are generally intimate groups, please WAIT for everyone in the water before heading off.  Do buddy up with someone – great to be with someone who has the same pace – that way everyone is ‘accounted for’ at Queenscliff.

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.  Do read these excellent tips on staying safe in the surf.  To read, or even download, click here.