57 Bold & Beautiful swimmers and a pod of dolphins took on an interesting Monday morning.
Nick was back for the first time in a while and reckoned he needed to keep an eye on his heart rate because he was so excited!
LSA and Wilf are always excited to be here…
We welcomed our ever increasing number of newbies (3 today) to the group, I asked Kate what she thought of my blogging skills….
However it seems others were more interested in wondering what had done this?! Maybe the first s***k attack in Manly since the early 1900’s????? No chance, the biggest bite you will get around here is from a bit of seaweed! (Please see Dr John for his story about being “stung” by seaweed) lol
On my way back from Shelly I tried once again to practice my underwater skills, which as you can see are clearly getting better
Maybe listen to Jules next time and switch to underwater mode and turn off flash! This one was better:
Lucky I had been practising my underwater shots, because as soon as I had finished the swim, I heard the shout of “DOLPHINS!!!” from the surf club. In my haste to get back into the water, I unfortunately lost one of my “Blog Shoes” in the surf. For those of you who dont know what they are, they are purpose built for us Blogsters:
Nonetheless, I set off for the point where there was clearly a pod of dolphins (No sign of the Dolphin Whisperer though) playing.
So, the pasty Irish, super-slow and one-fin-less Blogster, sets off to try and catch a glimpse of them. Lucky I had spotters on dry land at the point telling me which way to go. Right? Nope. Pointing in one direction, then the opposite direction in quick succession does not help me Ian Liddle! Especially when I am swimming in circles with one flipper!
I did manage to get one shot while I was out there.
Seriously though, thanks to Stephen C who managed to get actual proof of the pod, top right hand corner of the photo:
Here is Stephen himself, who after recently sharing with us the “Jimble Proof” Smurf-Like wetsuit, is now showing off the new “Female-Repellent” summer range of men’s tops. These should really keep the women away Stephen! 😉
(Sorry Pal, especially after you have sent me the dolphin pic!)
So, after getting out the water (again) having swam with dolphins for the first time ever, without actually seeing anything other than fins, my thoughts went back to my poor lost blog shoe…
But wait! A stranger comes out of the ocean hoisting a trophy! My Blog Shoe!!!!
Thank you sir!
There is also a lot of discussion around wetsuits these last few weeks as the temperature gets warmer. Today we saw a particular increase in wetties due to the drop in temp. My expert take on it is this:
1. They keep you safe from our friend the Jimble. The only place you are going to get stung by a jimble is on your face/lips. And you would have to be a complete goose to get stung there!
2. They keep you nice and bouyant. This means it takes less effort to drag your carcass over to Shelly and you can spend much more time blog-tarting than recovering before the swim back.
3. You look like an athlete. This is very important when regaling people of your Ironman conquests.
So dont listen to all those nay-sayers who tell you to suit down…even if they do have one little point:
Keep smiling and swimming. See you all next Monday when I will begin my countdown to Christmas!
Robster the Blogster
We had 2 people trying to “keep up with the boulderdashians” and 4 early birds, 3 people did a daily double.
B&B CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES:
- Christmas Party – Wed, 12th Dec from 6.30pm in the downstairs section of The Steyne Hotel (as you enter from the Rope & Anchor). Please RSVP here now !! It’s Retro theme so dress up and come and boogie the night away. It will be a great night. DJ and nibbles are provided, drinks can be purchased from behind the bar throughout the night. Don’t miss it !
- Adventure Swim – Night swim with glow sticks, torches, changed to 8.30pm so it’s dark enough 🙂 Thursday 20th December. Regular B&B swim, Manly to Shelly and back !
- Gold coin donation BBQ Breakfast at Royal Far West on Sat 22nd Dec, to kick off our exciting new partnership with them. Everyone is welcome, so please come along and get to know more about the wonderful work they do there on Sat 22nd Dec straight after the swim.
- Christmas DAY !!! 7am Swim to Manly return as usual followed by BBQ Breakfast, byo and share at Shelly Beach as soon as you wish after the swim.
- B&B’s 4th Birthday Party Swim, Thursday 27th December we might be celebrating 4000 swimmers and a world record too… we currently have a submission in with the Guinness World Records for the worlds largest daily open water swimming group !!
Water Temperature 19.5
Air Temperature 17
Sunrise 6.01am
Sunset 7.57pm
Low Tide: 12.31am
High Tide: 6.26pm
To read Michael’s tips on how to stay safe in the surf please click here
31 comments
Lucy (almost birthday gal)
10/12/2012 at 11:31 am
Great blog Rob!!
Um, just one thing missing…Michael C and I have had a meeting and agreed that we would like our shared birthday added to the list of very important upcoming dates.
That’s 21 December for anyone who would like to start planning their baking schedule 🙂
DWSS
10/12/2012 at 11:32 am
Hey Hey Hey – Robski – I was one of the early lapper this morning. I did spend much time mid swim calling in the Dolphins and then what happens?
My Grey mates turn up to play. I think they were a bit concerned Moiles was around and then took off.Remember – Allways be nice to dolphins and nippers!!!!
Who is the mystery hellfire club attendant at the end, hahaha
I only saw one jimble today, nice change and good to see them go.
Unfortunately, the jimble was 1.8m tall and was chasing one of the swimmers. It was massive.
Snorkles, have you been giving roids to the jimbles as well as the mullet?
Congratulations LSA for scooting ahead on the PC.
Quote of the day at the Bluewater this morning – LSA -“It is great to swim with a group that is so non competitive”
Congratulations on achieving soooo many KMs last week and Congratulations on being sooooo non competitive. hahahaa
Rob, did you do an ironman?
Snorks, were you on TV?
Did I tell you about the swim I had with dolphins and the 15KM swim?
(Note – new equation, Distance = actual swim multiplied by length of time since the event)
'The Lips' formerly known as Rainer
10/12/2012 at 11:35 am
Well done Rob! Another fantastic blog.
I love how you soldier on, undeterred, despite people avoiding Mondays like the plague now.. 57 swimmers? Must be the lowest turnout in months!!
Alright. Here it comes. I admit it. I wasn’t down there today. Who ticked my name??? Whoever you are, thanks. But next time, can you go all the way and tick me for the Bolderdash too?
Talking about the ‘Dash’, I’m still on for a slow swim to Queensie tomorrow. Leaving 5:40. Forecast is for good conditions. Should be a nice swim!
LSA, Laney-Loo, Alyson, White See-Thru Rashie? You’re still in?
lesley
10/12/2012 at 11:46 am
heehee well done Robbie! Yes definitely agree about Stephen’s ‘female repellant’ top!! hee hee
I like the never fart in wetsuit pic – although my guess IS that it is NOT a wetsuit…gimp? 😀
lesley
10/12/2012 at 11:47 am
Message for Snorkels!! the ‘Fro is a go! I will bring wednesday
Little Sarah Abbott
10/12/2012 at 12:03 pm
OK, Ok, I’ll admit it….. you PROMISED you were coming, so I ticked you in to save your time while you sign autos, pose for the media and get ready LATE as usual….
When I got back from the swim, I made a mess on the chart trying to cross out the tick, but I guess Michael just assumed the messy blob was your illegible tick:-) Tomorrow, will make sure there’s a Bolderdash blob as well: )
Be there 5:35 to spare me the panic attacks plsssss!
Good job Rob and SS, the skill is encouraging everyone else to be non-competitive:-))
DWSS
10/12/2012 at 12:52 pm
AHH HUHHH
I knew it – swimless ticks,
LSA, I believe you should be penalised 7km for that one. hahaha
Rob Byrne
10/12/2012 at 12:53 pm
Yes Rainer, people are obviously scared of me photo shopping them to look like they are in the nooood and staying away! Nonetheless, me and my sophisticated humour of fart jokes will soldier on indeed!
So sorry to have forgotten to add in that it is RICKY FACER and MAHDI DEATON’s birthday’s today…HAPPY BIRTHDAY both!!!! (Sorry again!)
Lucy, consider it done! I will start baking immediately.
Mark
10/12/2012 at 1:05 pm
Did someone say non competitive!
Now far be it me to judge (and miles you are clearly slipping), but LSA you have clearly over swum the line!
Threatening to give a fellow swimmer “the clap” (your words not mine, re read your 9/12 posting )!
Now I know the line is clearly stretched already but we must have standards surely?
.
Mind you a challenge is a challenge is it not, I’ve reconsidered my position, more power to you LSA,
It is over to you SS, are you game to show tommorow?
Mark
10/12/2012 at 1:58 pm
My girls (Laura And Jasmine) wanted to say thanks too to all the happy faces and encouragement during their paddles over the last couple of weekends. Thanks to one and all. They love coming along and put the blog and piccies up for news at school.
Cheers
DWSS
10/12/2012 at 2:05 pm
Thank you Mark for your intellectual observation.
I was intending to turn up tomorrow for the bolder swim but alas, I have been challenged.
My non competitiveness is struggling with my love of dolphins and yearn for the ocean.
what to do, what to do.
(Ill say no, then turn up to knock my foxy nemesis off her axle)
No, I don’t think I can make it tomorrow LSA.
Ill just get “the clap” some where else instead.
Snorkles
10/12/2012 at 2:11 pm
Lesely – thanks – I’m in tomorrow morn – can you bring down tomorrow morn ???
Snorkles
10/12/2012 at 2:12 pm
Rob – none of the pics look like you today so nil points on the spreddy??
'The Lips' formerly known as Rainer
10/12/2012 at 2:30 pm
Oh Little Sarah, I think DWSS is on to us!! He’s probably going to press for a full audit of both our PC points for the last two years.. I knew it would come to this!
See you at 5:35 tomorrow! 🙂
lesley
10/12/2012 at 2:43 pm
won’t be picking it up till tomorrow arvo… see you weds morning? or i can just bring with weds night?
lesley
10/12/2012 at 2:54 pm
ooh hope it’s not manly west! The poor kids there are already over BnB stories from Mrs De Jager (Elaine) 🙂
Little Tiger
10/12/2012 at 2:58 pm
Mark, your girls are real ‘warrior women’.
Little Sarah Abbott
10/12/2012 at 3:38 pm
In Rob’s defense (as he so kindly escorted me on the home-run, along with Wilf),
I think that pic 5 is a really charming underwater one of both Rob & myself. I love the mystery and romanticism:-) And the one of his blog shoes just needs the tiniest bit of imagination to see our intrepid Blogger charging off into the big surf to join the dolphins. (See, Lips, always dolphins when you no-show!!)
I think I know why I was never put on the Spreddy – no one else would have stood a chance:-))
Little Sarah Abbott
10/12/2012 at 3:45 pm
!! And I always thought Mark was a good mate, but now I see he’s urging you over the line and challenging the tactics. Good luck with “the clap” elsewhere tomorrow:-))
Little Sarah Abbott
10/12/2012 at 4:11 pm
I know… it’s just so lucky for us that I’ve been feeding Michael at b’fast all this time!
Michael [EX CI]
10/12/2012 at 4:28 pm
Thanks heaps Lucy!!
Rob Byrne
10/12/2012 at 4:35 pm
ouch.
Anne E
10/12/2012 at 4:53 pm
Didn’t realize there were skinks in Cabbage Tree Bay or that they were likely to attack! Or was that skunks? Anyone planning a slow to moderate Bolderdash in the morning? I plan to be down ther for a 0545 start.
DWSS
10/12/2012 at 5:13 pm
Hey Annie E. Can you do me a favour on the bolder tomorrow? If you see LSA, can you possibly stop and have a chat to her?, Not that I would like to slow her down with distractions but I would like to slow her down.
john S
10/12/2012 at 5:15 pm
Hi AnnE
hoping to be, subject to jacks sleeping habits as he intends to swim tomorrow (but he’s now been saying that for almost a week).
Anne E
10/12/2012 at 5:15 pm
Only if I can catch her….
DWSS
10/12/2012 at 5:15 pm
OOOHHHHHHH THE CORRUPTION!!!!
DWSS
10/12/2012 at 5:20 pm
Really? Michael looks older than you Lucy.
How is that bite on your, oops , sting on your neck?,
"Snorkles"
10/12/2012 at 8:23 pm
This is corruption at its very best! I am so lucky Lips or Lil Sarah is not managing the blog spreddy!!!!
"Snorkles"
10/12/2012 at 8:23 pm
Hi – I’ll aim for Wed morning too – thanks so much !
Laney-Loo formerly known as E-lane
10/12/2012 at 9:13 pm
Still intending to get up at 4.40am to do Boldercrawl at 5.40am! See you then!