This is Ojigi Fukusuke bidding you ‘welcome’ to the blog, to the swim and to a summer of smiles. Being a Japanese symbol of good luck and happiness, who better to herald in the summer badge swims and navigate around challenges (I’m thinking mostly the nasty stinging ones).   The pre-swim topic was the 6km...

Ocean:     Flat flat flat Temp:     20.4º Vis:           Very poor Seaweed:  Mostly gone Air:         A brisk breeze coming off the mountains Sun:        Eventually up and welcomingly warming Swimmers:  280 Newbies:    Seven ———- Stuff that happened yesterday Jeff did a double and got the chills …   ———– Penny (Mrs Drinks Express) dropped by for coffee time...

It was a real “mish mash” sort of a day down at Manly. People didn’t know if they were coming or going, or if they were Arthur or Marthur. Some people swam north, some went south and others walked over to the harbour for a swim. In the end I walked to Shelly with Ted...

What a spectacular morning! I woke up earlier than usual and headed down to Manly to try and catch the 6am-ers but was slightly late so I walked to Fairy bower to get an action shot of their crossing. It was so beautiful I decided to pause for a while to take it all in....

With a low tide at 7.13 this morning and the 30 cm of S/S/E swell , it was a perfect morning for a swim. While not sunny, the rain stayed away with only a light and occasional spattering. The walk to the point made for an easy start.   Before we had even started Ian...

You know in that 1940’s movie Pinocchio, how the puppet has to dive into the ocean and face his unspeakable fear of Monstro so he can rescue Mr Geppetto, the one who’s single wish is for Pinocchio to live a real life? And how after Pinocchio dives in and chokes his demon, Mr Geppetto can...

We didn’t see skies of blue Just clouds of white But the start of Summer Makes our colours so bright And we think to ourselves What a wonderful world. Judy Garland really did best describe the affect that the bright fluro is having on our swimmers now that Summer water really has arrived and many have removed...

Another beautiful morning down at Manly Beach. This view never gets old. I don’t think it ever will.It has been an absolute pleasure to blog for you this year. I have loved meeting all of you. I love your energy, your smiling faces. I love that we are all from different walks of life, different...

Every swim is its own adventure and has its own features – waves, swell, sky, stingers/not. Today was Helen’s birthday. Happy birthday Helen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRlRCrchYb       New swimmers seeking an adventurous life by joining BB       Ted’s triangle completed     a marriage is a REAL life adventure Wendy and Ryan travelled...

Conspiracy theorists have now confirmed Manly’s Cabbage Tree Bay is the world’s other Bermuda Triangle. When aliens first saw Cabbage Tree Bay from space they recognised the shape as a Triangle . And we now join the faked death of Elvis and the alleged moon landing in annuls of cult infamy. The evidence is as obvious...