A lot of media hoopla over past 36 hours – about the coast being smithereened by blithering storm action all weekend
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It starts out pitch black this morning. Wet – windlashed – and foreboding. Evidence of a stormy night
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It is so bleak, we actually dare to stand inside the surf club’s zodiac shed. Hello, Ms Nebraska …
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“There’ll be no Newbies in this weather,” our wise Ian declares. But up pops Mark – from Cronulla. His family is still asleep up at Q Station. Mark’s one of about sixty Cronulla SIPS (Shark Island Psycho Swimmers). It’s daily, and about 10 or so will swim out and around Cronulla’s Shark Island (about 1.7 kilos).
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Blustery as it is; the Point Cafe is still open for business by 6.20 …
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The rain almost stops at seven … but the vast majority of pink cappers have stayed home today. Here’s tough chicks Clare and Caroline – lovin’ it!
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Safety talk … (overbeering can grow power-thighs)
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This is Courtney’s “Don’t Swim Here” Crocodile badge from Darwin
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It’s very very wet – making for difficult outdoor photography. So let’s break the “No Dunnies Pix” taboo
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This guy is a scientist. He is really smart; but a bit quirky. He goes to conferences overseas and speaks. A Megageek
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The actual waves aren’t big, but it’s a choppy haul all the way over and back. (Apparently. I’m not getting into that water)
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But – very very suddenly (when the Sevens are halfway over to Shelly) all hell breaks loose
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The beachfront is deserted. Martin, Steve, Jim and Danny huddle right in the corner – determined to get their coffee reward
Everybody’s clothing and towels are saturated. I can officially confirm that the weekend rains are here.
I am soaked. I decide to get off home (To find yet more ants on my kitchen bench). And leave this guy to hold the fort –
Stats:
Stingers: Nil windborne bluebottles
Swimmers: 160
Newbies: Three
Temp: 20.3º
Gear: Saturated
Lingerers: None
28 comments
Fiona
04/06/2016 at 9:54 am
Great blog Roger, considering the torrential rain! Many of us ventured round to shelly where it became the clash of the swimmers at half way. Fun, exiillerating, crazy and stupid were words that were used. Newbie Julia did amazing, with no googles either!!
Mary
04/06/2016 at 9:54 am
Perfect day for tea and toast in bed. Love the photo of the revolved utkaasana!
LSA aka HKTQ
04/06/2016 at 10:26 am
Exciting swim in surf and gale winds and what felt like hail with zero visibility at times and bumping into other swimmers too:) A welcome change from all those glassy, calm, high-vis, perfect swims!!
John
04/06/2016 at 11:16 am
I think the tatt says Challenge(r)?, risk taker. Can’t see the third character.
Shelley K
04/06/2016 at 11:47 am
Looks like a fun swim, sorry I missed it.
‘a bit quirky’….yaairsssiree (then again, takes one to know one)
Elizabeth
04/06/2016 at 12:03 pm
An excellent blog. You have captured the action of the day and provided all the important news and images. The sea was unfamiliar. Lindsay and Jason were SO impressive in their timing getting out at hallway after lots of swimming in the brown (tannin I hope from leaves) water. Where did all the sand go at half way. Surely we can back a trailer down and add some sand to cover the boulders. Thanks so much Roger for capturing the day in photos but the swell diagram with swimmers is my favourite
Bill McCaffeine
04/06/2016 at 12:22 pm
Great Blog Roger,
Be it known even the coffee taster ran round to Shelly, threw myself in, did about a dozen strokes, came back out and ran around to the sheds …..now I know how Jules feels after her 10th Rottie
Inge
04/06/2016 at 12:43 pm
Yes must’ve been fun… to think I missed out on it all…
Nicky P
04/06/2016 at 12:58 pm
Thanks Roger for confirming the wet and wild conditions, it feels like 100 km winds here in Queensie, and I have enjoyed the new experience of staying in bed till 7am….
Angela
04/06/2016 at 1:08 pm
I felt like I’d been tossed overboard from the Titanic,mountainous waves meant I saw no one out at sea when I did my swim to halfway and back to Shelly.
Swimming with sharks
04/06/2016 at 1:26 pm
3 newbies!? Will nothing keep them away?
Alanna
04/06/2016 at 1:28 pm
Okkkkk I knew there was a reason I didnt venture out…been watching the sea here at Collaroy, thinking hell those waves are heading towards Shelly beach…
Greg Cole
04/06/2016 at 1:38 pm
Stay out of my toilet you perv.
Simon
04/06/2016 at 1:48 pm
Roger thanks for another great blog.
I swam at 7 o’clock with Mark and his quote of the day when we stopped in the middle of the bay with rain sheeting horizontally over the surface, “how’s this!!!”. So much rain the water started to taste like we were swimming in freshwaterand, if you breathed left you got hit by a 1000 needles.
Rusty
04/06/2016 at 2:29 pm
Funny blog again Roger. Captured the wild day perfectly.
The Submarine
04/06/2016 at 3:36 pm
I found two pairs of goggles in the shallows at Sth Steyne today. One is a View dark blue with grey eye pieces. The other is Aquasphere clear plastic with black nose piece and side bits. Contact me if they’re yours. 0408 972 542
Lips
04/06/2016 at 3:41 pm
You’re an inspiration to coffee drinkers around the world, Bill!
Lindsay
04/06/2016 at 4:13 pm
It was a fun swim until we got back to the point. A bit like being alone on a roller coaster in the dark. Thanks to Jason for swimming back to halfway with me after I got back to the point to be faced with HUGE waves and unpredictable conditions. Halfway was a breeze compared to that!
Hope that you weren’t late for work on my account!
Shelly
04/06/2016 at 4:50 pm
Nice one Rogere’
Glad I slept in…… cause now I know I did the right thing.
Bill McCaffeine swims on today ! Scots aren’t funny they, must have been homesick for a summers day in Glasgow 😉
Love you all
Shelly
xoxoxo
Kathryn
04/06/2016 at 5:35 pm
*How* much roomier are the men’s showers than the ladies!?!? Not fair.
Lesbubs
04/06/2016 at 6:57 pm
Wow I don’t think there’s been this many comments on one blog since Fifi spat the dummy! Lol
I can’t wait for tomorrow!
Agree with Mary great yoga pose!!
Shelley K
04/06/2016 at 8:01 pm
Aren’t they though! Need to send in an investigative team to take some measurements
Gino
04/06/2016 at 8:12 pm
As my cousin and yoga teacher says, ‘please do not copy his technique’
Great blog Roger!
Lainey
05/06/2016 at 9:55 am
Great description Simon!
Great blog Rog
Lainey
05/06/2016 at 9:57 am
Bahaha! Measurements of what Shelley??!!
Lainey
05/06/2016 at 9:57 am
I’ll volunteer!
Kathryn
05/06/2016 at 2:53 pm
lol, there’s always one 😉
Ian The slower
06/06/2016 at 7:29 am
Roger,
another great blog.
Usually I am happy to swim a bouncey double but the bounce was just at my limit of enjoyment. Only three 7 o’clockers swam a double. The ‘single’ swim was fun.
The amount of spray during the stingy downpour of rain was very unusual. I have experienced slightly worse once in a game of water polo under lights where the ball on the water was almost unseeable!!
Ian the slower