Pacific Jules

31/08/2021 - Stunning Last Day of Winter

The Seal wasn't down at the beach this morning although a few of us are still on a high from yesterday's encounter! A few more photos later on in the blog. Today, the last day of Winter was stunning. Calm and clearer waters, water temp of 16.4 and air temp 12 and rising!

Local legend Bill, 94 years young with a full head of hair...declares to anyone who'll listen, "the barbers are shut, AA meetings are shut...but the ocean isn't shut ...I'm going in!"

Another lovely legend Heather was so happy to get back in the water. Nasty Jimble stings on the boob (yes she'll tell you) caused her immunity to get low and she got shingles. She's back now though!

Ian still refuses to buy a new wetsuit!

Martin and Michele enjoy a shower together!

This is what our favourite corner looked like at 7am

Alistair and Craig come out...

Sterls, Spaniard and the 'A Team' go in...

Ranya is radiant and Felix is 6 months and going well

Jenny and Dea. Happy Birthday again Dea for last week and thank you for co-ordinating the blog.

Lisa and niece Alice

Sophie and 'daughter'

Lisa and Attracta

Chrissy

Lovely and clear swimming to The Point

Lisa and I headed for The Bower, my favourite spot atm and saw PJS and a Cuttlefish

Saw a couple of PJS the other side too

So happy to see a Cuttlefish still around

https://www.facebook.com/1651645205/videos/pcb.4316077595093927/395014152046685://www.facebook.com/1651645205/videos/pcb.4316077595093927/395014152046685

Have a great day folks. Really sorry if you can't get to swim with us right now but hope to see you soon

love Lainey xx

 

Winter is....going

With those still reeling from a terrible season 8

With today's blog I try those feelings to negate

For here in our own little Westeros the ice it thaws

and like the rising Phoenix the temperatures begin to soar

 

Those who were brave enough to venture past the Wall

Have had their efforts rewarded by answering the call

Coming out the other side stronger - "oh look at me"

The cold was nothing - "I have a new PB"

 

And though sometimes the brave had to do battle with the Jimbles

They never faltered, kept swimming, dodging - so nimble

With the threat of White Walkers on the surface, bubbling

again the Bold, always moving forward, not struggling

 

and as we bid farewell to this Covid Winter

we can sit on our throne, proud,  faster sprinters

With Spring around the corner, approaching, warmer

We can think back, lovingly, not afraid of the former

 

So who will sit upon the Throne in the Spring?

That depends, who in, and who wants ‘da ting’

Fire and Ice, Fire and Ice

So are the seasons, but both just as nice 

 

• A very niche blog today for our current and former (thanks season 8) Game of Thrones fans
• Temp: 15.5
• Flat
• Low Tide
• Minimal marine life

Have a great week all

MDP

Sunday 29 August: Seal of approval

Big news day today.  Lainey posted early on the swimmers' Facebook page that a seal had arrived at halfway:

I'd love to fill this blog with photos of the seal, but there are more important events to cover.  Like Jo's daily coffee cup collection:

Jo's using them to build a raft so she can escape NSW's lockdown measures.

Clare was impressed:

Today's temperature (the general consensus was that it felt cooler):

Greg and Roger:

Roz and Annie:

Rainer and Jo:

Don't let the smiles  fool you.  Jo has recently overtaken Rainer in the Pacific Challenge - and when you are in the Top 50, that's serious.  I tried to break the frosty silence by talking about Jo's coffee cup raft.

Simone and Amanda:

Lesley and Mary, demonstrating one of the many ways of putting on a wetsuit:

Michele in her post-swim glow:

Nice conditions, with a bit of a wave on entry:

Today was Rainer's 20th swim.  With a badge in sight, he and Mary were understandably excited:

I bumped into Simone and Amanda again:

OK, let's get back to the seal:

 

There's one seal and two seal impressionists in this photo - I'll leave you to work out which is which:

By the time we got to Shelly, Mary had perfected her seal impression:

Being in nature affects people in different ways.  Contrast Leisa:

Such joy.

And Rainer:

Goodness me.

Water really does work its magic on us all.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

 

 

Vitamin Sea - the cure for everything

Hello from Manly and Cabbage Tree Bay, especially to people who want to be here but can't right now. Hope everyone is holding up well and getting joy as you are able

My day started cloudy but still stunning. There was a police presence and I offered the handsome young gentlemen the opportunity to be in the blog. They couldn't have been local because they declined this rare privilege.

These folks were more than happy

Happy birthday Charl

Faces removed to prevent identification

The birthday boy again (Sue Marinan also has a birthday) - happy birthday and virtual splashes to both of you

Fiona and Helen are smiling behind their masks as is Jacqui behind the snorkel

Sun breaking through

Happy to have captured this shy little leatherjacket at Shelly

These 3 from the past few weeks

What am I listening to? A tough one this week - 2 legends of modern music gone at ripe old ages over the past few days (thank you Charlie Watts and Don Everly.) But the birthday boy's request must be obeyed. This is for all the August birthday people (of which I am one)

Sending splashes to everyone

 

 

 

Friday 27 August 2021 Hankering

Elaine provided this condition report:

Friday conditions report 16.8 water temp. Few sets going out but flat in the bay. Murky only about 3 metre viz.

Which is useful for anyone who is going to swim at Manly today. I have a hankering for Manly, the changing conditions, the reports of earlier swimmers (and whatever time you swim, there seemed to be some swimmer who went earlier), the "Let's Go" that John Kelly used to do at the point, singing happy birthday to a swimmer, stressing about getting to Shelly while everyone else was still there and the leisurely swim back. All the fabulous photos of sea creatures taken by Anne, Elaine, Edwina, Alanna and Fiona and all the lovely swimmers. 

I did not see the following people today - Jenn, Alison, Margie and Brian, Inez, Peter, Fiona, Alanna, Anne Edwards of Anne Edwards Beach, Mark and his twin girls who used to accompany the swimmers when little, Allan Bicknell, and Alan and Kathy Thomson and Shelly and Belinda and Edwina. Anne H will send out swimmer vibes through her blogs and photos. Andrew D and the other 630 swimmers with smiles and a friendly wave. Mary and Gemma may have swum - who knows. I also did not see Dom who used to drive out from Liverpool on Sundays leaving at 4 to swim, Peter and Angela and Alison Bernhard and Monika from Lane Cove. How exciting to see Di and Jonny in photos from, it seemed to me, the UK. How did they get there. Time seems to have slowed and sped up and my small world has grown smaller still - globalisation means little to me just now. 

here is a downloaded image of Shelly beach

 

The cold after the storm

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL IS NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING
DUE TO THE RISKS OF CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19).

Thank you for following public health advice including physical distancing and outdoor exercising limits (currently 2 people at a time, within your LGA or within 5kms of your home) at all times (and please remember to check in if you're buying take away coffee at the local cafes!)

After yesterday's coldest swim of the year - 15.1; today's 15.5 was....not much different from yesterday!  The swell was small, the vis not great, but it was still a swim, in our beautiful bay, so I can't complain. 

Although the storm didn't create large swell at Manly, there was enough wind to disrupt some boats in Manly cove.  This one had to be lifted by a crane!

Last weekend the conditions were great, so I've included some photos from my swim with a smooth ray on Sunday below. I found it near the shore at Shelly and followed it to the boulders. It was fast and beautiful.

Have a great Day!

 

Wet Wild and LOST

Siyabona and top of the morning to you all 

I’m reading of wet windy chilly Sydney. Meanwhile  in Old Blighty I’ve managed to convince the husband (Jonny/Manus) to join me try open water swimming. 

I applied to join the open water swimming group on FB called LOST ( Lincolnshire Open Water Tribe). The entry questions were  WOW like,  ‘Do you eat cake’ and ‘what’s your favourite cake’. Just bluddy perfect.   

A LOST member recommended a spot on a river nearby Lincoln where our offices is. An old timer saw us in swimming gear, shook his head vigorously saying we shouldn’t swim it was ‘filthy’ and ‘full of water rats’. Manus shifted uncomfortably behind me. I think I heard ‘what you getting me into Di’ but I’m not sure. 

We swam in the river Witham from near a pub (of course) at a place called Southrey and despite misgivings and the gloomy old timer it was clean and beautiful. At 19.30 in sunshine, water temperature about 20C. Manus loved it. We both did. Yay to a first in the UK. We have repeated this swim and loved some more. 




l

Next was the river Wey in Surrey. I’ve walked here alongside the Wey a lot over the years but never jumped in. Never occurred to me. Mad dogs and Englishman sort of thing.
Leigh, our Saffer (yeah another) neighbour in Surrey who spent part of her lockdown in her bin covered in ice ‘prepping’ introduced us to the Wey swimming and to ‘swooshing’ which is walking upstream and ‘swooshing’ downstream #catchthedrift. We exchanged swimming gifts African style. I have a Surrey SOS cap and t shirt. Here with the lovely Leigh in BnB kit. 

 
Namaste and perhaps an SOS from Jonny #weytogo 

White peril otherwise known as swans in the background … the warning on LOST is not to look them in the eyes or hiss back :) 

The picturesque Wey. 

England and summer means blackberries, safe to eat above the dog pee mark 

Then back to Lincs to try a 800m quarry swim …

Sorry about the neck twist fail. Water was clean, reasonable temperature and was another good open water swim to be repeated. 

I should also mention today is Jonny’s birthday so happy birthday Jonny have a wonderful one 🎉(cake and sherry on our return we promise) and thanks for being such a good sport in the rivers and quarries .

Stay safe sane and Hambe Kahle (go safely/ well) we miss you all. 

Di 

x
Make a Wave challenge

B&B has a team entered to support local charity SurfAid by swimming everyday in September to bring clean water and healthcare to remote villages connected to us through surfing.

Join Simon Phin, Fiona Dubrovnik, Doug Lees and other BB swimmers in the challenge and swim every day in September for a great cause by signing up here.

https://makeawave.com.au/allwavescount

www.makeawave.com.au

 

 

 

Tuesday August 24 - Wet, wet, wet

I have to confess I am writing this in the living room not having actually ventured out of the house as the view out the window with trees blowing, rain that doesn’t look like letting up and my phone telling me that the “real feel” temperature is 4C just doesn’t tempt me. I have checked out the surf cams to make me feel like I have experienced the conditions!

Thanks to Lainey, I do have some photos.

As you can see, there are some swimmers braver than me!

It looks, and I have been told, conditions are much nicer than yesterday, flat and even the grey nurse was spotted (haven’t seen that in awhile).

Nice and calm in the bay, I really should go!

Duncan looking more rugged up than was needed yesterday.

 

John and James (?) also braved the weather and everyone is mask compliant.

Have a great day, stay dry, warm and safe! Well done to those who ventured out in this weather.

Amanda

Monday 23rd August 2021 - Pyramid Steps, Incognito “Hi Lucy”.

Mauricio’s shark


Day 1 Outdoor masking.

Motheroffivesons

Duncan

Brad, “please say Hi to Lucy”.

Mary swam early.


In the coffee queue.

Aubergine

Lyndall 

On your bike

Incognito 

Fifi’s Jelly’s.

Sam & I caught waves opposite the pyramid steps after swimming @6am through the chop to the Trident. Water temp was 16 degrees.

Pirate

5:56am

Stay safe

Simon

Make a Wave challenge

B&B has a team entered to support local charity SurfAid by swimming everyday in September to bring clean water and healthcare to remote villages connected to us through surfing.

Join Simon Phin, Fiona Dubrovnik, Doug Lees and other BB swimmers in the challenge and swim every day in September for a great cause by signing up here.

https://makeawave.com.au/allwavescount

www.makeawave.com.au

 

Special Saturday!

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL IS NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING
DUE TO THE RISKS OF CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19).

Thank you for following public health advice including physical distancing and outdoor exercising limits (currently 2 people at a time, within your LGA or within 5kms of your home) at all times (and please remember to check in if you're buying take away coffee at the local cafes!)

Today the conditions were as good as they get. Apart from a bit of "whale snot" in the middle of the bay, each side of the bay was clear and calm and perfect for viewing the marine life. First stop for me was the bower break and while I was admiring the pink rocks and little fish, a large Port Jackson flew towards me and under me then went deep. A bright blue Groper swam past the PJ and myself, stopping for a quick chat.

I followed my cousin Eve and Jenny to the other side of the bay to the shed then we went back to Shelly

These things have moved from the sand to a rock with weed

My view heading south again, mostly alone but had a family behind me , showed them another PJ swimming about. So thrilling for the young ones.

This guy was hiding under a rock, it's their cute little cave to hide in, just a peek of a tail at the entrance

This is a lovely memorial made for someone who died recently nearby, I presume the diver but have no idea actually, was touching to come across this

After my swim I was lucky enough to bump into friends, some I haven't seen in ages, who'd swum together then having a quick coffee/chat afterwards. Everyone keeping safe and sane, so important in trying times.

Emma and Lisa

Suzy and Elaine:

Last weekends turtle

This was found yesterday at Manly Beach, if you lost a Sharkbanz, please comment below

Make a Wave challenge

B&B has a team entered to support local charity SurfAid by swimming everyday in September to bring clean water and healthcare to remote villages connected to us through surfing.

Join Simon Phin, Fiona Dubrovnik, Doug Lees and other BB swimmers in the challenge and swim every day in September for a great cause by signing up here.

https://makeawave.com.au/allwavescount

www.makeawave.com.au

 

That's my last blog for a while, take care everyone, looking forward to seeing everyone in more normal circumstances :) Edwina.