Wednesday 3rd July - Few swimmers dragged themselves (or was that joyfully leapt?) out of warm beds today - however those who braved the arctic vortex were rewarded. After a cold, rainy, wintery pre dawn, the clouds parted as though on cue at 7am to reveal a bright orange ball of light and energy, painting the clouds fifty shades of orange.
water temp: 17.4 degrees
air temp at 7am: a balmy 7.7 degrees!
conditions: the ocean slightly stirring, milky, perhaps giving our cuttlefish and Port Jackson sharks some rare privacy whilst they continue their "familiarisation" underwater....
Vibe: chilled... literally!
Today the farshun garment of choice appeared to be a black puffer jacket (of course the odd splash of colour could be seen!). Perhaps a result of the end of financial year sale bargains? Perhaps because black matches pretty much everything? Or, perhaps to warm up those brave souls who brave the ocean in winter, with or without a wetsuit (its week 6 for those counting the weeks until they complete 20 swims in 7 weeks, bag the coveted WWW badge and shimmy back into neoprene!).
If you ARE on the hunt for a puffer jacket, bargains galore to be found. A few helpful hints:
1) Synthetic (ideally recycled) zips withstand the salty seaside air and water much better than alternatives, even stainless steel needs a good clean every now and again.
2) warm hand pockets, ideally located near the hips, are essential for those who forget or dont wear gloves, or a handy place to hide those handwarmers!
3) syhthetic (ideally recycled like Patagonia brand) insulation these days is as warm as down, and withstands exposure to salty air and water a lot better. Ideally some water repellancy or water proofing on the jacket fabric will help you stay dry whilst you are waiting in the coffee line!
4) hoods not only keep your head warm (in the absence of a beanie); they protect against unwanted "swim cap hair" photos!
Here are some of the high farshun on display today: warm, dry and stylish!
Rebels in colour! Helen (visiting for the first time!) saw a Port Jackson Shark straight away!
Coco and walter preferred colours today - kind of matching the shades of sky?
Its hump day - mid week in (nearly) mid winter. Stay warm, look out for and after each other, spread kindness always and have a wonderful wednesday!
Jocelyn
PSA - if you havent seen the ad on the B&B facebook page, check out the new hoodies, and also details of the next B&B Tuesday night gathering! and a new monthly event at the wharf bar, details below:
NEW EVENT - B&B Meat Raffle at The Wharf Bar
Felons Brewing - the new owners of the Wharf Bar have generously offered to run a monthly meat raffle at the Wharfy every first Sunday at 12 noon to 2.30 pm. All proceeds of the raffle will be donated to the B&B to assist with our ongoing operating costs and fundraising program.
So, we are inviting all B&B swimmers to assemble at the Wharf Bar every first Sunday to meet and mingle with your fellow swimmers in a very pleasant social setting. And don’t forget to buy your raffle tickets and support the B&B. Next raffle is on Sunday 7 July. Hope to see you all there. Please drink responsibly.
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