2009-2010 Season

The season looms, and I have not been able to train as much as I would like. Not for want of trying, but the local 25m indoor pool is run at 28-29 degrees. OK for the old girls doing aquarobics, for what it's worth, but for me, it's like being stewed in one of those big cannibal vat's that you see on the cartoons. I then struggle to clear the sinuses and can't breathe for the rest of the day. So, I have braved the cold water at Terrigal, Curly or wherever my family get together's have taken me, to clear the brain fog. I now understand how people can swim all year round; it just takes effort and discipline to get the toes wet in the surf.

I am booked in for the Morpeth swim in the Hunter River. Not an ocean swim as such, but still an open water swim. I swam it last year and happily accepted my bottle of vino for an age-group 2nd. As you swim upstream for the first 750m, it's a free ride back, with the flow of the river; although I think Morpeth is about the tidal limits of the river. The water is brown, we are marginally drought declared but there is nice coffee, and a few tri stalls to gander at; plus not a big crowd.

Then, I will do Forresters Beach. I need another of those beaut wooden trophies shaped like waves. Got 2 in my collection, but best of all, the swim is around a reef, full of sea critters. And it's run like a family get together, not much of an agenda, but things seem to just happen. It's at that swim, I have met some interesting characters, that I continue to see. A bunch of die hard ocean swimmers/tragics. I'll see the same bunch for the next six months or so, every weekend (nearly); so I guess they are my weekend buddies.

I have set my self a goal of clocking over 100 swims; I counted the swim caps; 75 I think, so it's doable, but probably won't see the family that much during the summer. Toowoon Bay looms, Balmain beckons; bring it on!

You know you've done plenty of ocean swims when...

• you need to be de-scaled below the Plimsoll line
• you need the barnacles scraped off your back
• you can build a beach in your backyard from the sand from your sluggos
• you practice swimming down the corridor at work
• you have enough swim caps to create multicolored silicone breast implants
• you blog about ocean swims

Plenty of time on your hands?

Take a photo of your swim caps!

South Curl Curl Ocean Swim

South Curl Curl rockpool is the place that I learnt to swim and is the pool that I had to do the 20 yard test (at least I think it was this way; might have been Dee Why? memory doesn't serve me too well). So to have the opportunity to swim out, way offshore and around the course parallel to the headland, and into Freshwater beach was an unsual treat. Freshwater Beach also serves my memory well; the neighbour used to take us down there in the back of his Sunbeam Alpine, with our Koolite boards stacked in a fanned array. There, we would ride the whitewater and learn our juvenile surf skills.

South Curl Curl SLSC did an excellent job of this swim. Helpful volunteers, great atmosphere; no pretention about the swim, no great hype, no blaring music, no annoying announcers; just a down to earth swim. The start line was real wide and it didn't matter where you started as the first can must have been 300 m plus offshore. After watching the Open and Under 18s? swim out and drift southwards, I entered the water from the northern extremity of the start line.

The swim out to the first can was met with a slight bouncy swell. Mild offshore breezes were picking up holding up the waves, which were pretty full. An easy course to follow, well marked out, and you only needed to keep the cans on your right shoulder. After rounding the first can, I turned and aligned myself with the second. I have learnt to keep myself low in the wind, and reduce the number of times I look up for navigation. Along the way, I notice another pink cap further out to sea and thought this guy is going the wrong way. Over my right, I sight more pink caps and white caps in a group of maybe four or five. They swim a tight line and it seems to me that they need to adjust to round the buoys. I think I have it right; the guy on the left continues out to sea; I trust the water safety point him the right direction.I saw fisherman on the rocks on my prerace inpsection of the course, but don't notice any detail in the swim, as I concentrate on navigation, stroke and keeping my pace. As I round the point on which Harbord Diggers is built, the waves rebound stronger off the cliffs and I find this a little harder going. The route swings slightly to the diagonal entry into Freshwater Beach. There, you find yourself swimming straight into the wind; then around the last can and a long run into the beach.

Depsite all my lessons learnt during ocean swimming, I repeat my mistake. I look under my arm, back towards the waves to see if there's something to catch on the way in. I am thinking of the sets coming; and then a wave comes, I stop and push off the bottom to get on it. It's too full, and I have to swim all the way in to the beach, bar the last 30m, where I surf a small wave in. I am over the right hand side and extend the legs out of the water as the group to the right are now coming out of the surf. A group of strangers applaud my efforts and I am pleased.

I hang around and applaud strangers, and clap loudly for the older crew. A pleasant walk back to Curly, a chat with friends and another great day. One for the books.

Dancing wave

The beauty of the ocean is endless - my grandfather, who was skipper on a trawler in the North Sea, once said in a television interview, that "There's no sight greater than what you see, than what you see at sea". He was great with his words. The image is one I took on a weekend at South West Rocks (doing the Gaol Break swim). The wave, albeit small. is peaking from reflections off the granite outcrops, with the sunlight accentuating the wave's translucency. Having said that, I think the photo is one of me better ones!

Favourite Swims - South West Rocks 2.8km

Located to the northeast of Kempsey, South West Rocks on the mid-north coast of New South Wales is host to one of the best swims of the NSW ocean swim season. The Gaol Break swim is held in Trial Bay, a north-facing bay that exudes blue skies, crystal clear waters and beautiful fine-sandy beaches. Waves entering the bay from the south-east are refracted by the man-made breakwater beneath the gaol, making the pattern of waves look like a giant mollusc.

The swim commences at the eastern end of the bay, near Arakoon. You have a bit of a wait whilst swimmers are transported to the start, but then you can make good a bit of chatter with fellow ocean swimmers.

The start is a deep water start, testing the starters ability to hold the starting line and rope in place. You are then off swimming to the first can. Like all swims, I find my own way, not trusting that everyone is headin in the right direction. If you read the ripplemarks on the sea bed, you soon release their crest are parallel to the shoreline and give you a line to follow, whilst occasionally glancing to keep the cans in check. As you make progress across the bay, the Norfolk Pines adorning the headland behing the surf club give you an easy line of sight towards the last turning can. you then turn towards the beach - it seems like a bit of a hike in, and on good days, there could well be a wave to ride in. As you cross the line, you are treated to being identified as you cross the line. After that, it's ice-cream coffee or whatever takes you fancy.

The swim is organised by South West Rocks SLSC and is a must do swim. Must do!!

Favourite Swims - Across the Lake Swim 3.8km

Swimming across Lake Macquarie might seem like a bit of a pushover. However, this swim is 3.8km in a straight line from Coal Point to the Belmont 16ft Sailing Club. Might not seem like much of an issue but try and look in the distance for 3.8km when your eyes are at water level - not easy with few landmarks and usually the sun in your eyes.

The ferry trip across to the start is a relaxing 20 mins. You jump ship, into the water when the tide is too low for a jetty exit, and within a short space of time, you are treading water waiting for the countdown from the local dignatory. The younger swimmers go off first and a few minutes later, everybody else follows. At the start, you break into some freewater to find your space and it's then that the challenge begins. There are tides, occasional currents, and in some worse-weather years, white caps. That's where the challenge lies. To swim as straight as possible whilst contending with the subtle movement of water that will push you off course.

Tall blue or green cans mark the course. Mates and relatives guide swimmers in kayaks and an assortment of craft. If you skirt the cans, and keep an eye on the craft, you will mostly be swimming straight. With a few k's to go, you sight the turquoise exterior of the 16ft sailing club; you then veer ever so slightly to the right where you eventually sight the sails of boats being readied for a day on the water adjacent to the finish. As you come in to the last few hundred metres, the lake gets shallower and you get closer to you point of reference. You seem like you are moving faster, and then your are done. The volunteers pass you a bottle of Powerade. You look around to see if your mates have finished, else you look out for them crossing the line.

For me, the challenge of this swim is maintaining a steady pace and not straying off course; putting it in for the last 1km and then the wait for the results; did I beat last year's time? In 2009, this was my 5th time at this event and definitely not my last! The swim is organised by the Swansea Belmont SLSC.

Coal Petrologist to his Love

Black lump of coal
behind your sensuous shining face
lie mysteries
the mind of man can scarce imagine

Come - Let me hold you now,
and like a woman
by desire aroused

One kiss of flame
and you shall be consumed

and I will be alone - black lump of coal

from The Australian Geologist No. 48, March 1984.