Blueys

Try this ...

I've just discovered a brilliant way to get through stinger rash!

I had a tackle with a blue stinger the other day at Bar Beach, Newcastle, and after the initial slight pain if having blue stinger tentacles all over my arms/stomach/shoulders/hands, i developed the intensely itchy rash. nothing from the chemist antihistamine, topical cream) helped it. i found that wearing long sleeves and gloves (ie, covering the rash so it's not exposed to air) took most of the itchiness away (so i was able to sleep). i hope this might be helpful for other people.

Oh, i guess the other helpful advice would be to not ignore the big "stingers" warning sign that the lifeguards put on the beach.

Liz Hill

Bilgola, Dec 14

In the backyard at mum's

If you have done an ocean swim before then you should beware of what to expect. I’m sure most people don’t intend to kick or punch but just like those Boxing Day sales every year something happens to those normal stable people that make up our society and as soon as the doors open it’s on for young and old. That good old competitive sprit comes out just like dad on Christmas day in the backyard with the kids taking the family cricket game to seriously.

With the analogies and euphemism worn out nearly can I suggest if you’re happy to mix it up at the ocean swims start at the front of the age group if not maybe start at the back. We are all out to have fun and let’s be honest a bit of competition. I have been kicked and hit and pushed but then again I do expect that like it or loath it that’s ocean swimming with hundreds maybe thousands of people.

One question for Peter, what time is the Hoban Classic (see Cole Classic at right) I’ll be there with my $5 for Manly Surf Club on the 26th! Great idea I’m down at Manly most Sunday mornings anyway.

Jordan Stockdale

Dedicated wave

Regarding the issue of breastrokers - to minimise the risk of injury, create a wave consisting of breastrokers only (and anyone else likely to swim much slower than the freestylers) and start them last. They are unlikely to overtake majority of freestylers and hence, unlikely to cause any concerns around booyes.

Regarding the issue whether it is suitable to discuss these issues publicly – I think it is not just suitable, it is a must. There is no doubt that increasing popularity of the sport and increasing number of participants means rules should be put in place to avoid unnecessary friction, minimise risk to everyone and simply, allow everyone to enjoy their swim. Who else apart from swimmers participating in these swims and organisers of the events are more suitable to provide feedback on what the rules should be?

Is it too sensitive to discuss these issues? I do not think that a discussion about rules and individual approaches to the sport should offend anyone reasonable enough to listen to views of others. I do, however, have two suggestions here: 1) I’d suggest editing the content of various feedbacks and not allowing contributors to discussion to use inappropriate or sexist language. For instance, I find referring to parts of male bodies as ‘budgie’, ‘accoutrement’ or ‘canary’ (all in one feedback) and awarding that person a price in etiquette (sic!) inappropriate for a public website now visited by thousands of people. This is unlikely to contribute to the spirit of camaraderie that the sport currently enjoys; 2) there is no reason why people whose behavior contributors are commenting on should be identified or their pictures put on the website. If an issue is serious enough that it needs addressing, I would suggest discussing the issue - reference to/picture of a particular swimmer should surely be irrelevant and is bound to cause an adverse reaction.

Best wishes

Peter Dolnik

Swimming is swimming is ...

... swimming no matter how we do it and whilst there no rules in ocean swimming it must be swimmer beware.

I believe no one should be discouraged from swimming.
We will never change the mel'ee at the buoy roundings (unless we swim in a straight line) - it is part of ocean swimming.

Don't get me wrong, I am not condoning thuggery but there are swimmers that don't care too much about their fellow swimmers.

To bring in rules, we will need referees at the start to check for the line breakers, between the buoys to check for drafting, at the buoys to check for correct roundings and improper behaviour and on the beach to hand out the red cards.

Let's all use common sense and try and make the swim an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Bob Virgona
Noosa

Sage returns

Am coming back to ocean swimming after a two year absence and here you all are, still arguing about the anti social behaviour of breast strokers. Not enough argument or disapproval of the "head turned to one side, never look forward" freestylers that I can see. You know them. The ones who flail their arms and hit any part of any swimmer in their way and who, after passing by, give a final kick in the swimmer's face. No matter whether that swimmer is a breaststroker or freestyler.

Please get this into some perspective - breaststrokers are usually taught this stroke as their first style (I like the Dutch word for breaststroke, "schoolslag" or school stroke) and it wouldn't be easy for them/me, to do a long ocean swim in freestyle. We swim breaststroke because that is our natural swim style. In some countries breaststrokers are actually the majority of recreational swimmers.

A breastroker is able to look around and avoid other swimmers, especially in a crush around booees. Consequently no one ever complains about being hit, scratched, run over or pushed aside by a breaststroker.
If the freestyler would extend the same consideration, ocean swims would be less of an aggressive contact sport. Few, if any, freestylers would be thumped by a breaststroke or freestyle kick because you'd be swimming around the person in front of you.

Let's admit it, most of the people who are kicked by a breaststroker are not aware of any swimmer in front of them, around the booees or in the straights. If it hadn't been a horizontal kick from a breaststroker they would have copped a vertical foot thump from a freestyler. One reason I stopped doing ocean swims a few years ago was the aggressive competiveness of an increasing number of swimmers. Their propensity to gratuitously scratch, kick, thump and abuse anyone blocking their way is more of a problem than the few breaststrokers. And to have additional, personal, abuse hurled at one, simply because one is a breaststroker, is over the odds. Remember that we enter ocean swims, not ocean races. So let's be nice to one another and not start to behave like some car drivers do towards bike riders.  

Now, think of what a breaststroker can do for you. Because we can look around we can actually see where we are going. We can save you from going off course if you'd only follow our direction. You'll be less frustrated and become less inclined to aggression. And then, when you go around the booee, thank us for getting you there quickly and happily. Don't kick us in the face.

So, I am going to give it another go this season in the hope that there is a little more tolerance. See you in the water where I'll carefully avoid kicking you - although I'm not sure whether that will be for the Cole Classic. That is a rip off fee isn't it? And to pay that at boring Manly. At, the more exciting, Bondi; maybe.

Hugo Zweep

Just an idea ...

I'm fairly new to ocean swimming...this is my second season and i love the opportunity to swim the Sydney coast line in a safe environment with a bunch of other sea lovers and also contributing funds to the local clubs. The atmosphere and the shared experience is awesome.

I think the breaststroke thang is definitely an etiquette and awareness issue. I don't believe there should be a punishable rule around it as there are always reason for exceptions etc.

An Ocean Swim etiquette guidelines would be a good awareness raising document for sure. Maybe a 10 point list you email with confirmation of rego or the likes, with both etiquette and what to expect, such as --

1. ocean swimming is popular sport and you will be swimming in big crowds at times

2. faster swimmers will catch you and tend to swim straight over the top of slower swimmers, this is part of the sport and sometimes means copping some bumps from elbows, hands and feet.

3. advice for meandering swimmers is to position yourself on the edges of the peloton

4. DO NOT use breaststroke kicks when pushing through waves as huge possibility of kicking sideby swimmers fair in the face

5. DO NOT stop or use breastroke kicks when rounding the booeys, swim continuously around and keep legs in line with body as it gets very crowded at these points

6. If you want or need to swim breastroke, be very aware of your fellow swimmers and swim WIDE around the booeys

7. Treat other people with the same courtesy that you would like them to treat you

8. Do not punch, kick or grab other swimmers

9. Remember ... everyone has the common goal of enjoying the swim ... so ENJOY and be Friendly and FAIR!

Just a suggestion.

I also think any topic should be allowed to be discussed. All ideas welcome -- contributes to the finding of the bright ideas.

Thanks and love the swims!

Nicky Pullen

Forthright

This is rubbish - we do NOT need rules apart from starting, finishing and swim around the appropriate buoys.

Surf swimming/racing etc has always been a “survival of the fittest” contest and should remain so. If one needs to swim over a few people on the way or push some under in the process (as in water polo), so be it and if one is intimidated by such competitive behaviour then one should get out of the way or find a more gentle sport.

Cheers,

Rex Beachley

Could have been me

Well well, what can I say who only a year ago could have easily been the girl in the photo breaststroking happily around the marker. All I will say is that back then I was not aware of the "rules" be they
formal or informal, but being a slow swimmer I also was not really in the way much (I think).

My suggestion is to provide ocean swimmers with the etiquette as it stands and then rely on common sense. But you know what they say about common sense!!! It is not that common.

Catrin Jonsson

Like driving a car

I liken ocean swims to driving in Sydney traffic. In my mind, breaststrokers, and slow freestylers, for that matter, are the old man in a hat in his Volvo. If he is courteous on the road, then he will pull into the left hand lane to let the traffic pass. If he is oblivious to the traffic around him, then he will continue on his path, banking up the traffic and causing frustration and road rage. Likewise, the boofheads who swim over people are the hoons of the road, dodging and weaving through the traffic, and tailgating.

Swimming the course in any ocean swim, you can choose to swim the course direct, in which you will clash with others, or swim slightly wide, in clear water, where you are only likely to come across stray navigators.

Most of the time, I choose the path of least resistance to the first buoy, I go to the outside of the pack, and in doing so, might have to swim a little further, but generally get a clear run at it. In some ironman triathlons, you have to nominate your swim times, and you are started from fastest to slowest.

Maybe this is worth a try (I understand DY did this once), but would require more administration and honesty from swimmers.

Safe driving/swimming over the Xmas break.

Cheers

John Bamberry
Singleton

We do, too ...

Without buying into the whole debate about breastroking, rest assured at Can Too we do teach people not to breastroke around booees. However sometimes when a “lass” gets tired and anxious on her first ever ocean swim, an inadvertent breastroke may accidentally slip in!!!

We are actually training people to swim in the Macquarie Big Swim, Cole Classic and North Bondi Classic later in the season. There will be no controversy on those days – a fully trained Can Tooer in full orange regalia will only be freestyling their way to personal victory ……..and curing cancer!!!

Let’s not forget what we are all doing- having fun, getting fit and enjoying the ocean together!!!! Go Can Too and oceanswims.com!

Annie Crawford
CanToo

Simple -

... ask Races like Bilgola who want to attract Ocean swimmers of all levels to included a wave for new or novices and prior to the waves start go over some of the simple tips of ocean swimming.

Cheers

Jon Bell

Nuts, boobs ...

Margie Jones appears to be suggesting that breaststrokers who put in time for a good cause should be given special dispensation because of their good deeds. In other words, if you're a good corporate citizen, it's OK to breaststroke round a booey.

Of course, the application of such logic means that boofhead blokes who swim over the top, elbow and kick slower swimmers, can also be forgiven if they do good deeds out of the water.

David O'Brien is usually at the front of the pack and/or in the elite wave, swimming freestyle. I doubt that he has ever experienced a short sharp scissors kick to the nuts, boobs or head, the chances of which are greatest when a breaststroker and a booey are close together. So where does he come to defend breaststrokers?

Rose Saltman

Comuppance

Margie Jones gets my vote for the beer this week (see Margie's Bleedback two below: os.c ). It’s about time someone stuck it to that egotistical editor of oceanswims.

Who does he think he is telling us all how to swim anyway? A chronic dislike of breast stroking certainly doesn’t make him a man.

Don’t worry, Margie, we have him marked for the next ocean swim in January. I’ve paid your niece, Leisel, to swim just in front of him the whole way. All we have to do now is get him fit enough to keep up with a breastroker.

David O'Brien

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

On behalf of Shivers and me I just want to say....... "Brrrrrrrrrrr". 

We got cold at Bilgola. Unbelievable eh? Loved the swim including the runaway buoy. Those other slow-coaches I swam with were impeccably behaved. But did you notice how patchy the water was? Patches of cold then patches of not so cold. Boy, do I love those warmer patches. They're like mother's milk. But, we got cold.

Mother nature limited us to skin, bone and sinew. We have to rug up to open the frig. So imagine our turmoil: slow as wet weeks, specifically designed to live in the desert... and we love swimming in the ocean. 

Viva la wetsuite Division!

Bill "Shakers" Macartney 

Humiliated

The "Lass" you have attempted to publicly humiliate in your Bilgola report, happens to be a particularly special young woman!

She is giving up 12 weeks of her life to do specialist training and raise $1250 for cancer research. Yes indeed Bilgola was her first ocean swim.... and yes a big Thank you to you, for your
warm welcome to the sport of ocean swimming!

If you honestly believe that a young lady breastroking around a booee on her first ocean swim is a threat to other swimmers, I suggest you take a long hard look at the male swimmers who without fail, swim over the top, elbow, punch and push underwater the slower racers, when there is plenty of room for everyone! If breastroking is such a no no, please issue racers with the rules and regulations at registration, so at least they are aware of what is expected, rather than set them up for failure.
You go girl, I personally think you are amazing and a real attribute to the Cantoo squad!

Margie Jones

Good beach

Being a Sydney-sider who grew up on the northern beaches I am ashamed to say that last Sunday was the first time I have ever set foot on Bilgola Beach. But wow what a fantastic beach, a great swim and an awesome day. Top marks to the club, the organisers and the volunteers. What a great spot for a post-swim steak sanga a frosty one!

I thoughly enjoyed the swim and was lucky enough to down one of those weird waters pre-race.

Now, where are the results so i can see it made any bloody difference to my form?

Cheers

David Swann

Down the elite

Had a great time once the race got started.
Couple of things ...

1. Was the rear booee a smaller size than the front one? If so, why wasn’t a larger one placed out the back? Trying to find it out the back was terrible, I had to almost leap out of the water to see it above the waves.

2. Delaying the race poor form, I read what happened and I can understand to a degree but keeping people hoping around just so you can have a handful of “elite” go first doesn’t make the other 150+ people any better.

Other than that it was a great vibe, people where joking and laughing whilst they waited patiently.

Cheers

Rohan Maloney

Testing required

For all of you who like myself wondered why the bottled water at Bilgola tasted strange ...

It had creatine in it. An amino acid that will help in the muscle energy pathway by allowing the energy molecule ATP to re-set quicker and hence allow for muscle contraction to continue for longer. May have been better served as a pre-race drink.

The evidence is certainly out there that it works and many fine athletes , such as all oceanswimmers, make use of the supplement.

Personally, I like my water to taste like fresh water, so I opted for a lemon-lime and bitters from the bar, but I expect all of you who downed a few bottles of the stuff to do exceptionally well in the next race!!!

Catrin Jonsson

Weird water

Fantastic swim overall, well done. Better organised than last year with the rego being on the beach although queuing for the ankle tags was a little weird (why not provide them at the same time as doing the rego ?).

I wonder if some kind of etiquette note could go out to swimmers, either on the loudspeaker or otherwise; regarding breastroking in large crowds and especially around Buoys - I had my head kicked twice and had to force one swimmer out of the way (which I really disliked doing).

Perhaps there could be a separate heat at the end for breastrokers?

A word on the electronic timing - it seems to take longer to get results with the timing tags than it does with the manual timing.

Otherwise - thanks and a great BBQ after (although that water from Japan was strange).

Cheers

Paul Giddings

Elite mix up

My understanding of the mix up on the elitieee wave is as follows --

The outer buoy moved, possibly by the King tide, as the fast elites approached. The boat moved the buoy and, they had to swim a longer distance, according to (one elite swimmer), 200m extra. Not sure about the slower end of the first wave, I had my head down swimming…

Hence when the first results came out the fastest swimmer was not from the elite group. (One elite swimmer) had discussions with the organisers who I guess decided that in fact there were two races of different lengths and hence the elites could not be counted in age categories and age swimmers not counted for the $$$.

A good decision considering the circumstances. But if that’s true it should have been announced at the presentation.

Mark Devin was called as the winner in our age group, but the organisers did not have him registered as an elite. He knew I beat him so he thought it should have been for me but, alas several other people beat me.

Tim Collins

PS It was a great day.

North Curl Curl, Dec 6

Coogee, Nov 30

Grenade

Lovely day, bit of a swell out the back. Many thanks to the guy in the pink shorts who clocked me and knocked my goggles off at the fourth red booey - made me so mad i sprinted after him to clock him back.

By the time I caught him I'd cooled down but it did give me an adreniline boost that kept me going (unfortunately in the wrong direction a bit coming back) until the finish.

Us old guys went off last, as compared to Dawny last weekend where we went off first. For me, I prefer going off earlier because there's always someone to chase as the faster waves zip past me but I can see it could get a bit bumpy in the bigger races.

One thing of note - as a Pom I'm naturally scared of water and particularly cold water but I was amazed at how many bronzed Aussies were whinging about the water temperature; I found it fine and by no means too cold.

Which reminds me: why do you hear people talk about whinging Poms but not whinging Aussies? Because whinging Aussies would be a tautology.

Cheers,

Steve Hall

Missed booee

I heard from a spectator that the elite wave swam on the wrong side of the black and white buoy coming in from the 2.4k swim. Is this right?

I’m not particularly sore about it, I just wondered whether this has happened in the past, given it is very difficult to identify the guilty swimmers. Does anyone really care?

Ryan Huckle

Meatier

Coogee was my first swim for the season and I was extremely nervous for a number of reasons - my serious lack of quality training, the icy cold water and probably most importantly, an article I read in The Beast magazine (local Eastern Suburbs mag) last week. The article contained a series of photos of a porpoise that was savagely bitten into off Bondi beach whilst caught in the shark nets. I have never been afraid of sharks in past swims, however in the Coogee swim I made sure I swam close to a few bigger and more meatier guys than me - and I swam on the beach side of them.

The tricks we play on our mind - it worked, and I hit the beach in a respectable time given zero training and nearly sub-zero water temperatures.

A big thank you to the organisers, sponsors and volunteers for the event - it was so well done and I think reminded everyone, especially me, after a cold winter, why we love this sport.

Tilly Marsh

Special vibe

Wow, what a fantastic albeit brisk swim to kick off the Sydney ocean swims for this summer. The Coogee Island Swim seems to have a special vibe, given that it is the first ocean swim in Sydney for the season, which for me creates a real thrill and joy of being back in the water again after 6 months off.

I do have one word of advice to the event organisers, though - I noticed a number of our 35 to 39 age group competitors actually went off with the wave before (30 to 34 age group). This was probably an innocent mistake on their part, as both age groups had blue caps of very similar shades. Next time, let's have adjacent waves with different coloured caps so the troopers don't get confused, and actually head off with their correct age group!

(BTW the caps were very nice....oh, and my copy of the ocean swims calendar has arrived, what a great product!)

Kerry Dickson

The new Cole Classic?

Is the Island Challenge Coogee the new Cole Classic?

I swam both the 1km & 2.4km with timing chips for $40.00 entering the day before. If I do the same for the Cole Classic both Swims will cost me $100.00. Have the organisers of the Cole Classic lost the plot?

To the organisers of the Island challenge, if a swimmer swims in the Elite I think their time should only count for that category, as ocean conditions can vary between starting waves and numbers in the starting wave have a direct effect on the outcome. Yes, I have a vested interest.

Both daughters and myself had a great day, thankyou to the organisers and sponsors.

Regards

Peter McCrae

Cooks Hill, Nov 23

Wetties

Fastkins

I wonder if this thread isn't about fastskins ... the rules are clear about wetsuits and flotation devices and fins and so on and i seem to recall this discussion last year.

I would like to wear a fastskin or similar next season mainly because the two guys in my age who were close or beat me were wearing them and i wasn't. Don Boland beat me by miles but I guess there isn't much I can do about that and he was au naturelle in his cossie.

I'm getting older and want to get the best out of myself. I train hard and plenty and want to get to the end of all this with the best results possibly without cheating. If there is a complete ban on fastskins then I am happy to abide, otherwise see you all soon.

Brian Standlick

Let everyone wear a wettie

The notion that “real swimmers” don’t wear wetsuits is ridiculous. It reminds me of those mountain climbers who believed that “real climbers” don’t use oxygen — and we know what happened to some of them.

For me, swimming in cool water without a wetsuit would undoubtedly result in hypothermia: I am much more susceptible to the cold than most. (And my physician tells me there is nothing I can do to acclimatize myself/change my body type). Because of this, I can’t look forward to participating in some events because of this stipulation of no wetsuits allowed. Yes, buoyancy is a side-effect, but if everyone wears a wetsuit we are on the same playing field.

Mr. Peacock should remember that the judgmental bravado he enjoys is actually afforded by his body type.

Yolanda K.
(from email "lcooke")

Indignant for wetties

I was just reading some feedback regarding to wearing of wetsuits and would like to put my 2 bobs worth in…

Firstly the rules are clear if you wear a wetsuit you are not eligible for prize takings. What business is it of anyone else’s whether someone wants to wear a wetsuit? If it causes you grief that someone in a wetsuit is pulling away from you then train harder and attempt to keep up with the guy in the wetsuit who isn’t eligible for the prize. How do you know that person in the wetsuit isn’t going off overseas to compete in a triathlon where it will be required to wear a wetsuit, therefore needing the opportunity to practice in the wetsuit. How do you know that that person just wants to do a swim and decided to wear a wetsuit? What is the big deal about someone wearing a wetsuit? Isn’t ocean swimming more about the achievement and enjoyment?

Secondly I wear a suit, usually a Blue70 and I wear it in the small races to practice for the longer races (testing comfort, rashes etc). The suit keeps “things” together, my fatigue in tact for the big races, so it’s more enjoyable to last the distance – not easier just more enjoyable! I consider my suit to be a pair of bathers and don’t particularly care if someone shows up with a “Fast Fast suit – what ever that is” Once again Ocean swimming is about the achievement. Just so you all know - you still need the ability to make a fast suit go fast!

I’m sure that there are more worthy subjects to discuss than someone wearing a wetsuit and someone who maybe feeling a little intimidated by that fact. By hey everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Melinda Cook