cool dip

AS MANY OF US RUG UP FOR THE WINTER, THERE’S A BRAVE BUNCH TAKING TO THE OCEAN

Words Erin Huckle @chucklecommunications

Images Danielle Hulls @daniellehulls, daniellehullscreative.com

If you venture down to our local ocean pools on a Sunday morning this winter, you might come across that rare breed in its natural habitat: the winter swimmer.

Gathering in light-hearted groups, to brave fresh water temperatures and share a story and a mug of hot soup, you might wonder what secret they share, and why their grins are so wide.

While many of us retire our swimming togs with the end of the summer season, for the Illawarra's winter swimmers, the cooler weather and shorter days don’t mean the end of outdoor swimming.

Choosing to get up every Sunday morning and swim 50 metres in freezing cold water might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the interest in this winter sport is growing, as word about its health and social benefits gets out.

The winter swim season starts at the end of April or beginning of May (varying from club to club), and runs until September.With Covid meaning the 2020 season was a non-event, the 2021 season is shaping up to be a very special one for our local clubs, as they get back to the joy of winter swimming and socialising. Bronwyn Seiden, from the Kiama Kubes swimming club, said their club takes a relaxed approach to membership, and welcomes people of all ages, shapes, genders and abilities to take part in its meet-ups every Sunday at 10am at the Kiama rockpool.

“We talk to people about winter swimming and encourage them to come along, but there’s also no pressure to attend every week. It’s all about having fun and starting your Sunday right,” says Bronwyn.

Most of the local clubs also have their own traditions. For the Kiama Kubes, it's the homemade soup swimmers enjoy every week (with the soup of the year being voted on at the end of each season and the winners’ name added to the club’s cherished soup pot) and the ‘AGM’ swim in the Kangaroo River, followed by a trip to the KangarooValley pub.“It’s very social,” says Bronwyn.“And it’s unbelievable how beautiful the weather often is on a winter Sunday morning. It’s just lovely down there at the rockpool.We have a great time.”

At the northern end of the Illawarra, the Stanwell Park Sea Eels swim every Sunday at Coalcliff ocean pool, another club where anyone is welcome and new members are encouraged to attend.

Peter McDonald, President of the Stanwell Park Sea Eels, says they’re all about having fun, while also raising money for charities and making a positive impact on their community. “We’re not super competitive, we just love socialising and swimming.We have handicaps, mixed heats, mixed relays, and try to make it fun for everyone.

“We’re part of the Helensburgh Stanwell Park Surf Club, so we all head back there after the swim for a soup and a beverage.We have raffles, joker poker, and we raise money for the surf club, but also for the Cram Foundation, which is the main charity we support.We raise money to help them provide support to people with disabilities, and in our last season we raised around $3000.”

For many clubs, winter swimming is a family affair, with kids, parents, grandparents and even great grandparents taking part.

Michael Lerch, acting president of the Bulli Sea Lions, said it’s inspiring to see some of their older members, who swim every year without fail. “The younger members certainly look up to them, and they’re a great advert for the health benefits of swimming year round, through every season,” says Michael. Michael also says the approach at their club is to encourage team participation – it’s not just about individual competition, but being part of a relay team, and being given handicaps so that every swimmer feels they can achieve something each week.

“We encourage each other to participate. Sometimes getting in the cold water is a sense of mind over matter. It’s cold, but it’s not like we’re breaking the ice to swim like in Russia. It’s more the windchill factor that can be tough, but we always have a warm soup at the end to take the chill off,” he says.

Interested in having a splash this winter?

The Illawarra has a number of winter swimming clubs, including the Kiama Kubes, Bulli Sea Lions, Stanwell Park Sea Eels, Austinmer Otters, Wollongong Whales, Bellambi Blue Bottles, Coledale Oysters and Corrimal Marlins.

The benefits of winter swimming:

*Health benefits: increased circulation, boosting your immune reducing inflammation and aiding metabolism.

* Mental health benefits: mindfulness, mental clarity and the high that comes from cold water immersion.

* Social benefits: sharing an experience with other people, making new friends, and feeling part of a community.