Pittwater Life January 2019 Issue

Health & Wellbeing
January marks a super
season of Ocean Swims
With Christmas behind us most families
are thinking of relaxing while on
holidays or for some, how to settle
back into work after a few days off.
But there is a growing band of people who
are training hard for the next ocean swim
coming up in
Pittwater. In
fact, throughout
January there is an
ocean swim event
every weekend at
one of our local
beaches.
The swims, part
of the popular
Pittwater Ocean
Swim Series, are
run by the surf
clubs at Newport
(Jan 6), Bilgola (Jan
13), Mona Vale
(Jan 20) and Whale
Beach aka The Big
Swim (Jan 27).
According to
David Madew, one of the Series organisers
and convenor of the Bilgola ocean swim, the
Pittwater Series has become a magnet for
swimmers not only from local areas but in
growing numbers from regional and interstate
areas as well as overseas countries.
“That means you are more than likely to hear
French, English, Canadian, American, Spanish,
Polish and many other accents at the beach,”
said David.
“Over the years the beauty of Pittwater
beaches has become better known around
Australia and for that matter the world and we
are excited to have so many people visiting. They
usually bring supporters with them and its great
for the clubs and of course the local businesses.
“While the Big Swim from Palm Beach to
Whale Beach set the benchmark, each of the
clubs in the Series has built up its own band
of ocean swimmers who love that they can
enter a swim every weekend in one of the most
beautiful regions in the world.”
These are true ocean swims; each entails
swimming out
through the break,
covering the
distance marked
by the swimming
buoys and then
returning to the
finishing line at
the beach. Ocean
swimmers say
there is no sport
like it, taking on
the challenges
of the ocean and
at the same time
enjoying the
meditation-like
effects of rhythmic
breathing.
“Like fun runs,
some swimmers take their event very seriously
trying to beat their previous time, while others
are in it for the sheer enjoyment of participating
and the health aspects,” said David.
“Because all the clubs have introduced shorter
swims to their events, we are seeing a new
generation of swimmers having a go at the sport.
Young and old are discovering the exhilaration of
the ocean and its special health benefits.”
Entries for each of the Pittwater Series ocean
swims can be processed at oceanswims.com
Visitors are welcome to come and see
what all the excitement is about at each of
the beaches. Who knows: you might join the
growing band of ocean swimmers or you might
see an overseas relative at the starting line!
– John Guthrie
BUSY MONTH: There’s an Ocean Swim on every weekend in January.
50 JANUARY 2019
The Local Voice Since 1991