The Last Weekend of Winter

Early today I set off for my final swim of winter in thick fog. As I arrived at Coogee, the sun had just begun to burn off the worst of it, but it was still a little misty out on the ocean.

The water is back to 17°C again after dipping down to 16°C last weekend. The water seems to have stayed warmer this winter. These temperatures are so mild, that we've even had some bluebottles (portuguese man of war) drifting in on the unseasonal onshore breezes.

The water was very clear. There were scores of small fishes swimming alongside and below me. I did 20 beautiful lengths avoiding the occasional  bluebottle.

A Wintry Day At Wylies Baths

Yesterday, it was blue skies and bright sunshine, and a perfect Winter's day in Sydney. The baths were gorgeous, and some people were even sunbathing on the wooden decks.

Today is a different story. The skies were grey, the breeze was cold, the rain drizzled down and the top temperature for the day was 15°C. 

According to the board, the seawater temperature was 17°C, but it seemed cooler than that. After I finished my 25 lengths, the hot shower felt like it was scorching my skin. I haven't had that feeling since the 14°C water in San Francisco last year.

Winter Swimming At Last (and only three weeks left)

The notice board at Wylies Baths tells the story. The seawater temperature has finally dropped down to a winter level. Last weekend it was 18°C; this weekend it's 16.5°C. I doubt that it will drop much below this temperature now. In a little over three weeks it will (officially) be Spring.

I swam my twenty lengths in clear, sparkling water. Though the temperature is a bit cooler than recent weeks, it's still mild enough to swim in just a pair of speedos and no swimcap.

There seem to be a lot more people swimming right through the winter these days. There also seem to be fewer people using wetsuits. 

Finally - A Little Calm

Swimming in the sea has been difficult these past couple of weeks, even at low tide. The swell has been very big (up to 4½ metres some days). Wylies Baths has been closed to swimmers on and off over the past few weeks. Last weekend I didn't get a swim at all. So, it was with relief that I read about the swell dropping during this past week. As the weekend approached the seas flattened out, and I was able to turn up at the pool for an early morning swim, even though it was just after high tide.

It was a glorious morning, but the air temperature was a wee bit on the cool side at 9°C. On the board it said that the sea temperature was 18°C, but I'm somewhat sceptical about that. The first length felt colder than I've been used to recently. Still, three years ago it was about 15° at this time of year, and it got down to 14° during early August. In any case, the water was clear, clean and refreshing. I swam 20 lengths through several small schools of tiny fish, then sat in the sun until I started shivering. A hot shower and a hot mug of tea soon fixed that.

About a fortnight ago, I was swimming here in rough conditions at low tide, when I noticed that one of the two posts that stick up out of the pool was missing. It had been buckled over and bent under the water by the force of the waves. The image below shows the two posts, which is how Wylies has looked for the 25 years that I've been going there. In that time they've been used to rope off a wading area for small children in the summer, but nobody seems to know what they were originally intended for nor how long they've been there.

Big Seas

Last week I had a pretty wild swim on high tide at Wylies Baths. Nothing too unusual about that. This week there has been a big swell off Sydney, so it was too dangerous to swim while the tide was high. But, even at low tide, it was a wild old time in the pool.

All of these photos were taken at low tide. Actually, two days ago it was probably even wilder. Even today, some big sets were crashing into the pool and washing up over the concrete platforms at the base of the cliffs.

Twenty lengths seemed like thirty today after struggling against the swell.

Strangely, though, the water temperature is back up to 18°C.

Cooler Water

It's beginning to feel like winter swimming at last. The water temperature at Wylies today was (according to the board) 17°C. I still don't feel the need to wear a swimcap, but that's because I only swim my 20 - 25 lengths.

The week has seen very strong (and cold) westerly winds. Today they were particularly strong, but, as the cliffs protect the baths from the cold westerlies and southerlies, it was warm in the sunshine. 

The offshore winds were, however, meant to flatten out the seas, but when I swam, just past high tide, I got a rather rough and choppy pool.

Winter Solstice

The water at Wylies Baths has stayed reasonably warm since Winter officially began about three weeks ago. I swam there on both Saturday and Sunday this past weekend, just a couple of days before the solstice. Both days were bright and sunny, but, due to a swell, I had to save the lap swimming until low tide at 4PM or thereabouts. By this time, the sun was low in the sky, the pool was in shadow and there was a bit of a chill in the air. 

On Saturday the water temperature was 19°C, and on Sunday it was 18°C, so still warm (although there was an occasional wetsuit to be seen). There's still no real need for a swim cap, but I will admit that I was glad of a hot shower and a mug of tea on Sunday.

I swam twenty sparkling lengths on Saturday (plus another couple without the goggles, just looking at the views), then another fifteen on Sunday. There were plenty of fishes swimming around the pool, but I didn't see the friendly octopus this weekend. The resident cormorant also failed to show up.

London Fields Lido

I went for a swim at the marvellous London Fields Lido on a cold, grey day in London. It was absolutely pouring with rain, and areas of the park were flooded.

That didn't stop people coming for a swim. There were plenty of people at the lido. Several people cycled through the rain to swim here.

The water is heated to 26 degrees Celsius, so it's pleasant while you're swimming, but a coolish walk to the hot, outdoor showers.

I swam 10 lengths of front crawl and backstroke, then floated along for another couple, just looking at the winter skies above the pool. There was so much steam coming off the water, that, at times, it was like swimming in fog.

The Last Of The Winter Swimming

The First of September is the (official) start of Spring in Australia, so this weekend has been my last chance for an (official) Winter swim.

All last week there were strong (and cold) westerly winds blowing, flattening the ocean, and making swimming conditions perfect at any stage of the tides. Today, however, a southerly change has been moving up the coast, bringing a swell with it. I could only get to Wylies on high tide today, and the pool was too rough to swim in. So, it was a case of wandering down to the beach and swimming in the pool under the Surf Life Savers' Club. It's protected, to some extent, from a southerly swell, but, even then, it got a little rough at times. I swam for about 20 minutes in the 15 degrees water, and certainly missed the hot shower afterwards. Luckily, it was a perfect day, so a mug of hot tea in the warm sun soon restored me.

Colder Water

I didn't think the seawater temperature would get down to 15 degrees this winter, but it has (with one weekend to spare).

Today was a gorgeous Sydney winter's day, sunny and bright with barely a cloud in the sky. There was a strong, cool westerly blowing which flattened out last week's swell on the ocean.

The water was clear and sparkling (and cool). I swam twenty, lazy lengths in the sun. I still can't be bothered to wear a swimming cap. Later I sat up on the decking, drinking a mug of tea and watching the ocean.

Afterwards, I wandered along the cliff path, past the Ladies' Baths, and down to Coogee Beach.

Only Two Weeks Left

There are only two weeks left for (official) winter swimming. The water temperature has only just dropped to 16 degrees. I doubt that it'll now get down to 15. I've given up the idea of wearing a swimming cap this winter.

I swam my twenty lengths late in the day, just as the light was beginning to fade. I had to wait for low tide because the swell had been so big. In fact, conditions were so dangerous that Wylies was closed on high tide.

The Water's Getting Cooler

The water is finally cooling down. I went swimming at Wylies yesterday, and the temperature has just dipped below seventeen degrees. Today is the first of August, so there's only four weekends of Winter left. I wonder if it will make it down to 15 degrees this year?

Still no need for the swimcap. I swam twenty lengths with the occasional set of waves breaking into the pool.

Cold Days at Coogee

A dreadful week to begin the winter holidays. Usually, at this time of year, it's crisp and cool but also sunny and bright. Not this year - we've had days of grey skies, drizzly rain and cold, damp winds. I could almost be back in Lancashire. The air temperature has been well below average too.

I've managed to go for a swim at Wylies Baths every day of the holidays so far. It's been a different winter swimming experience from my usual one. Still, the seawater has stayed at seventeen to eighteen degrees most days (warmer than the air), so still no need for the swimcap.

Winter Solstice (or thereabouts) Swimming

I haven't posted on this site for weeks now. I've been swimming on Saturday and Sunday every weekend, but nothing remarkable seems to have happened. The weather is fine and sunny and very cold at the moment. The ocean temperature is still 18 degrees Celsius. I don't even need to wear a swim cap yet.

 I went swimming again last Sunday and took a couple of photos with my phone. The air temperature was only 14 degrees. A bit chilly walking up the steps from the pool to the showers.

First Swim Of Winter

A cool, overcast and drizzly day for my first winter swim. Winter officially starts on the first of June in Australia, so last weekend's dip was still in Autumn. Today's air temperature was just 13 degrees C, but the seawater is still 20 degrees. So, no need for a swim cap yet.

Last (Official) Weekend Winter Swimming

It's officially the start of spring on Tuesday, so today was my last winter swim for 2009. The water temperature is 16 degrees(it actually rose to 17 last weekend). It was a warm, but blustery afternoon with strong westerlies. I went to Wylie's right on high tide, thinking the westerlies would flatten the swell, but it was a wee bit rough at times in the pool.

Another Winter's Day At Wylie's

The water is getting cooler. It's finally down to 16 degrees C. This time last year it had been 15 for a while, and even got down to 14 for a couple of days in mid-august.

Today I swam on high tide, with the waves crashing into the pool, and huffed and puffed my way through twelve lengths of breastroke.

Mid - Winter Swimming in Sydney

According to the ABC weather report, this week is, statistically speaking, the coldest week of the year in Sydney. The water temperature has, however, risen. Two days ago it was 16.5 celsius; today, it was back up to 17.

A perfect day for winter swimming: sunny, warm, blue skies and a light breeze. Wylie's was gorgeous right on low tide. I did twenty lazy laps of breaststroke, then had a hot shower and a hot mug of tea.

When I used to swim here in the winters during the nineteen-eighties, you had to make do with just the hot mug of tea - only a cold shower in those days. The baths were closed to the public during the winter, but as a member I had my own key to the gate. Winter swimmers in those days stuck to the regulation channel swimming attire of bathing costume, goggles and cap. These days, however, quite a few people are wearing wetsuit tops, triathlon wetsuits or even the full steamer with a hood. There also seem to be quite a few people swimming lengths in full face mask, snorkel and flippers. I'd be interested to know if the winter swimming clubs allow their members to wear any of the above nowadays. Personally, I'm happy enough with my speedos, cap and goggles.

Winter Swimming in the UK

I went swimming at Wylie's Baths today. The seawater temperature was 16.5 degrees celsius, and the air temperature was around 12 degrees. Hearty stuff, I thought, until I remembered going for a winter walk around Hyde Park's Serpentine when I was in London in January. The weather was bitterly cold - sections of the lake were frozen. As we walked past the Serpentine Lido, I thought about how cold winter swimming in the UK would be.

Yes, apparently, they really do break the ice to go for a swim.

And it's a very cold shower afterwards.

Have a look at some of the photos of the Sepentine Swimming Club. They have an annual Christmas Day Race when the water temperature is below 4 degrees celsius.

Website: http://www.serpentineswimmingclub.com/

Coogee In Winter

This is more like a Sydney winter's day. The rain has stopped, the sun is back and the skies are clear. The sea temperature is still 18 degrees celsius. Mind you, the westerlies have started blowing, and they are bitterly cold. Still, all in all, a perfect day for winter swimming.

These last few years, I've been going to Wylie's Baths for my winter swimming, on account of it having solar heated showers to warm up my old bones. Today, however, I forgot to bring my $3 entry with me, so I walked down to the beach to swim. I went in the pool below the Surf Life Savers Club. It must be 20+ years since I swam here in July. Today was warm enough in the water, but a bit chilly in the wind. Plenty of people were taking a dip in the clear, sparkling saltwater, either in the pool or in the ocean. Tomorrow, though, I'll remember to take my entry fee to Wylie's.