A sensational sunny Sunday saw the Narooma Numnutz winter swimmers gather for their sixth swim of the season.
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It is winter solstice time of year, and although there wasn't a “Nutz in the Nude” swim this year to commemorate the passing of the shortest day, it is always good to get that over with, and the days begin to get that little bit longer.
The Numnutz gathered on a cracking winter morning of a crisp 13 degrees with a “Turtle Temp” of 16 degrees in the water, and the winter swimmers were busting to get into it!
The usual radio safety call was made to Marine Rescue to let boaters know there were 20-odd crazy swimmers in the water.
The bottom of the outgoing tide had 21 swimmers heading out for their second bar crossing of the year, then outside into some warm ocean water. Brilliant.
There is always a noticeable difference in temperature from the colder water of the outgoing tide to the warmer ocean water. Even a single-degree difference can be felt by the swimmers.
Back onto Bar Beach, all were safe and accounted for on the sand. There was a return swim from the shark net back to south bar for some warm drinks courtest of drinks man and log keeper Radio Ray Hirst and all done.
Mark “Podge” Rogerson was forced to give his usual mid-swim joke back at the breakwater as doing a joke out in the middle of the bar is just not possible.
Afterwards it was back to Numnutz HQ, on the Million Dollar deck at O'Brien's in the sun, with some delicious hot pumpkin soup courtesy of the Raw Prawn Bistro from Scott, Bec and Mitch.
The usual post swim debrief and some general business was discussed. Planning is underway for the Numnutz end-of-season trip away to the National Winter Swimming Championships, this year revisiting the Gold Coast in September.
In previous years the Numnutz have toured to Perth, Sydney, Wagga on two occasions, Newcastle and also the Gold Coast.
Also an important reminder to those swimmers who have booked in for the third-annual Montague Island swim this Sunday. This time of course crossing the bar in a boat!
The swimmers are taken out to the island on the big charter boat and dropped off in the bay near the island jetty for a bit of a paddle. The first island swim saw the Numnutz land on the island for hot drinks but last year the swimmers had to make do with drinks back on the boat.
Meeting point for this Sunday’s island swim is the town wharf, no later than 8.30am to get on the boat. See you all there.