Happy Christmas!

Posted on December 24, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

A very happy and peaceful Christmas to all, whether you’re dressing up for it (or down, in Carmen’s case) or not!

Someone else got there before me to say it, but Anne Sheehy’s impression of Finbarr Furey is just uncannily good.

I hope Santa is good to everyone and that you don’t suffer from Orla Houlihan’s ability to go from the Nice list…

…..to the Naughty list – in no time at all.

She doesn’t seem to mind, though.

Remember, be good because Santa is watching wherever you go (Gordon was up to something here, you can see the look on his face when he spotted Santa’s eyes on him….).

Finally, spare a thought for those less fortunate at this time of year. Like the Harris family – shocked by the latest revelations from Australia…

Merry Christmas! Lots going to the beach on Christmas Day, I’m sure.

08.15 St. Stephen’s Day AND 12.00 on St. Stephen’s Day to help out Liam Maher with his U12s fundraiser. Then the normal 08.15 on Saturday.

As Gary Frost said, it’s hard to tell that we’re Winter swimming as we’re getting in more often than the Summer 🙂

CREGAN-CONDON DOWN-UNDER SHOWER SCAM UNCOVERED!!!!

Posted on December 22, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

While others enjoyed the weekend festivities at the Turkey Swims, this correspondent was working tirelessly on what will come as a massive shock to all believers in the spirit of Christmas.

Denis Cregan-Condon (AKA The Con Don) has been on a charm offensive since completing his Community Service for his Harris Shower rip-off. During the Service hours, he produced feel-good videos to work his way back in to decent OWS society. Many felt he had done enough and had paid his dues to the community. He began to be accepted back – on the fringes – of group gatherings.

Cregan-Condon edging his way back in to OW society….

Today, EXCLUSIVELY, this correspondent can reveal the charm offensive was a front for a breathtaking scam being rolled out in Australia. An anonymous tip-off led to this Infomercial, currently taking the Christmas gift market in Australia by storm. Watch and weep, readers….

Investigations have uncovered that the company behind this heinous crime is LMFAO Pty. Ltd registered at Redhead Beach, Newcastle, NSW (yes, Joleen, that is a real place) where the Infomercial was filmed. The man behind the company is……..DANIEL CREGAN-CONDON, son of Denis and heir to the empire!! By simply changing the Purification Pourer name to “Condon Shower in a Can”, they planned to bypass licencing and royalty laws and pocket the filthy lucre themselves.

Neither Cregan-Condon was contactable as we went to press. The Harris Shower company said the matter was now with their legal team and they would not comment further.

The Harris Shower – no comment from their people.

One man’s greed – assisted by his family – to control the world market for portable Open Water Swimming showers has been laid bare. This story isn’t over – we are on the Cregan-Condon trail and justice will be served!

A Christmas Carol.

Posted on December 19, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

The growth in numbers swimming in Myrtleville this year has been huge and has contributed to the increased numbers participating in the Turkey Swims. Over sixty people swimming in November/December is a great sight. These events don’t just run themselves, though, so let’s give some credit to the organiser-in-chief (and Birthday Girl on Saturday), Carol Cashell.

She kept it running last year, too.

Open water, sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

2013: Carol doing her unusual shop – meat and choccies all round for the prizes – with her personal shopper, B. Lynch

I suppose we’d have to give some recognition to Ms. Harris, who helped out the odd time.

Some bit of help, I suppose. Mostly in it for the cake, though. She’s all about the cake, ’bout the cake…

Finally, lest this become too much of a praising pukefest….

Just in case anyone would think it was all sweetness and light. Carol…. really!

3pm on Saturday in Myrtleville for the Turkey Swim and 4.30pm or so for the Turkey Thaw in the Pine Lodge.

3pm on Sunday in Sandycove for the Turkey Swim and 4.30pm for the Turkey Series Bake Off. That’s an excuse to eat even more cakes, for anyone who doesn’t know about it.

For those poor misfortunes with work and other plans on Saturday (me) the usual 08.15 swim is still on. Also for double-dippers, of course, who might go for the early swim, Hassett’s, Christmas shopping in Centra, back to the beach for the Turkey Swim, Cakes, Turkey Thaw…what a day😊. Anyone?

Winter swimming – casualties.

Posted on December 15, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Temps dropped at the weekend. A few of us were also breaking a cardinal rule (don’t swim with a hangover), so we felt it a bit more. Under 10c in the sea and zero on land with a frozen beach. Winter swimming started properly.

Strange things happen when the beach gets frozen. Denis is getting growths on his head and poor Anne lost a leg.

As Angela Harris noted online, lack of cake caused some swimmers to simply run out of energy on the beach.

Out of cake – REFILL! REFILL! REFILL!

As ever, Siobhan got the picture that tells a thousand words. Why swim in the Winter? For this.

Forecast at present looks a bit windy for the Turkey Swim next Saturday at 3pm. It’s veering WNW though, so we might be lucky. Apparently the forecast is great for the Turkey Thaw in the Pine Lodge afterwards, so that’s a relief.

Swim today, Monday, at 4.15pm. All welcome. Swim Safe.

How cold is it? How cold does it feel?

Posted on December 11, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Interesting comments around at the moment about the fact that the sea temperature has actually been warmer than it was at the start of July this year (12.1c said the Ballycotton gauge…hmmmm: working?). Even if it’s right, people are saying they feel very cold in and out of the water. It’s the air temp combined with the sea that’s the difference, of course. Spending an hour in the sea (or even 30 minutes) in July is very different to doing it in December, January etc.

Cork Harbour Weather – @CorkHarbourWX – had this on a tweet spotted by Bernard Lynch last week “The still air temp is +6C but the THSW temp (how it actually feels outside) is only +2-3C. Wrap up!”. Extensive research was then conducted (he Googled THSW) to find what it was:

THSW Index uses humidity and temperature to calculate an apparent temperature. In addition, THSW incorporates the heating effects of solar radiation and the cooling effects of wind (like wind chill) on our perception of temperature.

Why bother posting this? Just another reminder / warning to us all to think of all the factors when swimming in Winter. Tides, sea temperature, wind temperature etc. Cold always wins. We can go into the sea on a beautiful flat calm day in December and be tempted to go a bit further than we should.

One thing you’ll notice is that a Northerly wind makes Myrtleville nice and calm. Even quite strong Northerlies can still leave our favourite beach very swimmable. It’s also a very cold wind! It’s safer to be five or ten minutes from the beach when you feel cold, than to have gone over past the Dutchman when you realise that wind is freezing your elbows, your hands have clawed and it looks like a long way back. No rule says you have to go to the Dutchman. Fennell’s Bay is lovely this time of year!

So, look at the sea, check the tides, agree with a swim partner what you’re doing, cut it short if you feel cold – or before you feel cold – and always have your gear ready for a quick dry and change afterwards. Afterdrop can be painful and it’s worse if you dawdle getting dressed. Winter swimming is fantastic – a real buzz. Just be careful. Swim Safe.

Swimming in December

Posted on December 5, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Siobhan Russell got this beautiful picture yesterday morning. The sea is under 10c and closer to 9c at times, but the calm conditions have been a bonus.

Heading for the Dutchman – Myrtleville, December 4, 2014.

Not looking as good for next week, but we’ve got 08.15 tomorrow and the Turkey Swim on Sunday at 11.00 to look forward to before then.

As an add-on to the post on swimming in cold water, Donal Buckley has done a great post this week on what to expect as you swim in the colder sea for the coming months and how the blood flow to the limbs and skin is restricted. Peripheral vasoconstriction it’s called, but he makes it easy to understand!

Swim Safe.

Santa arriving early – fresh supply of Hats on the way.

Posted on December 3, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

There will be a new stock of the world’s most desirable stocking fillers, Myrtleville Swimmers hats, in Centra Crosshaven before Christmas. Yellow, White, in demand and international. The supplier has promised delivery in about ten days.

I got you another present, Angela..

Pat’s Hat on Ironman training in Mallorca – I think that’s a yellow hat blowing away in the background.

Fair enough, he’s holding up the Hat, but it might as well be two fingers – ‘I’m on the beach in Floriday, Nah, Nah, Na, Na, Nah’

Update on the changing shelter.

Posted on December 2, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Work to get a shelter built on the beach is moving along. Obviously, the main focus is on making the structure low-key and in keeping with the surroundings. You may recall one of the early designs. You’d hardly notice it on the beach.

It was suggested that this was so small it might actually be missed by visiting swimmers. Kieran Murphy has proposed a way to draw some attention to it make sure it doesn’t completely fade into the background.

Kieran Murphy’s contribution to the design of the new changing shelter.

I think this is just the most tasteful and appropriate proposal. Fair dues, Kieran. You’ve a real eye for eco-friendly design. I’m certain there will be no objections to it.

Still warm – really.

Posted on December 1, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

At 11c and over, it’s a full degree warmer than 2013, when Carol Cashell recorded 10.2c on Dec 1st. We’ll ignore the fact that 26 days later, she got 7.9c on St. Stephen’s Day. The Winter has certainly been shortened.

We were unfortunate on Saturday morning to get the tail end of the Easterly wind, so twenty swimmers headed to Fountainstown for a splash in the slightly smaller waves. Great numbers in the water.

Feckin’ Easterly. Myrtleville, 29 November.

August morning in Fountainstown – or at least that’s what passersby thought. No parking spaces left.

The Turkey swimmers in Sandycove got the luck this weekend. Sunday was a beautiful day for a swim. Unfortunately, even that couldn’t drag Siobhan Russell out of her habitual down-in-the-mouth, unenthusiastic demeanour.

You’d just feel like shaking her to get a bit of life into her. Always so downbeat – and don’t get me started on that Lowry fella.

Swims today at 11.00 (might just be too late for that one!) and at 4.30pm. Enjoy it while we have it.

Swimming in Cold Water

Posted on November 29, 2014 by myrtlevilleswimmers

A RE-POST FROM 2014: IMPORTANT STUFF. SWIM SAFE – IT’S COLD OUT THERE.

As we head towards the lower sea temperatures, some swimmers are making a decision on whether to take some time out of the sea or continue with a wetsuit, or in togs. This is an individual decision and should be made on safety grounds alone. Don’t just follow a group – your safety is your responsibility.

We’re fortunate that much detailed thought has been given to cold water swimming and hypothermia by Donal Buckley on http://www.loneswimmer.com.  In making a decision on whether to swim through the Winter, everyone should read at least some of his many articles on his chosen specialised subject. His recommended shortlist of articles to begin with are as follows:

WHY would anyone swim in cold water?

The Ten Commandments of Cold Water Swimming.

“What temperature of water is too cold to swim in?”

How To – Understanding Mild Hypothermia in swimmers

Cold water and cold immersion shock, the first three minutes.

Ice Mile Dilemmas VIII – The Dangers.

If you want to know more, there are about fifty articles which he has helpfully put in this Index.

Swim Safe. Swim Responsibly. Educate yourself. Remember – Cold Always Wins.