Just a heads up - this is a long ‘about us’ page, but it’s worth it. We like to give context, and it’s important to understand how all this came to be and why we at the Salties do what we do.
So, relax, grab a coffee and settle in...
It often feels like we’re skimming the surface of life; as humans we aren’t designed to go that fast and sooner or later we crash. To cope with this intensity we need to find an outlet - for the Salties this is the ocean.
In 2013 a group of friends decided to do a Friday morning point to point swim at Bondi Beach. The ocean was crystal clear that day - the sand ripples, the baby stingrays, the light. Such a simple piece of exercise felt so good - we were hooked.
The Friday morning ritual of a morning swim was born, and so too were the Bondi Salties.
When you’re swimming out the back of Bondi you feel so small, but strangely, never alone. Ocean swimming gives you a new perspective on life as you become the bird from above watching the sting rays, fish, sand ripples and a couple of sharks every now and then. As you move through the cleansing energy of the waves, a place with no limits or expectation, your mind is free to think big, or not at all. True peace is found.
It’s sometimes scary out the back, but we’re of the belief that if something scares you it’s probably worth doing. A point to point on a Friday is obviously a lot less scary with a group of friends. The community aspect of the Bondi Salties is so important and so special. What started off as group of friends has become something so much bigger, for so many people.
As they say, people come for the swim, stay for the photo, enjoy the coffee and build lasting salt-ships.
We look forward to welcoming you into our community.
The biologist Wallace Nichols completed research which proved that being in or near the ocean is beneficial to our health.
He calls this theory Blue Mind Theory.
He describes why we as humans are drawn to the ocean, how our brains are affected, and how it benefits our general well-being. The ocean relaxes us and we at the Salties very much relate to this.
Julia Baird sums it up nicely
"Something happens when you dive into a world where clocks don't tick and inboxes don't ping.
As your arms circle, swing and pull along the edge of the vast ocean, your mind wanders, and you open yourself up to awe, to the experience of something astonishing, unfathonable, or greater than yourself.
Studies have shown that awe can make us more patient and less irritable, more humble, more curious and creative."
Disclaimer: Bondi Salties is an informal group who meet at the North Bondi Ramp and swim at 6:15am, on a Friday. They swim from North Bondi to South Bondi and back, approximately 700 metres each way. Each swimmer has a personal responsibility to decide whether or not they swim on any particular day. They should only swim if they are completely confident about the conditions of the surf, ocean and weather that they are choosing to swim in as ocean swimming can be a dangerous recreational activity. All swimmers have a personal responsibility to determine that they have the physical condition to enter into and complete a swim safely without any water safety assistance from other swimmers or the group as a whole. If a swimmer has any existing physical condition or any doubt as to their ability to complete a swim they should have a medical check-up first. Swimmers under the age of 18 should only swim if accompanied by a parent or a person who has parental responsibility for them. Swimmers should be aware that there is no water safety nor insurance in the event of sustaining injury etc…
If you choose to swim at any other time or on any other route, be it with Bondi Salties, or with friends whom you have made through the Bondi Salties, the same applies.
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