I have just returned from a fabulous week of swimming and snorkelling on Heron Island. This beautiful island is in fact a cay (a reef of coral) located on the Barrier Reef in Queensland. If you’re ever in need of a great reason to learn to swim, a holiday on an island with an amazing array of marine life will do it. I was so very fortunate to swim with turtles, sharks, eagle rays, a massive variety of brilliantly coloured fish and my absolute favourite, Manta rays. Such a wonderful experience. To say it is life changing to swim with these wondrous creatures, is an understatement. These holidays fill my soul with awe. Please keep up your classes over winter and into next summer so you can come and join me on one of these expeditions. You will be amazed.

Manta rays, as I’ve mentioned, have a special place in my heart. They are majestic and graceful, filling the space in which they swim. Spellbinding to come across, swimmers and divers who are fortunate enough to see these beautiful animals, can only marvel. You can find them in the waters off Heron Island late May and in June. A perfect time of the year, as the ocean is vibrant and crystal clear. To learn more about these amazing creatures and others, check out the video at the bottom of this newsletter. 

In this newsletter you will see updates regarding our timetable and our move to Cook and Phillip Pool from 25th June. Please do read through it all so, you are abreast of the changes and reach out to me if anything is unclear. 

As always, yours in swimming, 

Kari Baynes
Director 

Photos:  Heron Island, Queensland PC: Kari Baynes

No Classes on Monday 13th June

Find Your Swim Buddy!

Final Week at PAPP

Boosting Winter Motivation 

With winter finally here and in full force, you don’t want to lose the progress and momentum that you’ve worked so hard to build over summer. We’ve put together a quick guide for keeping up your motivation over the winter, but let us know if you have any tips or tricks that you use to just keep swimming!

1. Set yourself a goal.

Whether your goal is to get ready for an event like passing the NSW Police Aqua Rescue Sequence test, or a self-enforced goal to swim 50m freestyle without stopping, having something to work towards can help us stay motivated. If you’re not sure what the next step is for you, have a chat with your instructor next time you see them!

2. Plan ahead for the cold

If you know that the cold-factor is stopping you from enjoying your regular swims, plan ahead to stay warm before the swim and get warm after. This article has some great suggestions for kids, but we think those tips are great for everyone to use. Here’s another good article with similar advice. 

Making sure you have a warm, dry towel, comfortable and warm swimwear, and plenty of warm clothes to hop into post-swim! There are plenty of options for thermal swimwear as well, ranging from thermal tops (rashies) all the way up to swimming wetsuits.

You’re also not limited to swimming in freezing cold water outdoors! Particularly when our classes move to the lovely indoor Cook + Phillip Park Pool, there’ll be no excuse. But even without classes, there are plenty of great indoor swimming pools all around Sydney to make your swimming goals that little bit easier.

3. Get into (and stick with) a routine.
As we mentioned above, having a swim buddy can be an excellent way to create a routine with some added accountability. Picking a schedule that’s achievable is super important, so don’t go too big! Even if just sticking to your usual one class a week, having something regularly scheduled will make swimming easier and easier.

4. Treat yourself! 
Swimming shouldn’t feel like a punishment, so don’t let it become one! Our go-to is always a lovely hot drink after a cold swim, but you can choose anything from an extra minute in the hot showers to your favourite breakfast/lunch at a cafe. You deserve it!

Intro to Ocean Swimming – Bookings Now Open!

In case you missed our previous newsletter with details regarding the course, here’s what you need to know before booking in. Firstly, this program is aimed towards absolute beginners to ocean swimming, and will focus on the basics such as reading and understanding conditions and making safe entries and exits from the water. 

The first session will run on Sunday, 19th June from 9:30 – 10:30am. 
Swimmers will meet at North Bondi Beach, in front of the North Bondi Surf Club. We ask that everyone who books arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the start time, and ideally is there by 9:15am. 

Inspiration Corner

Vaccination Policy & COVID Safety

As per our updated COVID-19 Safety Plan (which can be found on our website here), you are required to send your current vaccination certificate for us to verify before your first class.  You may do so by forwarding it to us, or sending us a screenshot via SMS. Your certificate will not be stored by us once it has been verified. We have a fully vaccinated team and do require you to be fully vaccinated before joining any of our classes, for the health and safety of our staff and other swimmers.