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The Forster girls love a good wave. It's their warm up.

What goes on on the swim bus ...

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Rob Elvey had himself appointed bus steward at Byron Bay on swim day, in order that he might have his photograph taken with every pretty colleen who happened along. But come on, Coleen, it wasn't that cold!

Many ocean swimmers have idiosyncratic rituals that they must perform before they swim.

Concurrent with the 20th Byron Bay Winter Whales Ocean Swim Classic was the 20th Byron Bay Winter Waders Classic.

The Forster gals, waving again. Do they swim, this lot? Or just wave?

In order to get the shot, the meeja often must place themselves in harm's way.

No matter how critical the time, just seconds before start time, many ocean swimmers always have the presence of mind to attract the camera.

The Three Amigos.

Get that head down, love.

No wonder she needs fins, with a body position like that.

Lovely elbow, nice body position, nice body ... eh, hey, don't hit me like that ... sorry, love ... of course I love you ... no, just joking,... honest ... aaarrrgghhh...

Someone from Bondi Fit.

Past The Pass, eh?

What's his name? Yes, here he is: Byron Bay means it's our annual drink with Killer, this time full of stories about his trip to Hervey Bay, during which his "Wingman", Mitch, insisted on playing and replaying Khe San, because he wanted to learn the words, just as Killer knows them, yet. after 38 plays, says Killer, Mitch still doesn't know them. Must have been the wax job that Mitch had to drop in for in Brisbane along the way. Mitch idolises Killer; sees him as a role model. And it's not hard to see why! Killer's other piece of oraclictic wisdom from his long road trip to Hervey Bay: "Ice cream is a metaphor for life". He did explain it to us, but we fear we'll be waiting until next year's Byron swim before he gets to explain it again, and this time we might understand it. Truly, however, Killer is a metaphor for all that is good in ocean swimming. We're glad we didn't know him on the footy field, however.

Mrs Sparkle has admirers coming from all sides. Lucky girl!

If oceanswims.com and Liberty Grove truckie Ben Hall were invited to the same fancy dress party, it would be a fight for the Uncle Fester costume.

Mrs Sparkle is a keen body surfer. And she never loses her form. Look at those hands.

Wett One Kerry.

Git all at sea.

If there was an award for supporter, Towel-Tart of the Year, it would go without question to "Dad", left, the dad of Catherine Boorer. Dad and Catherine live in East Maitland, outside Newcastle. Dad drives his daughter, 26, wherever she wants to go to swims. They drove to South West Rocks, Forster, down to Sydney many times, and up to Byron Bay the day before this year's swim, then drove back again the afternoon of the swim. No distance is too great for dad, and without complaint. As we understand it, Catherine sits in the passenger seat watching her dvd player. He's a gem.

Believe it or not ... before Byron Bay, the two lasses at left and centre, Julia and Marianne, had never done an ocean swim. And Mrs Tacoma Jim, at right, is a season novice. They probably think all ocean swims are as good as Byron was this year.