John "Shivers" Macartney has his day at last ... long a regular sight at summer swims in his wettie, along with brother Shakers, John was blessed with a body holding no body fat at all. Nil. So he feels it when the temperature drops. This is a swim made for Shivers and Shakers.

Satit Staponset, our cobber from Bangkok, is based in Sydney at the moment, sorting out a bit of business. Satit never loses an opportunity to promote a cause. In this case, it's the business that he's here to sort out. Satit says he needs encouragement because, not being a local, it's much harder for him to work his way through the legal system. Satit also swears that, when he finally sorts it out, he will swim from Luna Park to Manly, with or without an organiser. If you see Satit on the circuit, say g'day to him and tell him you're glad he's hear to swim with us. He is a good fellow, our Satit. He says of his sign, written on his belly for him by the lady at swim registration at Mona Vale, he tells us, "Thank you(to) the lady at Mona Vale Club. Your left hand writing (is) very cute".

Wettie wearers take their sport very seriously.

Omigod! It's the ocean!

BRATAOS ...

... practising.

The starting dance.

Through the gates off Bongin Bongin Bay.

Yes, there was swell out there. How invigorating! From the east-nor'-east, it meant that, once you turned the apex off the Mona Vale rock shelf, you were surfing in with the swell.

Doing it tough ...

Warhorse. Still can't work out which way's front with his cossies, though.

Good to see swim organisers who swim themselves, in this case, Andrew Perrin, co-organiser of the Stanwell Park Ocean Challenge. Stanwell Park had a delegation at Mona Vale, including a delegate from Coalcliff, our old cobber, Ken Newman. Wayne Johnston and Shanus Lane.

See you next year! Sunday, June 20, 2010 for the next Mona Vale solstice swim, the Cold Water Classic. Probably also not with cold water.