The winter swim season has begun. Iris Huizinga reports

The Stanwell Park Sea Eels have been around since 1989. It all started when a few brave souls put their names on a sheet to form a swimming club to stay fit during winter, raise money for charities, and have some “soup, tatties and liquid refreshment after”.

Long-time member and president of the Sea Eels winter swimming club, Peter McDonald (71), shows the handwritten paper that was pinned in the patrol room and points out some names on the original sheet: Grant Kenny, former Ironman, medallist swimmer Lisa Curry, plus the names of the instigators, Phil Anger and Peter Le Breton.

During the club’s 34 years, the Sea Eels have raised thousands of dollars for charities, while making a weekly splash during winter in the cold water of Coalcliff ocean pool. Now they are calling out for new members, and as one of only two clubs in the South Coast Winter Swimming Association who allow women members, everyone is welcome to sign up.

Enthusiastic female member Marley Larkin (15) says the chilly water has its own magic.

Why should we join?

Marley: I think winter swimming is something that a lot of people are scared of because they don’t like the idea of cold water, but it’s good to get out of your comfort zone.

And I think once you give it a go, it’s addictive to get in and just feel the cold water on your skin and it’s nice. And then you get soup afterwards.

Peter: The whole thing really is just a friendship. It’s just enjoyable, it is as competitive as you want it to be. We’ve had some very competitive people, but most of us just go down for the comradeship that goes with it.

I think the benefits are, as I said earlier, the friendship, and we also raise money for charity, which is something we really enjoy doing.

Do you need to be a good swimmer?

Peter: We have an average of 25 to 30 swimmers every week. Anybody can join. If you can swim
50 metres unaided, you are more than welcome. We don’t care how old you are, whether you are male or female, whether you are out of area. Wherever you are, you are more than welcome to come and swim.

Marley: I’m not the best swimmer, but I don’t think you need to be the best swimmer to enjoy winter swimming. I think it’s more about giving it
a go and getting in the water because you do like swimming. I beat my dad today. I was happy with that.

Peter: Every swim is handicapped, the relay, the finals. Everybody does a time trial on their first swim. So if you are a good swimmer, let’s say you swim 50 metres in about 40 seconds and the swimmer next to you swims [it in] 60 seconds, then they’ll be off first and you’ll be going off
20 seconds after.

Turn up at Coalcliff Pool on Sunday 9am, you’ll do a time trial and then you’ll just join in the fun.

It’s not a problem for you, Marley, to get up early on a Sunday morning?

Marley: Obviously some weeks I’d rather be in bed, but getting in the water makes it worth it. Once you get in, you never regret getting up early. It’s just nice.

Peter, tell us more about the charities.

Peter: We originally started off with a charity that helps physically and mentally disabled children. They are – we have been doing this for 30 years – adults now. That charity has been taken over by the CRAM Foundation, situated in the Shellharbour area, that’s where our money goes. Last year we were able to given them $3200, that was a big one. We have bought a wheelchair so they could take disabled people down to the ocean. It’s downstairs at the Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Club and anyone can make use of it.

We also give money locally – if anyone hears anything about someone who is raising money for someone, we’re quite happy to donate.

How worried should we be about the cold water?

Peter: Evidently cold water is supposed to be good for you.

When was the coldest water?

Peter: We didn’t swim the last two years because of Covid but the year before it was 11 degrees. That was cold. I think we only did the 50-metre swims, very quickly. It was fine, it was just cold.

If you see me going for a swim, I always put some water down my back to let my spine and my brain know: “This is what’s going to happen, there’s going to be cold water.”

Contact Peter on 0473 616 991, follow @stanwellparkseaeels on Instagram, visit www.stanwellparksurfclub.com