SWIMMING WITH THE POD

Ocean swimming... and swimming caps

Swimming caps are a large source of ocean swimming waste. Often only once used, destined for land-fill or the ocean itself, events have not got a handle on to how to appropriately use them. And despite popular belief, they do not break down in the environment in any useful timeframe. They are important facets of ocean swimming safety so that swimmers can be seen in the water and in their racing waves, but at the end of each season, even mediocre swimmers like myself end up with a bag full of caps, never to be used again.
So, what can you do? I've been collecting caps for Recap over the last few summers to give them on to good causes. One of those places they go is Reverse Garbage, an organisation that saves materials from landfill and renews their value by making them available for reuse by families, students, artists and community groups. Each year, they take about 35 thousand cubic meters of waste for reuse, saving tonnes of raw material, energy and emissions.
I spoke with Kirsten Junor, Creative Director at Reverse Garbage, about what she does with the caps, what Reverse Garbage does in general, interspersed with all sorts of reuse/recycle discussion. We recorded in the pub - surely the best way to spend an afternoon recording a podcast - so occasionally the sound quality dips.
Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License:
Kalon - extenz
Positive Happy - PeriTune
Atlantis - Scandinavianz
Endless Summer - extenz
Eventide - mezhdunami
Show me the way - Vendredi
Okay - True Magenta
Sapphire - Tobu
 

Ocean swimming... with jellyfish

Things that can sting you are part of every ocean swimming experience, not matter where you are in the world.
Associate Professor Jamie Seymour, Director of the Tropical Australian Stinger Research Unit at James Cook University, studies venomous animals and has a particular interest in decreasing the envenomings of humans by jellyfish. He has some personal experience in this area too - he has been stung by Irukandji 11 times! He is a world leader in the studies of the ecology and biology of Box jellyfish (his favourite jellyfish), and his work has led to pharmaceuticals being made from animal venom.
We chatted about how to treat ocean stings (not with vinegar nor, funnily enough, urine!), habitats and the influence of climate change on the spread of stingers, stinger evolution, the difference between poison and venom, and between a toxicologist and a toxinologist, and a host of other jellyfish tangents (tentacles?).
Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License:
Addict - Peyruis
Night Out - LiQWYD
Want you - ZAYFALL
I Wonder - PYC
Sapphire - Tobu

Ocean swimming... in rips

Rips claim an order of magnitude more lives than shark attacks in Australia, and are arguably the most dangerous facet of going to the beach.
Associate Professor Rob Brander, also known as Dr Rip, is a coastal geomorphologist who studies morphodynamics (hydrodynamics, sediment transport, morphology) of coastal systems, with a particular interest in rips and the safety of beachgoers. He runs a beach education program called Science of the Surf, and one of the cool things he does is publish a Rip of the month. You might like to read his book, Dr. Rip's Essential Beach Book, or check out the National Geographic documentary, Rip Current Heroes.
Coming into the summer, listen in as Rob lets you know how to spot a rip and what to do if you're caught in one.
Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License:
Groove It - ZAYFALL
Somebody - ZAYFALL
Paraclet - Amaria
Breeze - MBB
Sapphire - Tobu
 
 

Ocean swimming... with shark nets

Shark nets are fairly common across popular Australian tourist beaches, but beyond giving swimmers a perception that they are being protected from sharks, do they actually work?
Jordan Sosnowski is the Advocacy Director for Action for Dolphins, a group that aims to stop cruelty to, and gain legal protection for, small cetaceans (dolphins and other small whales). We chatted about how shark nets probably don't work to keep sharks and swimmers apart, that shark nets have an incredible toll on marine life, that sharks don't hunt you down, that opinions on the use of shark nets are changing, and the non-lethal options that are out there.
Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License:
Epic Song by BoxCat Games
Earth Tones by Hpnotic718
Ave Marimba - Kevin MacLeod
Sapphire - Tobu
Image from Sea Gazing

Ocean swimming... in ice

Ram Barkai is the founder of the International Ice Swimming Association - they are all about swimming in water less than 5 degrees Celcius. Ram has swum many of the world's toughest swims, including in Antarctica, and holds multiple world records. The IISA introduced the Ice Mile as its signature achievement; the Ice Mile is one mile in water of 5C or less. The swim must be unassisted and only a pair of goggles, a cap and a standard swimming costume can be worn. In 2014, the IISA introduced the 1 km ice event, and Ram's ambition is to have the 1 km event introduced to the 2022 Winter Olympics.
I've left this episode long as I found it absolutely fascinating, and Ram very entertaining!
Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License
Lullaby - Joakim Karud
Yukowla - Yuku
Discotheque - Bluehost
Sapphire - Tobu
don't leave me here alone - Artifical.Music
Real Bad Girl - Audionautix
 

Ocean swimming... the English Channel

Sally Catt is an ocean swimmer who this year is tackling the English Channel. She is raising money for Save The Box, a campaign to raise awareness and fundraising for gynaecological cancer research, as part of the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG).
I chatted to Sally about her journey to this point and what it takes to swim that far (>30 km) including long distance training, cold water acclimatization, going to the toilet while you're swimming, diet, travel companies, qualifying swims and English Channel swim operators. Listen in for tips if this is something you want to do! It is not out of reach.
You can sponsor Sally's journey for charity here.
Songs in this episode are all licensed under a Creative Commons License and are by Bensound, who provides royalty free music. The songs are Funky Element, Jazzy French, Moose and Ukulele.

Ocean swimming... training

Andre Slade runs OceanFit, which is an open water swim school run at Bondi Beach. Andre has been involved in ocean swimming for a long time, and knows a thing or two about ocean swimming training, tactics and skills. He's also started a surf life saving magazine and written surf life saving policy.
Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License
Beach Buggy Ride - SIRPRICE
Acoustic Breeze - Bensound
Hot Mustard - S Strong
Sapphire - Tobu

Ocean swimming... in polluted rivers

The Cooks River in Sydney has been variously described as an open sewer, the River of Death, and one of Australia's most polluted rivers. Yet there are plans - possibly rather hopeful plans - to bring swimming back to the river. There are numerous such rivers in cities around the world, so how realistic is the idea that you could bring swimming back to polluted city rivers? Could ex-industrial rivers join the oceans (and dams) of Australia as recreational swimming spots?
Professor Stuart Khan from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNSW studies sustainable urban water management, and has studied chemical composition of the Cooks River, and how the pollutants got there. He thinks that, whilst it may be a long way off, there are precedents around the world for bringing back swimming to polluted rivers.
You can read more on efforts to remediate the Cooks River at the Cooks River Valley Association.
Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License
Funk City - Reatch
Up In My Jam - Kubbi
Cease - A Himitsu
Sapphire - Tobu

Ocean swimming... with Beachwatch

Beachwatch test the water quality of Sydney beaches to see if they are suitable for swimming. The program also partners with councils and wastewater managers for swimming sites along the NSW coast. Water samples are collected and tested for bacteria, which may suggest faecal pollution, and influence whether the beach is safe for swimming. The program started in 1989 due to sewage pollution washing up on Sydney beaches - there was literally poo on the beach... These days, water quality has greatly improved, largely due to new deep ocean outfalls for coastal sewage treatment plants, as well as improvements in wastewater and stormwater management. The major reason why a beach may be unsafe to swim these days is because of recent rainfall, which can bring stormwater and wastewater overflow. Beachwatch also provides weekly star ratings for beaches, and the annual State of the Beaches report.
Dr. Meredith Campey is the Beachwatch Program Manager, and I spoke to her about what Beachwatch does, its history, how they test and what they test for, and the various reasons a beach may be unsuitable for swimming.
You can receive Beachwatch updates on Facebook and Twitter, subscribe to their RSS feeds, or subscribe to daily pollution forecasts.
Songs in this episode - all licensed under a Creative Commons License
Exit the Premises - Kevin MacLeod
Tonic and Energy - Elexive
Adventures - A Himitsu
A new beginning - Bensound
Sapphire - Tobu
Episode image - licensed under a Creative Commons License: Yellow Bioman