Swimmers Profile'

“Swimmers’ Profile” has been very successful and Black Ice has some very exciting guests
coming soon, including the likes of Phil Rush, Murphy Renford (son of Aussie icon, Des)
Susie Maroney, John Jameson, Nick Adams and Paul Ellercamp [the man behind Oceanswims.com. Like all Black Ice members, Paul he has a zero tolerance to wet suits.

I regularly travel up to Sydney and swim with Paul in events along the NSW coast and the one thing that I notice is that in Sydney, nobody wears wetsuits. When I come home to Melbourne, more than 90% of swimmers have wetsuits on.

I have written to some of the organisers, but they don't seem to get it.

By all means, wear your suits but have a special category for natural swimmers. It’s funny how the Point Leo swim on Boxing Day allows swimmers to wear suits, but to win the major prize, they invite the top 10 swimmers to a shoot out with winner takes all, but no suits to be worn in the final.

I ask these swimmers why? Nine times out of ten, the answer is because they’ll get a faster time.

Imagine if all Olympic swimmers turned up in wetsuits. They would all be disqualified and laughed at.

I don't get it, so don't bother sending me an entry form to any Melbourne swims. Instead, head up to Sydney.

Remember, Black Ice has only won rule : NO WET SUITS. If you see me in the
water and you are wearing a wetsuit, then swim the other way.

If there is anybody that you would like to see on “Swimmers’ Profile”, please write to Black Ice .

I will never forget training at Dover a few years ago when a group of swimmers, supporting a solo swimmer from the US, turned up to the beach wearing bomber jackets with “Only tough guys swim to France” embroided on them. I had to laugh when they all pulled out their wetsuits and wondered just how tough they were or how they had just embarrassed their swimmer.

Next day he was pulled out of the channel after six hours and I didn't see those “tough guys” anymore.