Sunny days and clear water put isolated Sydneysiders back in the swim

Sun-loving beachside residents are escaping the lockdown blues and taking advantage of optimal sea swimming conditions in an ocean bath revival

If ocean swimming is your form of lockdown exercise, Sydney is offering the perfect conditions at the moment.

Warm winter weather, sunny, blue skies and crystal clear water are giving residents along Sydney’s beaches a much-needed boost. Temperatures have been reaching the 19C mark, reviving the moods of people in the eastern suburbs as they stepped out of their homes for some essential exercise.

Bronte resident Evette Marangos, 53, seized the day by taking a dip in the Bronte Ocean Pool.

“I just had to swim. I hadn’t been swimming for nearly four weeks, and I just had to get out. I enjoyed it even though it was cold,” Ms Marangos said. “I’ve been swimming there since I was a baby … it’s the middle of winter, so I can’t ask for more.

Charly and Sofia Gomez taking a lunchtime swim at Bronte’s ocean bath. Picture: Richard Dobson

“If we’re going to continue to stay in lockdown for another two weeks, I’ll lose too much fitness staying out of the water, so I’ll have to come back again in a few days’ time, especially if the weather stays like this.’”

Maximum daily temperatures from low as 12C and up to 17C are expected for the remainder of the week.