About our club
The WOBBEGONGS are a friendly social club encouraging people to swim and new members are always welcome. Our club meets at the south end of Huskisson Beach with the official racing season each Sunday from May through to September.
Also, some of us get together unofficially, for a swim and catch-up from about 7am -8am, most days, all year round.
History
In December of 2016, John Stapleton decided to form a Winter Swimming Club in Jervis Bay as there were no winter swimming clubs in the Shoalhaven area. A meeting was held with 8 people and the club formed from that day on. Little steps were taken with the overview of a communtiy-based social swimming club. It was decided to put forward an agenda for the inaugural meeting which was held in 2017 with the concept of Sunday race days featuring a 50 metre handicap freestyle race and a 25 metre handicap mixed stroke event. The eight foundation members were, John Stapleton, Kym Lees, Steve Pryn, Brian Probets, Fred Levy, Ken Stapleton, Don McRae and John Daly. Application was made to the Winter Swimming Association of Australia and we were accepted as the Jervis Bay Wobbegongs Winter Swimming Club. Our membership is steadily increasing and being in a healthy environment our club can only be successful in the future.
About the Winter Swimming Association of Australia
In 1959, representatives from seven winter swimming clubs which basically were all off- shoots from their neighbouring Surf Life Saving Clubs, met in order to form an association. These clubs were (from north to south) Bondi Icebergs, Bronte Splashers, Clovelly Eskimos, Coogee Penguins, Maroubra Seals, Cronulla Polar Bears and Wollongong Whales. The object of the duly formed NSW Winter Swimming Association was to organise an annual winter swimming competition at which members of the seven clubs could socialise and compete formally.
Over 5,000 swimmers now compete weekly during the five winter months of May to September. Over 200 Olympians and many, many SLSA champions are past or present champions at the WSAA Championships.
Ten events were held at the first National Championships in Newcastle in 1976. Currently thirty two events are held on the third Sunday in September with over 1000 swimmers taking part. 2008 saw the introduction of female competition adding 8 events and 200 swimmers. The Over 85 years 50 metres for men was added to the 2010 championships. For further information regarding the association please visit:
http://www.wsaainc.com/
In 2020 the Wobbegongs became a sub-club of Club Jervis Bay, who promote the activities of a number of local community clubs and have provided our club with considerable support.
The WOBBEGONGS are a friendly social club encouraging people to swim and new members are always welcome. Our club meets at the south end of Huskisson Beach with the official racing season each Sunday from May through to September.
Also, some of us get together unofficially, for a swim and catch-up from about 7am -8am, most days, all year round.
History
In December of 2016, John Stapleton decided to form a Winter Swimming Club in Jervis Bay as there were no winter swimming clubs in the Shoalhaven area. A meeting was held with 8 people and the club formed from that day on. Little steps were taken with the overview of a communtiy-based social swimming club. It was decided to put forward an agenda for the inaugural meeting which was held in 2017 with the concept of Sunday race days featuring a 50 metre handicap freestyle race and a 25 metre handicap mixed stroke event. The eight foundation members were, John Stapleton, Kym Lees, Steve Pryn, Brian Probets, Fred Levy, Ken Stapleton, Don McRae and John Daly. Application was made to the Winter Swimming Association of Australia and we were accepted as the Jervis Bay Wobbegongs Winter Swimming Club. Our membership is steadily increasing and being in a healthy environment our club can only be successful in the future.
About the Winter Swimming Association of Australia
In 1959, representatives from seven winter swimming clubs which basically were all off- shoots from their neighbouring Surf Life Saving Clubs, met in order to form an association. These clubs were (from north to south) Bondi Icebergs, Bronte Splashers, Clovelly Eskimos, Coogee Penguins, Maroubra Seals, Cronulla Polar Bears and Wollongong Whales. The object of the duly formed NSW Winter Swimming Association was to organise an annual winter swimming competition at which members of the seven clubs could socialise and compete formally.
Over 5,000 swimmers now compete weekly during the five winter months of May to September. Over 200 Olympians and many, many SLSA champions are past or present champions at the WSAA Championships.
Ten events were held at the first National Championships in Newcastle in 1976. Currently thirty two events are held on the third Sunday in September with over 1000 swimmers taking part. 2008 saw the introduction of female competition adding 8 events and 200 swimmers. The Over 85 years 50 metres for men was added to the 2010 championships. For further information regarding the association please visit:
http://www.wsaainc.com/
In 2020 the Wobbegongs became a sub-club of Club Jervis Bay, who promote the activities of a number of local community clubs and have provided our club with considerable support.
