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You are here: Home / Topics / Wild swimming

Wild swimming

October 21, 2015 by

‘Wild swimming’ is a British term used to refer to swimming in any watery environment wilder than an indoor pool. This term is a reminder that in the UK, where there are few public outdoor pools, swimming at a public pool is normally an indoor activity.

In Australia, where there were very few indoor public pools prior to the 1970s, swimming is still typically thought of as an outdoor activity. While most Australians would not consider swimming at a filtered, chlorinated outdoor public pool as a wild  form of swimming, they would acknowledge that ocean pools offer a wilder swimming environment than any other type of public pool.

Avalon Rockpool

The 2015 book, Wild Swimming Sydney Australia: 250 best rock pools, beaches, rivers and waterholes by Sally Tertini and Steve Pollard regarded both harbour pools  (such as the Dawn Fraser Baths in  Sydney Harbour) and ocean pools as wild swimming environments.  Since this book also regarded the Sydney region as encompassing most of the state of New South Wales, it listed ocean pools in Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast, the Illawarra and the South Coast among its wild swimming environments. All into Ocean Pools Inc has therefore linked each of the ocean pools mentioned in their book to this wild swimming topic. Even the Huskisson Sea Pool in Voyager Park on Jervis Bay rated a mention as a wild swimming environment.

Related Ocean Pools:

  • Collaroy Rock Pool (South Collaroy Rock Pool), NSW
  • Currarong Pools (Currarong Rock Channels), NSW
  • Huskisson Sea Pool (*not a classic ocean pool), Huskisson, NSW
  • Boatharbour Rock Pool, Gerringong, NSW, Australia
  • Werri Beach Pool
 (Werri Beach Rock Pool
, Ourie Park Baths, South Werri Ocean Pool), NSW
  • Blow Hole Point Baths
 (Blowhole Point Rock Pool, Kiama Rock Pool, Kiama Continental Baths, Kiama Men’s Baths), NSW
  • Pheasant Point Baths 
(Kiama Ladies Baths, Kiama Olympic Pool), Kiama, NSW
  • Beverley Whitfield Pool 
(Shellharbour Baths, Shellharbour Rock Pool, Shellharbour ocean pool), NSW
  • Nuns Pool
 (Nuns Baths, Chain Baths), Wollongong, NSW
  • North Wollongong Rock Pool (Wollongong Men’s Baths
, Old Men’s Baths, Wollongong Baths, 
gentlemen’s baths, the gentleman’s bathing place, 
Clarkes Hole), NSW
  • Towradgi Pool
 (Towradgi Rockbaths, Towradgi Olympic Pool, Towradgi Rock Pool), NSW
  • Bellambi Pool (Bellambi Rock Pool), NSW
  • Woonona Baths (Woonona Rock Pool), NSW
  • Bulli Baths (Bulli Rock Pool), NSW
  • Austinmer Baths (Austinmer Rock Pools), NSW
  • Coledale Baths (Coledale Pool, Coledale Rock Pool), NSW
  • Wombarra Baths (Wombarra Rock Pool), NSW
  • Coalcliff Pool (Coalcliff Rock Pool, Coalcliff Baths), Coalcliff, NSW
  • Bulgo Pool (Bulgo Rock Pool), NSW
  • Figure Eight Pool, NSW
  • Oak Park Pool
 (Oak Park Rock Pool, Oak Park Ocean Baths, Glaisher Point Baths), NSW
  • Shelly Beach Pool
 (Shelly Beach Rock Pool
, Shelly Park Rock Pool, Shelly Beach Baths), NSW
  • Cronulla South Pool
 (South Cronulla Rock Pool, Cronulla Main Pool, Cronulla Rock Pool), NSW
  • Cronulla’s northernmost pool
 (North Cronulla Rock Pool, Cronulla Ocean Pool, Cronulla Beach Pool, 
Cronulla McDonald Street Pool), NSW
  • Little Bay Rock Pool
 (Little Bay Baths), NSW
  • Malabar Rock Pool
 (Malabar Bay Pool, Baths at Long Bay), NSW
  • South Maroubra Rock Pools, NSW
  • Mahon Pool (Mahon Rock Pool), NSW
  • Ivo Rowe Pool, South Coogee, NSW
  • Wylies Baths (Wylies Bath, Coogee Baths, Sunstrip Pool), NSW, Australia
  • McIvers Baths 
(Coogee Women’s Pool, Coogee Women’s Baths)
  • Ross Jones Memorial Pool
 (Coogee Beach Pool), NSW
  • Giles Baths
 (Giles Baths Pool, Lloyds Baths, Randwick Municipal Baths), NSW
  • The Geoff James Pool
 (Clovelly Baths, Clovelly Beach Pool), NSW
  • Bondi Icebergs Pool
 (Bondi Icebergs Rock Pool,
 Bondi Baths, Bondi Beach Pool), NSW
  • Bronte Baths
 (Bronte Beach Baths, Wylie’s Bronte Baths, Bond Ocean Pool), NSW, Australia
  • Bronte Bogey Hole, NSW
  • North Bondi Children’s Pool 
(Mermaid Pool, Mermaid Baths)
  • North Bondi – Wally Weekes Pool
 (Wally Weekes Bathing Pool), NSW
  • Fairy Bower Pool, (Fairy Bower Rock Pool), NSW
  • Queenscliff Rock Pool, NSW
  • Freshwater Rock Pool
 (Freshwater Pool, Harbord Pool, Harbord Baths), NSW
  • Curl Curl Rock Pool
 (South Curl Curl Pool, South Curl Curl Rock Pool)
  • North Curl Curl Rock Pool
 (Dee Why Head Rock Pool), NSW
  • Isa Wye Rockpool (Dee Why Rock Pool
, Dee Why Baths), NSW
  • Mona Vale Rock Pool
  • Whale Beach Rock Pool, NSW
  • Palm Beach Rock Pool
 (Palm Beach Pool, Palm Beach Rock Baths), NSW
  • Pearl Beach Rock Pool, Pearl Beach, NSW
  • Putty Beach Rock Pool, Killcare, NSW
  • MacMasters Beach Rock Pool, MacMasters Beach, NSW
  • Copacabana Rock Pool (Mavis Pool), Copacabana, NSW
  • Avoca Beach Rock Pool
 (Avoca Beach Bogey Hole, Avoca Beach Children’s Pool, Avoca Beach Children’s Rock Swimming Pool, Avoca Beach Babies Pool), NSW
  • Grant McBride Baths, The Entrance, NSW
  • Norah Head Rock Pool
 (Norah Head Bogey Hole, Cabbage Tree Harbour Rock Pool), NSW
  • Merewether Ocean Baths
 (Merewether Baths), Merewether, NSW
  • Newcastle Bogey Hole, Newcastle, NSW
  • Newcastle Ocean Baths
 (Griffith Ocean Baths), Newcastle, NSW
  • Avalon Rock Pool, Avalon Beach, NSW, Australia
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