Actually Cobber, you’re out of order with that one.
When we got there I asked a lifeguard “how far out can you swim”, and he replied “you can swim all the way to New Zealand if you want mate” (that’s part of my anecdote when I tell it to people in a poor Aussie accent, but I did not think it’d work ion a forum post…).
To which I responded “what about sharks”, and he replied “you don’t need to worry about that mate, we haven’t had a shark attack for years” (or words to that effect).
It was the 20th Jan 2009.
the bit you left out is, “because they were all eaten by the crocs or killed by jellyfish first mate”
paging @fruit_thief 
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Of interest (and it makes my arms feel all tingly)…
I just put “dates of shark attacks off Bondi beach” into Google and got:
The last shark serious attack at Bondi occurred on 12 February 2009 when Glen Orgias was severely injured while surfing. By eerie co-incidence this was almost 90 years to the day since the last fatal shark attack.
So that lifeguard was right, as was I in asking him because I’m not a complete idiot “tourist”. I was born with 4 limbs and would like to die with the same number.
PS Particularly as the Aussies are so keen on avoiding skin cancer, why is it there are no sun umbrellas for hire on Bondi ? It’s pretty much the only (busy) beach I have ever been to in the world that is the case. We got badly burnt despite thinking we were being really careful (T shirts, sun cream etc), having said that we’d just jetted in from the UK at a point in the year when our skin would be just about as white as it was going to get…
Or are umbrellas now available (we last went in Jan 2009…) ?
Or got eaten whole by the sharks and were assumed missing 
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Relax, I went to Icebergs too the first day I was there 
Because people avoid going into their home 
plus the safety system of lifeguards, nets, and the drones and helicopters flying overhead spotting. The fact serious attacks are uncommon doesn’t mean sharks aren’t there.
Different state, but I used to live by the sea and hear the shark siren go off ~weekly, but still get in few times a week. Hence I try reduce my personal risk my staying close to shore, to not be that one in a decade story.
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May I interest sir in a Great White?
You’ll still have 4 limbs, just they’ll be inside the shark 
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If we go to Bondi this time I’ll be staying close to the shore…
But risk v reward is a massive subject, people go driving without a second thought, and even speed whilst doing so, when there is a significant risk of injury or death !
Incidentally. are sun umbrellas available on Bondi (or Manley) at now ?
Don’t think I’ve ever seen umbrellas or sun loungers etc anywhere in Australia come to think of it.
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Only been once but did a couple of beaches and didn’t see any. It made me furious.
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I was quite upset that evening as my sun burn came out…
That’s the problem of course, you do not realise you’ve burnt till hours later. And we thought we were being really careful, my wife was there in a long skirt and hat and T shirt but got an actual blister on her ankle which was unprotected as she sat there in the blazing sun because, err, there was no cover available from it.
TBH it bemuses me that Aussie beaches do no have sunshelters available, bearing in mind how much effort they put into warning about the dangers of skin cancer and stuff from thr sun
It’s less risk v reward. It’s about risk mitigation. That’s what Chris is talking about. Your car scenario actually formed the basis of an analogy in a risk management seminar.
How fast (if there were no speed limits) would you feel comfortable to go in a extra safe stunt car, wearing a crash helmet and full fire suit, on a perfectly straight air strip?
How fast would you feel comfortable going in a bog standard road car in normal clothes and no helmet?
How fast would you feel comfortable to go if you took away the seatbelt?
How fast would you feel comfortable to go if you also disconnected the brake?
If the airstrip is long enough, then you shouldn’t need either the seatbelt or the brake to be able to go super fast in a straight line and still come to a stop safely. Yet without those risk mitigation devices, almost everyone would go significantly slower.
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This is part of why protective clothing like helmets can counterintuitively increase sporting injuries.
Similar stuff for trees lining a road and people drive slower because it feels more closed and tight.
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Agreed. I believe that was one of the reasons they got rid of head guards in amateur boxing. Same for why there’s a lot of people who think ufc is a lot better for long term health than normal boxing, because the gloves are so much thinner. In ufc, one severe punch and you’re not getting up. In boxing, the thicker gloves mean there can be a significant accumulation of moderate to severe punches that leads in aggregate to much greater brain damage.
However in this instance, the risk mitigation is that you could swim however far you wanted to but just staying close to shore or at a beach with a shark net just with. limited distance. There’s technically no need to swim far out, so there’s no “reward” for doing so. You can achieve your aims by doing it in a way that minimises risk. That’s just logical. Which is what I believe you were saying
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An extension of this way of thinking is the Tullock spike though…
You’re going to drive that car incredibly carefully, because a sudden deceleration will be fatal. So the theory goes, there will be less accidents & injuries than if you fit cars with airbags and safety belts, which encourage people to drive like Lewis Hamilton.
Seems regulators and auto-manufacturers don’t really buy it, even though apparently there is some pretty good science and modelling behind the hare-brained idea.
personally I use a VERY simple risk-minimisation algorithm, bit like this:
Are there sharks? Yes = let’s not swim here today.
Are there crocs? Yes = let’s pack our suitcases and head to the airport.
Am I going to get smacked in the head? Yes = let’s not have a fight.
If I get pitched onto the pavement at 40kmh, might it dent my skull? Yes = let’s wear a helmet.
etc etc
120kmh
120kmh
There’s no way I’m going anywhere in that murder-wagon 
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BTW, there was a successful relay Channel swim crossing yesterday. 
Air temp was 4C, sea temp was 9C.
Bonkers
CHANNEL SWIMMERS | SUCCESSFUL CROSSING 🏊♂️🏊♂️🏊♂️🏊♂️🏊♂️ | Facebook?
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I see that pop up on my feed and just shook my head. Mad doing it in these conditions , chapeau.
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It was too cold for the sharks, @fruit_thief would have been safe
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I went to the swim assessment yesterday and I think Chris is no longer apex swimmer on here and I no longer need to fear any aquatic predators 
Back in reality!
Thought it was quite positive, especially with the mirror underneath and in front. I was fairly sure my right side was a problem and a sore shoulder supports that, although being right handed and using a mouse a lot doesn’t help.
And breating to the right also wasn’t great, end up twisting a lot more at the neck and in the trunk, left arm goes out to balance and kick scissors a bit, so I suspect it isn’t helping the left hip problem.
But he did say my left side was actually decent, kick was generally alright if a bit languid and I can see my legs sink a bit, but less of a problem in a wetsuit.
Worked on a few things there and had a go at the pool today, but it’s hard work trying to focus on a few things, I then forget to breathe and end up inhaling half the pool!
But, it wasn’t going to be an instant fix and I’ll continue to work on them, will probably dig out my centre snorkel so if I can get the stroke parts better and rotation then think more about the breathing later.
Might try and get back again in a couple of months depending on how things are going.
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