EACH year since 2002 over 400 people jump into the crystal blue and sometimes icy cold water of Tathra from the historic Tathra Wharf and swim the 600m or 1200m course (or both) of the Tathra Wharf to Waves Ocean Swim.
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Over the past 14 years the event has grown and is now a premier event on the Far South Coast calendar every January. The swim claims centre stage of a weekend of fun and fitness in Tathra, which has in the past included a market stall, a skate, blade and bike competition, the Coastlife Adventures 2km Beach Fun Run and the Bega to the Beach Bike Ride.
The Tathra Wharf to Waves Ocean Swim came about in 2001 when parents of the Tathra Preschool community were thinking of a fundraising venture which would pull in funds from outside the local community and be sustainable for the future.
The Tathra Surf Club and the local preschool (like many other sporting clubs and services) are reliant on fundraising to keep afloat and it has always been a problem that most local organisations need to seek assistance from the same businesses and wallets each year. A few members of the club and some locals did regularly complete the swim from the surf club to the wharf but as long line shark fishing from the wharf had only relatively recently ceased (1997) swimming in the deep waters of the Tathra Wharf, where sting rays and all manner of sea creatures reside, into the beach remained, for the majority, an unfeasible feat.
Ocean swimming events enable people to swim in the ocean supported by volunteers who can supervise swimmers and ensure their safety.
The success story of the Lorne Pier to Pub, which began with an informal challenge among Lorne Surf Life Saving Club members diving in to the sea from the pier and swimming a course through the bay, finishing by bodysurfing the waves onto the Lorne foreshore. The swimmers would then celebrate their success at the Lorne Pub. The event now attracts 4000 swimmers a year! Could it be done in Tathra?
Luckily we have a very obliging community and great volunteers and an organising committee was formed.
The first Tathra Wharf to Waves event took about a year to organise. One of the major issues for the inaugural event was how to get competitors into the water from the Tathra Wharf.
Local Engineer Andrew Marshman donated his services to design a removable wooden platform and stairs – which has recently been replaced with a modern metal equivalent.
After Surf Lifesaving Australia approved the event as a Special Event and approval from the Bega Valley Shire Council, Police and NSW Water Ways was secured, the organisers sought sponsorship and ticked the other necessary boxes to host the inaugural Tathra Wharf to Waves on January 27, 2002.
Thanks to the unwavering efforts of organisers and volunteers, the event continues to grow and take greater numbers of entrants each year.
Swimmers feel safe under the careful watch of the skilled voluntary Tathra Surf Club lifesavers who supervise on rescue boards, surf skis and Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRBs). Other Tathra Surf Club members, Tathra Preschool parents and community volunteers assist on the day to provide refreshments, sell food and merchandise, register entrants, provide first aid, set up and clean up!
Record Time for 1200m Swim: To date the record time for the 1200m Splash for Cash is held by Hayden Rydberg (14:39).
The Tathra Wharf to Waves event encapsulates fitness, friendly competition and fun - all on one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia. The 600m and 1200m course distances enable swimmers of all age groups to participate. Many families and friends have competitions among themselves and the event has initiated life-long friendships between locals and visitors who return every year to compete.
The Tathra Wharf to Waves Ocean Swim is a major joint fundraiser for both the Tathra Surf Club and the Tathra Preschool. Each January preschool parents, volunteer lifesavers, surf club and community members assist to run a weekend of activities which showcase Tathra and its surrounding environment. All proceeds from the Tathra Wharf to Waves Ocean swim and weekend activities are shared equally between the Tathra Surf Club and Tathra Preschool for improvements to their buildings and purchase of necessary equipment and resources. A donation is also given to the local Tathra Rural Fire Service for their assistance in the Fun Run and bike ride and Clean Energy for Eternity.
