Clublife

Several different types of clubs are associated with ocean baths on the NSW coast. A single ocean baths may host several clubs. On Sydney's northern beaches, several swimming clubs and a winter swimming club may share use of a single clubhouse at the ocean baths, as at Dee Why. The Bondi Icebergs pool is home to the Icebergs winter swimming club, the Bondi Mermaids winter swimming club and the Bondi Amateur Swimming Club and for a time a women's water polo team.

Swimming clubs may now:
- cater for both men and women,
- limit their membership to either men or women,
- draw their membership from a particular business or profession, and
- be associated with community organisations, such as RSL clubs.

Surf clubs
The surf life saving clubs (SLSCs) affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) or its predecessors usually have their own club house at the surf beach, not shared with any other swimming clubs or surf clubs. Surf clubs excluded women from full membership from around WWI until the late twentieth century.

The women's surf clubs that existed could affiliate with the Royal Life Saving Society, but not with Surf Life Saving Australia or its predecessors.

Surf clubs have strongly supported the development of ocean baths, both to provide training and competition venues for their members and as safe swimming venue for beachgoers. Some surf clubs have a long history of co-operation with swimming clubs based at the nearby ocean baths.


Winter swimming clubs
Began as men-only clubs in Sydney in the 1920s. Nowadays, women are also members of winter swimming clubs.

Further Information

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