About us

WE ARE BÄLLE TIEF - FORMED IN 2017 BY TWO MEN WHO HAD READ ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF COLD WATER AND EARLY RISING. THE GROUP MEETS EVERY MORNING AT NORTH BONDI AT 5:56AM FOR A 6:00AM SWIM. WE CATCH WAVES, WATCH THE SUN RISE AND GRAB A COFFEE BEFORE HEADING OFF TO WORK. WE DON'T MAKE TOO MUCH OF IT, WE JUST KNOW WE NEED IT AND IT ONLY TAKES A DAY OF MISSING A SWIM TO HAVE A NOTICEABLE EFFECT. 

WE BELIEVE IN DOING THINGS PROPERLY, MAKING A COMMITTMENT TO GET THE MOST OUT OF EVERY DAY. WE BELIEVE HUMANS SHOULD NOT DO THINGS BY HALF - WHICH IS WHY BÄLLE TIEF IS A LOOSE TRANSLATION FROM GERMAN TO MEAN 'BALLS DEEP' . IT CAME WHEN THE FOUNDING MEMBERS WENT TO SWIM ON A BITING COLD DAY IN AUGUST WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 6 DEGREES CELSIUS, THE SAND LIKE ICE, THE WATER, SURPRISINGLY, WARM AT 17 BY COMPARISON. BUT WHEN THAT ICY WATER RUNS OVER THE BACK OF YOUR NECK IT DOES SOMETHING TO YOU, IT ELECTRIFIES YOU, AND YOUR DAY HAS WELL AND TRULY COMMENCED. 

ON BONDI BEACH WE SWIM AND MEET, BUT WE TAKE OUR BELIEF EVERYWHERE WE GO AND OUR MEMBERS TRY TO FIND A WAY TO SWIM IN COLD WATER NO MATTER WHERE THEIR TRAVELS TAKE THEM.

BÄLLE TIEF HAS MEMBERS, BUT WE DON'T EXLUDE ANYONE, OUR MESSAGE IS A SIMPLE AND INCLUSIVE ONE. GET OUT OF BED EARLY, GET DOWN TO THE WATER AND AWAKEN YOURSELF, THEN GO AND LIVE A FULL DAY. WELCOME TO BÄLLE TIEF, WE HOPE YOU ARE READY TO JOIN THE CLUB.