Swimming
“Everyone here believes the water has healing powers.
People get in the water and come out different people.” – Larry Rosenzweig
The iconic Brighton Baths
The iconic Brighton Baths has been home to a diverse & passionate community of swimmers since 1881.
Our enclosed, outdoor saltwater swimming facility is open year-round to members and casual visitors.
Whether you are a seasoned swimmer or just getting acclimated to the water, the Brighton Baths is the perfect venue for swimming laps, aquatic therapy & recovery or simply a relaxing dip in the sea.
Casual visitors are welcome throughout the year during normal operating hours. A Casual Day Pass includes access to Victoria’s only private beach & boardwalk, the iconic sea baths, full-service change rooms & shower facilities and the option to rent a towel or locker.
Contact us for casual day pass options and pricing.
- Olympic size sea baths, ideal for timing laps or completing 300m circuits
- Private beach & boardwalk with umbrellas
- Access to change rooms, showers, and locker & towel hire
- Brighton Baths Health Club branded merchandise
- Retail store to purchase goggles, towels, silicone swim caps, neoprene swim caps, ear and nose plugs, male & female swimwear, Sun Bum sunscreen, Archies footwear, health & wellbeing products plus ready to go snacks and chilled beverages.
About the Icebergers
The Brighton Baths has long been the home base for a hardy bunch of year-round open water swimmers affectionately know as Icebergers.
Since opening in 1881, Brighton Baths has welcomed many robust individuals across all walks of life.
With a rich history of cold water swimming, a sense of care-free abandon & robust dispositions the Icebergers are always welcoming new recruits by encouraging participation & enjoyment, not competition.
Every Iceberger has a different way to get into the water and there are many access points once you’re on our boardwalk – brisk walk down the boardwalk to the closest stairs or plunge into the water via the far step ladders or wade into the water from the beach. No matter the method to their ‘madness’, the outcome is the same – pure bliss and liberation!
Brighton Baths Health Club is a hidden gem I didn't know existed! Escaping for a swim after work has been my saving grace to break up my week. I owe my sanity to the Baths. Friendly staff and lovely environment. It can't be beaten. The Group Classes give me accountability and community!
- Sarah Hamilton
The thing I really love the most about the Baths, is it is the closest thing to nature by way of proximity to where I live. A swim in the bay enables me the time, space and silence to think and contemplate, a most welcome outcome in today’s fast pace and connected reality. Each day the bay presents different conditions and tides making swimming at the baths something I will never tire of. I would say that I am now somewhat addicted and I look forward to swimming in the bay for many, many more years to come.
- David Rubin
I love being a Brighton Iceberger. My swim is so good mentally and physically. The facilities, the like-minded people you mix with make it a happy experience. I’m 82 but don’t feel old and I put it down to being an Iceberger.
- Jan Tozer
A Formula For Life
“It’s a way of life. If you miss it you feel like your whole day has been ruined. It certainly gets you up and running for whatever is in front of you. I believe a healthy body equals a healthy mind – the more you exercise, the more vital you become and a better lifestyle you’ll have. If you look after yourself and do plenty of exercise life becomes a whole lot easier. It’s kept me alive.”
- Keith Forbes, Brighton Baths Iceberger
SWIMMING IN ALL SEASONS
Fresh air & salty hair … being amongst nature and by the sea in particular has huge mood boosting qualities, & now scientists have the data to back up what we’ve known for ages!
- Each individual has their own reasons for cold water swimming and some of the benefits that can be experienced;
- Reduced stress
- Better sleep & mood regulation
- Increased lymphatic circulation that drains toxins from the body
- Reduced muscle inflammation
- Increased mental sharpness & focus
- In addition to an overall feel-good factor, the healing properties are not only physical but also mental & emotional too.
Spending just 30 minutes in coastal nature can invoke a change in breath patterns, quieten thoughts to bring us into balance. This ‘time by the sea’ whether you are around, in or under water is known as a Blue Mind Theory and allows us to slip into deeper moments of pause by acting as an antidote to an overstimulated life and a springboard for calmness, creativity & happiness.
Even watching sunrise and sunset offers more than a serene experience with many tangible health benefits that are grounded in science … and what a beautiful vantage point we have at Brighton Baths Health Club.
Observing sunrise & its spectrum of light aids our circadian rhythm and can induce a more refreshed & alert disposition, concentration, better impulse control as well as a marked reduction of anxiety levels. Witnessing the setting sun boosts the production of melatonin, our body’s natural sleep hormone that promotes more restful sleep whilst regulating our internal body clock.
Joins us waterside for an array of fitness activities for mind, body & soul … our facilities, beach & boardwalk are a wonderful sanctuary.
Annual Winter Wellness Warrior
It is our holistic approach to health and wellbeing that was the motivation to create our annual Winter Wellness Warrior activity open to BBHC members.
As a way of embracing the change of season and to highlight the advantages of cold water immersion, members register their participation in a daily swim in June, July & August to combat the tendency to hibernate and withdraw from regular interactions.
We see hardy year-round swimmers get involved along with fair-weather toe-dippers curious about the hype surrounding winter swims … there’s a great community buzz, lots of chatter and a wall-mounted board to visualise progress over the 92 days of the season.
Changing Lives
Meet Larry Rosenzweig. At the age of 47 Larry was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. His story of healing through cold water therapy is nothing short of a miracle.
In an article published in the Bayside Leader, they described witnessing Larry before and after his ice-cold daily swim as humbling. Before his swim he “hobbles stiffly to the water, dragging one foot and leaning on two walking sticks.
But after his 40-minute swim in the 8C seawater, he is then able to walk briskly around the boardwalk, and the difference is staggering.” Larry says, “Mentally it’s my happy time — I can get out of the water and climb the stairs properly. It reminds me I can still walk, I haven’t forgotten. I just have this unfortunate interruption.”
