SURF BATHING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 11

SURF BATHING.

This year greater numbers of people than'ever have taken small cottages down the South' Coast, at Austinmer, Thirroul, and elsewhere,; along the pretty Illawarra line,-chiefly-for. the'sake of surf-bathing, says a Sydney. writer. It is simply marvellous what an effect the. calf of the surf : now,-, has .on old. and " young, big and'j :little;.;whatever, the sex,";size, • age, or occupation. A few years, ago the-girls paddled about „in .tho..foaniy . waves as they, lapped the'shorc—but only when no-' .body was looking. Now they go down to the sea deliberately with' fathers and brothers and their brothers' friends, ami •make -the best' job. they "can of shooting the breakers,.not caririg -a.bit what they look like, either in 'the "sea or' out of it; In the sea everybody is so completely occupied with the waves'as they roll 'in and.-break,-that the.figures cut. bv-oue's neighbours in the briny , are little noticed, if.-'at alii . The. joy of surfing is a selfish joy, -though all women-admit'that the presence of men gives them ■ confidence to.go'.but, at any rate" up to-their waists,.which, with dread tales of undertow and treacherous currents ever ringing'in their ears," they- are' afraid to do without 'that moral . support Though girl-bathers .on the stage, who never get wet, look lovely in their pale green, blue,, and pink cost, tumes, .;with' coquettish, '"bonnets de bains"-:half : ooncealing, their' hair,, the' gehnine bathejs down the South Coast, in serviceable dark blues and; discoloured reds, don't; look , particularly' attractive in, the water.' The circular skirts, so pretty in a threatrical bathing scene are'hainper-. ing; and annoying -when oonfronted with tho 1 real thing., . Therefore, .most girl surfers decide against them, and the tight-fitting l Canadian suits of, navy blue, with red-or : white borders, are 1 adopted, sometimes with good effect: But that :dcpends'.so much on the girl! "-

■"Didn't yon say six months ago that if Miss Porritt. wouldn't marry you yon would throw yourself, into ; .tho! deepest part of 1 the,sea?.! Now, ,l£iss Porritt married. someone' else - three - months", ago and yet you haven't—" ''Oh, its easy to talk, bnt-let'me tell' you ife -not 6Uch an easy matter 'to find the deepest part of the Sea.'',. • ..

. When a young couple are married they are made one, but 1 it taies' some time to find out which one. • . •

, Ladies' Costumes < are made at. the' English. : Tailoring . Booms, 52 ■ Willis. Street. Those who have been.gowned-by Mr. W. S. Bedford are continually; advertising him.—Advt.