When a storm closed Bondi Icebergs in April 2025
By Visit Bondi Beach Editorial Team ·
Part of our Swim guide.
If you turned up at the Icebergs pool in early April 2025 and found the gates locked, here's what happened: an enormous overnight swell smashed into the pool on the night of 1 April, tearing through glass fencing and railings and forcing the club to close the ocean pool for repairs, with a reopening flagged for 18 April. It was one of the rare times in living memory that Bondi's most famous pool has shut its gates completely.
I've watched the Icebergs take a battering from big southerly swells more winters than I can count, but this one was different. The pool sits right on the rocks at the southern end of the beach, deliberately built so the surf washes over it - that's the magic of swimming there. This time, though, the sea won.
What actually happened
A deep low off the coast lined up with a king tide, and together they drove a swell that reached far higher than the pool deck. Waves surged over the terrace, shattered a long run of glass fencing near the change rooms, buckled steel railings and punched up into the lifeguard tower above the water. General manager Bob Tate, quoted in the news coverage at the time, said he'd never seen anything like it.
- What
- Storm damage to Bondi Icebergs ocean pool
- When
- Overnight, 1 April 2025
- Cause
- Large coastal swell coinciding with a king tide
- Reopening
- Flagged for 18 April 2025
- Status now
- Repaired and reopened
Why the Icebergs is so exposed
People are often surprised that a near-century-old pool sits where the ocean can reach it like this, but that exposure is the point. The Bondi Icebergs Club has been swimming here since 1929, and the pool was carved into the rock platform precisely so the Pacific spills straight into it. On a calm day it's one of the most photographed pools in the country; on a wild day, the same walls that make it beautiful take the full force of the swell.
Closures are genuinely rare. The club shuts the pool whenever the surf is dangerous, but a full multi-week closure for structural repairs happens once in a couple of decades, not once a season - which is what made this event newsworthy well beyond Bondi.
Can I still swim there?
Yes. The April 2025 damage was repaired and the pool returned to normal operation, so on any ordinary day you can pay the entry fee and swim in the same iconic pool. Just remember it's a working club pool, not a council facility - it closes on certain days for cleaning and lap squads, and always when the surf is unsafe. For current prices and session times, go straight to the official Icebergs site rather than trusting cached figures online.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bondi Icebergs still closed?
No. The closure covered in this article was a specific event from April 2025, after a large overnight swell damaged the pool. It was repaired and reopened, and operates normally today. For live opening hours and any short-term closures, check the official Icebergs website.
What caused the Icebergs pool to close in April 2025?
A powerful coastal swell overnight on 1 April 2025, coinciding with a very high tide, washed over the pool deck and damaged glass fencing, railings and parts of the club building. The club closed the pool for repairs, with reopening flagged for 18 April.
How often does the Icebergs pool close?
Short safety closures during big surf are fairly common - the pool sits on the rocks where the ocean washes in. But a full multi-week closure for structural repairs, like the one in April 2025, is very rare and happens only once in many years.
Can visitors swim in the Bondi Icebergs pool?
Yes. It's open to the public on most days ($10 adult, $7 child, $30 family, sauna included, as at August 2026), though it's a private club pool that closes on certain days for maintenance and squad training, and whenever the surf is dangerous. Check icebergs.com.au for the current schedule and prices.
How old is the Bondi Icebergs pool?
The Bondi Icebergs Club was founded in 1929, so the ocean pool and its winter-swimming tradition go back close to a century - which is part of why the storm damage drew so much attention.
The fact that the Icebergs keeps taking hits like this and keeps coming back is exactly why locals love it. It's not a sanitised resort pool tucked safely inland - it's a piece of Bondi that lives and breathes with the ocean, storms and all. Come for a swim on a clear morning and you'll understand why we're so protective of it.