Saturday, July 12th, 2025

It was glassy water and foggy sky's this morning at Avila Beach, much like the last few mornings. When Tom and I were getting ready there was a low ceiling but we could eastly see the Poly Pier so we  decided to swim the P Pier and Reef Buoy loop. Off of the Avila Pier I had measured a water temp of 60°.  Our goal for this swim was 4,000M. We swam to the #1 crossbars on the P Pier and out to the end of the pier where we found that the fog had closed in and the only thing there was to see was a boat that was anchored near the pier. We took a bearing on the boat that would lead us to either the Avila Pier or the beach and swam a reasonably straight line to the end of the Avila Pier. From there I could see the loom of Fossil Point so we headed over there and completed our loop to the #1 buoy. At that point we were at 3,300M so we swam to the end of the pier and back to make our distance.      

Niel and Tom at the Reef Buoy with a Great Blue Heron in the background, 

walking on the kelp looking to see if it was crabs or fish for breakfast. 

I'll swim tomorrow at 11.

niel

Friday, July 11th, 2026

Tom L's Swim Report -

Heavy marine layer, a breeze blowing on shore, and bumpy water. Toes in the water at 930 a.m.  The water temperature was 58° and it was a good morning Swim. 

Thursday, July 10th, 2025

This morning I swam a counterclockwise loop around the Poly Pier and the Reef Buoy and added a half triangle on the west side of the pier at the end for 4,179M. The water was 59° with colder spots and the air temp was 57°.  At the start there was no wind and the surf was 1 to 2 foot, it was overcast with a fog bank on the water to the west, south and east.  

Fossil Point from between the Poly and Avila Piers. 

The sun was coming out at this point. 

On the east side of the Avila Pier the water was brown and full of plankton but in other areas it was clear and when the sun came out I could see my shadow in the water swimming below me.  It was nice swimming in the sunshine for a while. When I arrived back at the Avila Pier the wind had come up, the water was getting choppy, the sun was gone and the fog was being blown in towards the beach.

The Saturday group will swim at 7 and I'll swim at 11 on Sunday.

niel 

Monday July 9th, 2025

Tom L's Wednesday Morning Swim - 

The conditions were basically the same as Monday… And Tuesday… Heavy marine layer, glassy water, and a small wave rolling in. The water temperature was about 56°. The lime green water had drifted over to the east side today. A lifeguard training and junior guards were in full swing. It was an excellent morning swim. 

Tuesday, July 8th, 2025

Chasing Tom Israel - 

On the 4th Tom surprised and impressed all of us by blowing past the 5,000M goal for the 4th of July swim by doing 6,500M for his birthday swim. 

So it is now up to me to catch up with him.  I'm going to try and do 4,000M on the three easy days of the week and 5,500 to 6,000M on Tuesdays. If that works out If I can do that for a cope of weeks I'll take a shot at my 7,500M birthday swim. 

The swimming conditions were wonderful this morning. Avila Beach was grey, windless, glassy and flat with an air temperature of 56 and water at 56° - 57°. I swam in water that had a greenish tinge like Tom mentioned Sunday. I'm guessing that we are seeing the onset of the summer plankton blooms and the end of our nice clean water.  

I'll swim at about 8 on Thursday and at 7 on Saturday.

niel

Monday, July 7th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Monday Swim - 

Heavy marine layer, 56° air temperature, glassy calm water. That was Avila at 915 AM.  There was a 3–4 foot wave rolling in and several squadrons of pelicans hanging out by the rock buoy.  The water was 56 degrees, clear and pristine, but there was a curious band of lime green on the west side.  I don't recall seeing that particular shade of water before, but it no doubt has to do with the marine layer, the way light refracts and what's beneath the surface of the water.  It was a good Monday morning vitamin. 

Sunday, July 6th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Sunday Swim

Overcast, bumpy water and a breeze.  That was Avila at 915 AM when I arrived. The water clarity was pristine and the temperature was 56 degrees.  Nice Sunday Swim. 

Members of the SLO Surfrider Chapter did a beach cleanup in Avila at 10.

  

Saturday, July 5th, 2025

A Perfect Morning for a Swim - 

Avila Beach put on its best for Niel and Don to do a short and relaxing swim. Don is in town from the Bay Area where he swims with the Dolphin Club and he had time for a short swim. I just wanted to get loosened up after a long swim the day before. 

At 7 it was sunny (!), 49° and calm with 59° water. The surf was up with 5 to 6 footers lurking among the 2 to 3 foot sets. The water was glassy with a small ripple on the surface. 

There was some bait ball action with pelicans breakfasting near the reef buoy. For an easy mile we swam over to the second crossbars on the P. Pier, to the end of the Avila Pier and in. 

So, Garmin began by tracking our swim then lost its mind before we reached the P. Pier but somehow logged the correct distance and time. 
 

Niel and Don at the Poly Pier with Fossil Point in the background.  

I'm not swimming tomorrow. I'm with the Surfrider chapter tomorrow doing a beach cleanup in Avila. I plan on swimming this coming week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7.

niel 
 

Friday, The 4th of July

Earning A Second Piece Of Pie  -

We had 10 swimmers in the water this morning looking to do a long swim and to be guilt free later today when solving the choice of 'apple or cherry pie?' and saying I'll have both! 

The plan was to get in at 7, beating the crowds and the parking hassles, and to do about 5000M. With the large difference in our speeds and one persons desire to sneak in a Birthday Swim we swam in several groups. 

Nick, Alan, David, Avery, Eileen, Jim, Tom Israel, Niel and Paula

Tom Lorish got in later. We spoke to him at the first buoy as we were finishing up.

The water gods smiled on us with nice swimming conditions. It was overcast with a peek of sun and a hint of warmth after we were out of the water. The temperatures were 55° air and 58° water. When we got in at 7:15 the water was smooth with a slight swell, the waves were 1 to 2 foot and the water was clean with good visibility. Midway through the swim the swell picked up and the water became lumpy with some push. When we were getting out the surf was up with some 5 foot waves. 

The route was east along the buoys and past buoy #4 until we were clear of the kelp at the reef buoy, go around the kelp and to the end of the Avila Pier. Then to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier, to the end of the P. Pier, back to the end of the Avila Pier and in to the first buoy where several people had tied off bottles of endurance drink. We checked our distance and decided that another triangle would put us at 5K. Tom Israel said that he was feeling good and was going to swim to the Avila Rock to make the 6500M distance for his birthday swim. 

Getting In

Niel's plot

Tom I's plot

Tom does Poseidon walking out of the sea after swimming 6,500M.

Don and I will swim and easy mile tomorrow at 7. 

niel

Thursday, July 3rd, 2025

Holiday Warm Up Swim - 

Tom swam to the Avila Rock yesterday. I had not been out there is a while so that became my goal for today.  Avila in now in its 'July No Sky' season, it was gray and 56° with no sign of when there would be some sun. There was a light breeze and a on foot swell out of the SE so it was a push into the swell on the way out to the rock and surfing it on the return.     

The water was 58° but with the cloud cover it is feeling colder. 

Tomorrow we will have a nice size group to swim on the 4th. We'll get in at 7 to beat the crowds. Distances will vary out to 5000M, depending on enthusiasm. 

The Saturday group will swim at 7

I'll take a rest day on Sunday and not swim.  I will be in Avila at 10 for the Surfrider beach clean up. We'll collect plastic trash to keep it out of the water. 

niel 

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025

Tuesday Morning With Tom Israel - 

It was Swim around Avila Rock Wednesday.  Typical summer morning at Avila: Partial cloud cover, flat calm water, and 56° water temperature. The swimming was beautiful and going around the Rock is where it's at on a morning like this. 

Tuesday, July 1st, 2025

I had some Surfrider water quality testing to do this morning and didn't in until 8. Conditions were as they have been; 55°, calm and gray with flat, 57° water.  I bumped into Jim as I was heading to the water. We got in at the same time but did our own swims. We crossed paths once near the mouth of San Luis Obispo Creek.       

I had a good swim and made my goal of 5000M for today's distance. I'll do about 4K on Thursday, 5K yards or meters, whichever the group wants to do, on Friday's 7AM holiday swim, and 4K on Saturday. I'm taking Sunday off from swimming to work a Surfrider post holiday beach clean up at Avila. 

At the showers is ran into Bryan. He lives and swims in Ventura but has family here. It has been a number of years since we last met at Avila. He says ocean swimming has been the best thing for the recovery of his shoulder after rotator cuff surgery. 

niel

Sunday, June 29th, 2025

Bumpy Swimming - 

At 11 o'clock it was gray, 59° and breezy in Avila Beach. There was a tall fogbank that was thinner on the west and hanging onto the hills beyond the Harford Pier and on the east it was thick, rolling over Fossil Point and making like it would move into Avila Beach. The water was up to 57°, the surf was minimal and there was already a chop on the water all of the way in to the buoy line. 

I saw Tom Lorish as he was getting in and headed east on the buoy line. I didn't see him in the water. 

Jim, David and I planned to swim two or three triangles.  

The tide was low and it seemed like we could walk to the first buoy.  Swimming down the buoy line was quite bumpy. The chop was out of the SW and swimming to the end of the Avila Pier was a push against the current and through the chop. At the first buoy on the west side Jim went in, shed his wetsuit, and got back in. He is planning on doing the 5K in Santa Barbara next weekend and wanted to see how the water would feel bareback. 

David and I came back along our route for our second triangle. The chop was now larger but our path relative to it was more favorable and it was flatter on the east, lee, side of the Avila Pier. Arriving at the first buoy I had lost my interest in doing a third triangle in today's conditions and came in with David. 

I'll swim at 8 on Tuesday, 7 on Thursday and there is a 4th of July swim at 7 on Friday. You can join us, beat the crowds and justify eating a second piece of pie. Extra points will be awarded to anyone who swims in a colonial, wool, swimming costume. 

We'll swim at 7 on Saturday and I'll skip Sunday to do a beach cleanup at 10 at Avila with my friends from the Surfrider Chapter. 

niel

Saturday, June 28th, 2025

 Saturday Morning --

 

Jodi, Paula and Niel got in the water a bit after 7.  The conditions at Avila Beach were 52° air, gray and calm, with 1 to 2 foot surf, a slight swell and nice clean 55° water. We swam a route Jodi suggested. It involved swimming the buoy line from the 1st to the 4th buoy on the east side , to the end of the Avila Pier, to the 4th buoy on the west side, in along the buoy line to buoy #3, to the end of the pier, to #3 on the east side and continuing until we have been to all of the buoys on both sides of the pier ending at #1 on the east side where we began. That would have been a 3500M swim but we decided to add the buoy line to the 4th buoy and back to #1 for 4K.

I'll swim tomorrow at 11

niel

Friday, June 27th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Friday Swim - 

Similar to Wednesday, but different. There was a partial cloud cover, some blue skies, and a breeze blowing from the west to the east. There was a pretty good wind chop on the water and the water clarity was good. My toes tell me the water temperature was about 55°. Excellent Friday morning vitamin.