Sunday, November 29, 2009

This has been a fall to enjoy and remember, unless you happen to be a plant. Our warm sunny and dry weather continues to provide beautiful weather at Avila on Sundays. Wonderful for swimming but very dry for this time of the year. It was very clear and calm at Avila with not much sign of wind chop, even far across the bay towards Point Sal. There were only a few birds and no other signs of sea life. There were five kids boogie boarding near the pier. The water was 54 and a little cloudy from the big swell earlier in the week. Rob and I swam, Sylvia enjoyed the beach and spoke to Matt Farmer while we were out in the water. It was wonderfully warm and comfortable up next to the wall afterwards.

Sylvia and Rob will be in Long Beach next weekend for a 3 day Masters meet. I'll be at Avila unless it rains.

niel

Sunday November 22nd, 2009

Sunny, warm and a slight offshore breeze. Flat conditions with a water temperature of 55. One seal and 6 pelicans. Nothing else was in or around the water. Sylvia and Rob were at a swim meet. Dale and Al are in Florida. No one else showed and I decided not to swim by myself.

niel

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

It was sunny, calm, 70 degrees with beautiful swimming conditions at Avila today. The big surf is long gone. The water was 56. We had one seal cruising the surf line (where's Jackie?) and one small dolphin doing the same after we swam. Sylvia, Rob, Dale and I got in. My lower back is sore so I just cruised and worked at loosening up.
Next weekend Rob and Sylvia will be at a Masters meet and Dale will be in Florida, swimming in warm water. It it does not rain too much late in the week and muddy things up I'll be swimming, or just enjoying the beach.
On my way to the showers I spoke with a gentleman who wanted to know if it was typical to have this kind of weather here at this time of year. He had on a NORTH DAKOTA FOOTBALL T-shirt. I don't think that he could get over how nice the weather was and I could not help think about what it would be like playing football in North Dakota today (clear with a high of 49 and a low of 21) and realizing that there the outdoor pool season ends on Labor Day.

Sunday, 8 November 09

The Internet surf predictions did not have it quite right. The big swells that were to put up large waves on the west facing beaches were predicted to create only a 2' to 3' surf at Avila. At 10:30 there were sets with faces taller than I am. A strong offshore breeze gave them some shape but they were closing out so there was not much chance for a good ride. It was warm, very sunny and almost sweaty up near the wall. Sylvia and I decided to hang on the beach for a while and see if the waves would lie down some with teh tide change and by 11:30 things were looking welcoming enough that we got in. The water temperature was 57. Sylvia played in the waves and I swam the triangle. I has a first time experience of rounding the end of the pier and finding a wind chop coming straight off of the beach. I finished my swim just as a big set of waves came in so I idled at the buoy line until they laid down and came on in. Sylvia said that today was the most fun she has had in the ocean in a long time, and this is November!

There was a great article in the San Francisco Chronicle this week about the results of a long study of the migration behavior of the Pacific Great White Shark. You can find it at sfgate.com and search for 'Great White Shark Study'

Sunday November 1st, 2009

Today at Avila it was like one of those beer commercials; warm, sunny and calm with beautiful water. All we needed was some palm trees next to us and it would of been just l;ike on TV. We had slight offshore conditions, no wind, very small waves, no chop or swell and no birds or seals to be seen in or above the water. Rob and Sylvia said that their toe test read 60 to 61. The thermometer said 56. I didn't want to ruin their good mindset so I kept the reading to myself and just agreed that it looked great. Rob, Sylvia, Dale, Duke and I swam. Sylvia did her own thing for about 50 minutes. The rest of us swam the triangle route in about 31 minutes. It was lovely and warm on the beach afterwards.
It is supposed to be in the 80's all week so we may have more of the same next Sunday.

niel