Sunday, March 18, 2018

A drive by by this parasailer made it feel like summer. 

Niel, Heidi, Karen, Amy and Jonny swam today. Jonny's friend Shawn accompanied us in his kayak. Avila weas sunny and calm. The water temperature was 52 degrees, with small surf and no wind at the start of the swim. This was the first weekend that the lifeguards were on duty. The buoys are not in yet but I did get to say hello to Jon Harmse.

The route was out to the end of the Avila Pier, to the mouth of San Luis Obispo Creek, parallel to the beach to the approximate location of the most easterly buoy, back to the end of the pier and in. I clocked 1.61 miles with a wet to dry time of 58 minutes. We got split up getting everyone in the water. Amy, Karen and I stuck together and it was cold enough that we didn't wait for Jonny and Amy. 

Heidi and Karen at the end of the pier the first time. 

The same spot, just a selfie with Heidi and Karen in the background

 Amy has not been swimming in the ocean lately so she got out when she came under the pier. I'm not sure what Jonny did at that point.

Karen when we came under the pier. 

Heidi at the same spot.

Karen, Heidi and I swam to the approximate location of the most easterly buoy. Heidi returned along our route parallel to the beach. Karen and I swam to the end of the Avila Pier and came in along the pier. On the way to the pier it had clouded over and I began feeling colder. The wind had come up out of the SW so there was some chop to push into on this leg before ducking behind the pier so we had flat water for the last leg.

We are predicted to receive 4 to 6 inches of rain Tuesday through Thursday, so water quality conditions on the coming Sunday are iffy at this point. 

I will be out of town Thursday through Sunday, so I not only won't be swimming Sunday but I will not be able to collect water samples from the creek on Thursday, so anybody who is thinking about swimming on Sunday will have to fall back on licking a finger and sniffing the air to determine what the bug count is.

Heidi and Karen will also not be swimming this coming Sunday. 

Kris saw Sylvia Glenn at the Health Fair yesterday. She had a bad time with her asthma during the fires and then was down for a month with the flu. She is doing much better and we hope to see her back at the beach soon so we can celebrate a late 80th birthday with her in the ocean.

niel