Thursday, October 14th, 2021

Duke and Niel got in at 8:30 and Tom at 9.Duke said that at 4:30 this morning Avila was fogged in so the fog must have blown out when the wind came up with the sunrise. The offshore breeze laid down early so Tom scored some flatter water. The air temperature was 45° but it was cloudless and sunny and felt warmer. 

Duke did his U-Burner, I did my Tuesday route in the opposite direction and Tom swam out and back along the CP Pier. 

I was hoping that John Lindsey's weather forecast was wrong.  Yesterday he had predicted an ocean water temperature of 51 to 53 degrees and I was not ready for the bottom of the fifties. The Diablo Canyon buoy ( https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46215 ) was recording numbers in that range but the water temperature in San Luis Obispo Bay was holding up and I got a reading of 55° from the pier.    

I took this photo while I was out on the pier taking the water temperature. I'm facing east and that is the first buoy in the glare. The ripples on the water show the wind is offshore from the northeast, which is unusual. In Avila the Santa Lucia (offshore) winds are typically from the north.  

I did Tuesday's route in the opposite direction. The wind was still out of the NE when I swam from the end of the C.P. Pier to the reef buoy so it was a rhythmic experience, with me working to find a rhythm for my stroke that worked with the timing of the chop. 

This is Tom getting out, doing Botticelli's Venus Rising From the Sea 

but with more clothes.

Duke heard from Jodi so she swam Wednesday evening. I don't know if she had company.

I'll be back at 8 on Saturday and at 11 on Sunday.

niel