Six Crossings and Extra Credit
Jodi and I got in at 8AM. There were high clouds and scattered showers. The air temperature was 44° and the water was 53°. The predicted high surf wasn't happening in Avila so the surf was back to its usual size at 3' - 4'. The morning offshore breeze was not strong enough to mess up the water but Mr. Lindsay's prediction was for the wind to strengthen and to shift into the west during the morning.
Jodi had proposed this route last Saturday but it didn't get enough traction then. Today we were ready for about 4000M so off we went.
The route was to cross between the Avila and Cal Poly Piers six times. We would get in on the west side of the Avila Pier, swim to the second crossbars on the Cal Poly Pier, to the end of the Avila Pier, to the third crossbars, back to the end of the Avila Pier, to the end of the CPP and either back to the end of the Avila Pier and in or to go directly from the end of the CPP to the beach.
It all worked out but the Mr. Lindsay was correct about the wind and the conditions became very choppy. The ocean started to have some character on the leg to the third crossbars and was really moving me around on the next leg back to the Avila Pier. Swimming to the end of the CPP was uphill and my hands were getting slapped around on every stroke. The last leg was easier until we came out of the wind shadow of the CPP, then it was whitecaps breaking over my head until we were close enough to shore for things to lay down.
Jodi and Niel at the end of the Cal Poly Pier.
The pier was between us and the wind so it was pretty mellow here.
I clocked 4,600M and Jodi 4,700M (there was some confusion about which route to take back to the beach) and we were in the water for 1:40.
We met Tom as we were getting out. He had stayed around the Avila Pier today and looked cold. He wears a Farmer John (sleeveless) wetsuit and the wind on his arms and shoulders must have been chilling.
Jodi and I will be back at 11AM tomorrow.
niel
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