Tuesday, September 19th, 2023

 Chased By The Brownness - 

The Conditions: Everything was beautiful except for the red tide. Tom L. had texted yesterday that he had found the water to be pretty dirty with the east side of the Avila Pier (towards Pismo) worse than the west. In the low light at 7AM there was no way to tell how it was this morning. Otherwise it was flat, windless, 56° with 58° water and a beautiful sunrise.  

Niel and Edwin got in at 7 and headed to the west side of the Avila Pier. Jim caught up with us near the end of the pier. On the west side the water was salty and opaque 😝so we tried the east side. The water there was colder and cleaner and pretty clear along the buoy line. Edwin and Jim got out after a mile. I did a second triangle.       

When I got out at a bit after 9 I met Duke on Front St. getting suited up. This was his second or third swim on his road back to being a water creature. He said that it was something like 10 months since he had been in the water.

Duke, when you need to climb a mountain it is good to have some friends along.  I'll be looking for you at the beach.

We may see plankton blooms until the water temperature drops to the mid 50's. 

The ocean is always a give and take.

 

Sunday Tom I. said that there had been large pods of whales off of Shell Beach in the last few days.  I spoke to Duke a second time after he got out and there was a large bait ball off of the end of the Avila Pier with fish boiling and birds circling and diving on them.  If the bait fish are here maybe we'll see some whales in Avila.  

   

I'll roll the dice on Thursday at 7 and see if I can find the clean water.  

niel