Saturday, January 27th, 2024

 

Tom Israel and Niel's Saturday Swim -

Tom and Niel got in at 7. It was 48° and partly sunny with Avila's sunrise offshore wind starting up. The surf was mostly 2 to 3 foot with some 5 foot sets. Outside it looked pretty smooth. The water temperature was 51°. 

We waded out, waited for out turn through the surf and had a perfect swim out, stroking over the crests of a set of 5 footers.

This was Tom's first time in the water in a month while he waited out the healing of a laceration on his leg so we started out easy and close to shore. From the end of the pier we decided to do some triangles. We were at one and a half triangles when we changed plans and swam over to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier and came back from there to the end of the Avila Pier and in to the beach from there.  Again, we lucked out an looked like we knew what we were doing because we swam directly to the beach without a pause to work the surf through a slack time in the breakers.

I'll be back tomorrow at 11, it is supposed to be 75° in Avila tomorrow, and Tuesday at 7 looks good. Swimming Thursday and next weekend will be rain dependent.

Today is my birthday but I had not planned on doing a 7,400M Birthday Swim. I've been bringing nutrition along and pushing my time in the water to see what I could do at 50°. On 1/18 I did 4155M/1:38 in 50° water. While swimming I did not get any colder that I have been but I began shivering at the showers. I was OK but I do not usually have the shakes after a swim and there certainly an additional 3,200M to be had, so my Birthday Swim swim will wait until the water is in the mid 50's.

Tom injury required that he also put off his January birthday swim so we both waiting for better conditions.   

    

niel