Thursday, March 21st, 2024

It's Official - It Is Summer at Avila Beach

OK, the water temperature is still 52° but the swim zone buoys are back in the water and the lifeguards will be working beginning this weekend so the beach season has officially begun.   

The buoys on the west side were in when Jim and I swam out this morning.

The derrick was putting the buoys in on the east side when I was leaving for home.   

It was 42° when Jim and I got in. A offshore breeze was starting and would strengthen as we were swimming.  We couldn't pass up swimming the west buoy line and then swam over to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier, back to the Avila Pier and to the third crossbars. Jim's shoulder had had enough when we were about 2/3's of the way to the third crossbars so he turned back there while I continued to the third crossbars, the end of the Poly Pier and back to the Avila Pier.  

Jim and Niel at the second crossbars

While I was swimming out along the Poly Pier the chop became pretty bumpy.  When I turned to the Avila Pier I was swimming into the wind and chop. That far offshore the chop was slapping my head and messing with my hands but it flattened out the closer I got to shore. Swimming into the chop from an offshore breeze can be a nice piece of work because the chop will lay down as you get closer to shore and you'll feel stronger and more relaxed as you finish.     

We both had a very nice swim today. 

NOAA is predicting an 80% chance of a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rain after midnight Friday and a 50% chance of a additional tenth on Saturday. Unless it dumps more than is predicted I'll swim Saturday at 7 and Sunday at 11 because I want to celebrate the return of the swim buoys.

niel