Wednesday, December 31st, 2025

Tom's Wednesday Morning Swim Report -

No sunscreen needed – heavy cloud cover and on and off light rain.  High 50s air and water temperature.  The water was flat, calm and clear. The last Swim of the year was excellent.  

Tuesday, December 30th, 2025

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report -

The ocean was very flat and calm this morning. There was no wind, the surf was 1 foot and the surface of the water was glassy.  There was thick overcast which made for a slow sunrise. The air was 50°. The water on the east side of the Avila Pier was in the 58° and 56°- 57°on the west side. 

I swam out to where the swim buoys would be, turned right, went under the pier, on to the second crossbars on the Poy Pier. From there to the end of the Avila Pier, to the mooring mast on the Poly Pier, to the end of the pier, to the end of the Avila Pier and in. It was nice and smooth the whole way. 

NOAA is predicting up to two inches of rain between now and New Years morning so our swim on Thursday morning may be washed out, and possibly Saturday too if it continues to rain.

niel  

   

Sunday, December 28th, 2025

 Tom's Sunday Morning Swim Report - 

Gorgeous winter day at Avila. Deep blue skies, wispy clouds, and flat calm water. The water and air temperatures were high 50s. It was a beautiful morning swim.  

Saturday, December 27th, 2025

The Saturday Groups Not Swimming Today Report -

Water samples collected at the mouth of SLO Creek on Wednesday morning before the rain started were 10X the safe level for bacteria. Since then San Luis Obispo received more than three inches of rain so I'm staying out of the water until Tuesday. 

Niel, Jodi, Paula and Tom met at the beach to catch up and enjoy being at the ocean. WE had a long visit until Jodi needed to do a 11 mile run, Paula needed to go to work and Tom and I had chores waiting at home. 

niel

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report -

This morning at 7:15 the ocean looked like a storm was coming.  The waves were small but pushed together and the surface of the water had a number of different chops and swells from the SW.   The water and air temperatures were 58° and the wind was from the SE.  

The swimming was bumpy but reasonable until I got far enough east to be out of the shadow of the Avila Pier and was exposed to the full effect. The swimming was physical and became rougher durning my swim but didn't get past a 7 on my scale of challenge. Tom Lorish swam between 10 and 11 and it was more like an 8+ then. 

(I'm using my own personal scale where 10 is where I'll not consider getting into the water). 

I will not be swimming on Thurday and may not on Saturday if I think that Avila Creek is still dirty from the rain. 

I wish to send my thoughts and support to the friends and family of Erica Fox who was lost to the ocean on Sunday while swimming with the Kelp Crawlers in Pacific Grove. 

 

niel

Sunday, December 21st, 2025

Tom Lorish's Sunday Swim Report - 

It was a beautiful around the Rock winter solstice Swim. Glassy calm water and a high marine layer.  The sun was working hard to burn through but couldn't quite do it.  The water temperature continues to be high 50s. It was an excellent winter solstice Swim.  

Friday, December 19th, 2025

 Tom' s Friday Swim Report - 

Beautiful conditions all around.  Blue skies, wispy clouds, and glassy water.  Gorgeous morning Swim.  

Wednesday, December 18th, 2025

 Tom Lorish's Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

Beautiful conditions all around.  Blue skies, wispy clouds, and glassy water.  Gorgeous morning Swim.  

Tuesday, December 16th, 2025

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report -

I have no idea what to expect from the weather. At 6:45 this morning in Avila Beach the conditions were clear and 50°, with sunny skys and a steady offshore breeze. The surf was 2 foot and there was a small wind chop on the water.  The water temperature was 59°. I checked the NOAA ocean buoys from Carmel to Santa Maria yesterday and all of them are reading a water temperature of 58° to 60°, not the typical 55° for late December.  It is unsetteling but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Getting in was a matter of walking out to beyond the break and starting to swim. The water is very clear. I swam to where the #4 buoy would have been, to the end of the Avila and Poly Piers, in along the P Pier to the second crossbars and back to my starting point.     

As the sun rose the wind picked up and the chop became more pushy making the swim in along the P Pier uphill. 

When I got out the wind was gusting and it was 75°.  

I'll be out of town and won't swim at Avila again until next Tuesday, 12/23.  I will swim with the Kelp Krawlers at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove on Sunday.

niel

Monday, December 15th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Monday Morning Swim Report - 

Partly blue skies, the marine layer was burning off, and glassy calm water with a crumbly 1+ foot wave.  Toes in the water at 900 AM. High 50s and beautiful clear water.  It was a good Monday morning Swim. 

Saturday, December 13th, 2025

Niel's Saturday Morning Swim Report - 

We were all plesdantly suprised this morning to arrive at a fog free Avila Beach. The south county had been socked in late yesterday so I was trying to plan a swim that could be done in dense fog with no buoys for guideance. Repeated laps out and back around the Avila Pier wasn't tempting, so overcast skys with visability for miles ment we could swim to wherever we chose. 

Except for the boats. There was a large commercial ship anchored east of the Avila Peir that might have been a kelp harvester and a sail boat on the west side of the pier that was anchored inshore of the end of the Avila Pier. Not knowing what their plans were we deicide to swim to the Poly Pier, out to the end of the pier and to figure things out from there.  The water temperature is still 58°, the air temperature was 51°, the surf was 3 foot and there was a short swell on the water that made for lumpy swimming conditions.   

When we arrived at the end of the P. Pier both ships had gotten underway and were well offshore. We decided to swim to the reef on the east side of the Avila Pier and to come back along the 'buoy line' to our starting place. 

Niel, Jodi and Tom

I'll swim Tuesday and then be out of town until the 23rd, when I plan to swim at 7AM. A swim with friends on Christmas morning might be nice, we'll see how everyones schedule comes together. We should definitly swim early on January first, before the Polar Bear Plung at noon. Stay tuned to this blog for details. 

niel

Friday, December 12th, 2025

Tom L's Friday Morning Swim Report - 

Blue skies and glassy super clear water.  There was a 3 foot plus wave rolling through And the water temperature was about 58° as it has been for the past several weeks.  It was a beautiful Friday morning Swim. 

Thursday, December 11th, 2025

Niel's Wednesday Morning Swim Report -

The view this morning from The Big Pool at the second crossbars on the Poly Pier. 

Winter can be the best time of the year on the Central Coast.

There was an offshore breese. When I got in at 7AM the air temp. was 45° and the water was 58°, but felt several degrees colder to me, especially between the Avila and Poly Piers. The surf was small with sets of three 3 footers five minutes apart. The water was nice and clean but not as clear as Tom L. reported yesterday. 

I thought that this route would be closer to 4K, maybe thath is why it felt longer, but it was almost the same distance as my swim between the buoys on Tuesday.

The No Boat Zone buoys have been pulled out and will return with the lifeguards in spring.     

I saw Tom Israel when I was at the showers. He was getting ready to get in for a bareback swim and to then go watch the Poly Women's Vollyball team play their first match of the Sweet 16 finals.  

I'll swim with the group on Saturday at 7. 

niel    

Wednesday, December 10th, 2025

 Tom' s Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

And they're all out… The no boat buoys, that is. The rock Buoy remains in place. It was a beautiful morning at Avila – clear blue skies, warm air temperature, a slight bump on the water and beautiful swimming. My toes tell me the water temperature was 58°. The water clarity was amazing. I could see the reef very clearly underneath the rock Buoy. It is not very often that is visible.  It was a good Wednesday morning vitamin. 

Tuesday, December 9th, 2025

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report - 

This was a special day. It was 70° at my house at 6AM and 64° in Avila Beach. There was a steady offshore breeze, the sky was cloudless, viasbility was limitless, the surf was knee high, and the water was still 58°. The water was very clean, I could see the bottom clearly when the water was 8 feet deep.   

The derick pulling out the buoys

The No Boats buoys that mark the swimming zone are usually removed for winter and reinstalled in the spring. Last winter they were left in. Yesterday the #3 and #4 buoys on the west side of the pier were pulled out. When I was at the showers today the #1 and #2 buoys on that side were removed. In the past they have removed or installed all 8 at one time. Tom will swim tomorrow and report if they have moved to the east side of the Avila Pier.

Since today could be the last day that the buoys would be in, I planned a route that would include the four on the east side of the pier. The plot looks like a Yo-Yo swim but it is swum from the buoy line instead of the end of the Avila Pier. I swam to the #1 buoy, turned left, swam to #4, then to the end of the pier and back to #4. Then back along the line to #3 and to the end of the pier and back to #3, for all four buoys.  If there are two buoys left on Thursday I'l have to see what kind of route I can make with 2 buoys.

At the end of the Avila Pier 

I'll swim Thursday and Saturday at 7AM. 

niel

 

       

Monday, December 8th, 2025

Tom's Monday Swim Report - 

Clear blue skies and gusty wind blowing from the east to the west.  The port crew was removing bouys from the west side. Curiously only two of the four. The water surface was dimpled and choppy with a 2 foot wave. My toes tell me the water temperature was 56°.  It was a good morning swim. 

Saturday, December 6th, 2025

 Niel's Saturday Morning Swim Report - 

Paula, Tom and Niel had a frosty start to their 7AM morning swim. Avila was clear and sunny with an east to west breeze that switched to offshore. The air temperature was 39° and the water was 58°.  We were all feeling the cold before we got in but the water was 19° warmer that the air and we warmed up once we got in the water and started swimming. That is the first time I can recall that I warmed up once I got into the water.   

Paula, Tom and Niel 

We swam the buoy lines and the end of the Avila Pier both clock wise and counter clockwise and it was nice and sunny at the showers.  

After we got back to our cars it was so nice that we didn't leave. We just visited and enjoyed some of the best that the Central Coast has to offer for an hour. 

I'm not be swimming on Sundays for a whle. I'm taking a break from swimming or running one day a week and getting a lot of stuff done around the house.  It feels nice and relaxing.

Next week I'll swim on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7.

niel       

Thursday, December 4th, 2025

 Niel's Thursday Swim Report - 

It was chisp in Avila Beach this morning. The air temperature was 38° with a steady offshore wind that had chopped up the surface of the water. The surf was 3 to 4 foot. The water temp is holding at 58° and the water felt nicer than the air.

I wanted to start by swimming out to the end of the pier. From there I swam to the second crossbars and then, to the end fo the Poly Pier and back the way I had come. 

At the buoy line before swimming in.

The swimming was nice with the chop making things interesting in different ways on each leg.

At the showers I had to go to the far end of the concrete to stand in some sunshine. 

 

When I was getting ready to get in I had wrapped each of my wool socks around a boot heater and stuffed them into my shoes. After swimming pulling on warm socks over my cold feet was almost as nice as the hot shower from my half gallon jug. 

The group will swim at 7am on Saturday.

niel    

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

Tom's Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

King tide, 7.1, a thin cloud cover, and a chilly breeze blowing from the east to the west. There was a 4 foot set wave rolling through every now and again with a long lull making it easy to get out. The water was about 58° but the windchill made it feel like 54°.  It was a good morning Swim. 

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report - 

We have large waves and king tides this week. The surf was 3'+ with sets of 5 to 6 footers a few minutes apart. It was sunny and the water temp was still 58° but an air temperature of 38° this morning and the offshore wind made it feel wintery.  The beach is very steep near the water. The waves are running in and over the berm and half way to the sea wall. The water that is runnig back out will take your feet right out from under you.  

The swells were coming in and the chop was running offshore

which comblned to make a surface on the water that was 

coming at me from every direction.    

I did a couple of triangles to experience the 

full range of the surface conditions.  

At the end of the Avila Pier

I'll be back Thursday morning at 7. 

niel 

Monday, December 1st, 2025

Tom's Monday Morning Swim Report - 

Blue skies, a little hazy, and a slight but chilly breeze blowing off shore. The water was beautiful and clear with a 3 foot plus wave rolling through every now and then. My toes tell me the water temperature was 56°… but, I still may be out of calibration. It easily could've been 58° but just felt colder to me. Regardless, it was a good Monday morning Swim. 

Saturday, November 29th, 2025

Niel's Saturday Morning Swim Report - 

The conditions at Avila this morning were a nice suprise. The drive to Avila Beach from San Luis Obispo was in fog of varying densitys. Coming over the hill into Avila I came out of the fog and into another beautiful sunrise.   

Paula, Avery, Niel and Jodi would swim this morning. It was 46° at the beach and still. There was a mixed SE swell on the water. The surf was soft and 3' exceept for an occasional 4+ foot sneaker. I mesured a water temperature of 58.5°.  We agreed on a route of Jodi's that we swam a week ago, but would do it in the opposit direction this morning.

We'd swim to the end of the Avila Pier, to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier, to the end of the P Pier, return to the end of the Avila Pier, swim to the 4th buoy on the west side and back along the buoys to the #1 buoy on the east side.       

                         

The top 6 inches of the water on the west side of the Avila Pier was a degree or two colder than everywhere else. 

Niel with Paula, Avery and Jodi at the end of the P Pier 

I'll swim at 7 on Tuesday, Thursday and next Saturday.

niel

Thursday, November 27th, 2025

The Thanksgiving Morning Swim -

 

Paula, Tom, Niel and Avery swam at 8 this morning. Avila Beach was already crowded with holiday visitors. It was 63° and clear with high clouds and a weak offshore breeze. The water was 59° and the surf was knee high.  We were able to walk out to beyond the surf line. 

We decided that it was a good morning for a swim to the Avila Rock.       

The water was nice and smooth except for a stretch half way between the Avila Pier and the Rock where it had some chop.  

Me with Paula, Avery and Tom at the Avila Rock. 

The conditions were very plesant and we had a fun and somewhat adventurious swim. 

Today was Tom Lorish's birthday so at 10AM he swam bareback 

around the Avila Pier. He was accompanied by Hillary Trout.

The group will swim Saturday morning at 7. 

niel   

Wednesday, November 26th, 2025

Tom's Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

The answer is: a pancake. The question, of course, what was Avila flat as this morning at 850AM?  Clear blue skies and beautiful water quality. My toes tell me the temperature was 58°. By the time I got out there was a cool breeze blowing east to west.  It was a beautiful day before Thanksgiving Swim. 

Tuesday, November 25th, 2025

 Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report - 

It wsa a beautiful morning in Avila Beach so I decided to follow in Tom Lorish's wake from yesterday morning and swim to the Avila Rock today.

At 7 o'clock it was 56°, it would be 74° when I got in my car to head home. It was clear and sunny with a light offshore breeze. The surf was 3 to 4+ feet. The water was 59° at the Avila Rock and a degree or two colder near the Avila Pier. With just a small swell on the water the swimming was relaxing and uneventful. 

I couldn't find Tom's wake in the water but the rising sun was behind Avila Rock so I swam into the sun, missed the kelp beds and arrived at the rock.     

 

Niel and Avila Rock with Fossil Point in the background

I'll swim Thursday morning at 7 to earn seconds of stuffing and pie and on Saturday at 7 with  the group to work it off. 

niel 

Monday, November 24th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Mornday Morning Swim Report - 

Around the Rock Monday. Blue skies, wispy clouds, and as swell kicking up 4-5 foot waves.  There was a curious chop on the water out by fossil point that made the swimming a little more work. It was a good Monday morning swim. 

Saturday, November 22nd, 2025

Niel's Saturday Norning Swim Report - 

It was a picture perfict morning in Avila Beach. The air and water temps were 58°. It would be a warm and cloudless day. There was no wind yet and the surf was down to 2 to 3 foot with long gaps between sets of 5+ footers.   

At 7AM Avila was like this:

Niel, Jodi and Tom Israel swam today. Jodi picked today's swim. We got in on the right side of the pier, timed out way through the biggest waves, swam out the #1 buoy, to the 4th buoy, to the end of the Avila Pier, to the end of the Poly Pier, in along the P Pier to the second crossbars, to the end of the Avila Pier a second time and in to the beach on the east side of the pier.  

While we were swimming the surf had laid down so we were able to swim to the beach without waiting for a gap.   

Niel, Tom Israel and Jodi at the end of the Poly Pier.

Avila Beach after the swim. 

I won't swim on Sunday. This coming week I'll swim at 7 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

niel

Patagonia Wetsuit For Sale -

Jodi wants to sell her MEN'S Patagonia R3 back zip wetsuit. It is a MS size. The women's sizes were not tall enough for her so she tried a Mediun/Short Mens but it is too loose around the neck and doesn't seal. She has swum in it twice. Cost $539 and she'll sell it for $400.

Email her at jodiblanchard@att.net