Thursday, June 25th, 2026

  

Avila was gray with overcast skies, no fog, small surf, 62° air and 56°- 57° water.  I fear that I spoke too soon about not having water in the mid 50's again until fall. The water was flat and the swimming was easy, except for the red tide funk at the end of the Avila Pier and on the ocean side of the reef where the buoy is.    

Yes, GoPro has replaced my flooded camera so there will be photos again. 

 

Jr. Guards is in full swing with four groups of kids. I wish that there had been something like this when I was growing up. It is a great way to show kids how to be safe and have fun in the ocean. 

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

niel

Wednesday, June 24th, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Swim Report - 

Overcast, a bump on the water, and loads of people. As June gloom continues, and the summer crowds flock in, the water temperature ranged from 57 to 59°. The water quality ranged from OK to patches a red funk. Nevertheless, It was a nice morning vitamin. 

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026

 

I had very nice swimming conditions today. The air and water were 58°. It was overcast, there was no wind and the water was glassy. The surf was 2 to 3 foot. 

I swam a loop over to the Poly Pier, to the end of the Avila Pier, to the 4th buoy on the east side and back to my starting place.  There was no funky water at the end of the Avila Pier. 

I'll swim at 8 on Thursday. and at 7 on Friday.

niel 

Monday, June 22nd, 2026

Tom's Monday Swim - 

Heavy marine layer, and the current was pushing from the SSW to the NE. The water temperature felt colder than Sunday but that was no doubt due to the heavy marine there versus the sunny Sunday morning.  The junior lifeguard program kicking off their first session.  It was a good morning swim. 

Sunday, June 21st, 2026

Tom's Sunday Swim - 

Blue skies, the last of the marine layer burning off, and tropical water. The water temperature 59° was plus. 2 foot waves, and a bumpy current moving from the west to the east. Beautiful morning Swim. 

Saturday, June 20th, 2026

Sunny and 60° Water -

We had a lot of fun today. The water was warm and the swimming was great. 

Avila was 49° and sunny with a light offshore breeze. It was enough to put a small chop on the water. The surf was the same, 2 foot plus but watch out for the sneaky sets of 3 to 4 footers. 

There were three swimmers this morning: Tom, Hillary and Niel. I had measured a water temperature of 60° off of the Avila Pier, Tom decided to go bareback, Hillary and I declined and wore out wetsuits. 

As we waded in there were many happy toes and smiles. We swam over to the end of the Poly Pier, where the water was even warmer, and came back the same way. Changing in the sun is so much nicer, especially for Tom who was starting to feel old at the end of the swim.        

Hillary, Niel and Tom at the end of the Poly Pier  

Tom, Hillary and Niel heading back in along the pier 

This coming week I am planning on swimming on Tuesday and Saturday at 7 and on Thursday at 8.

Stinky Water at the End of the Avila Pier -  

The stinky, discolored water has been missing the last few days and I have some additional thoughts about a possible source. 

The mussels on the pilings at the end of the pier may have been spawning. Except for the nasty smell, Google's description of what occurs when mussels spawn fits pretty well with what we saw. The spawning results in the release of millions to hundreds of millions of sperm and eggs into the water, fertilization occurs in the water and the eggs develop into larvae which drift until they find a favorable place to attach to.

If the funk does not return I'll find this to be a reasonable explanation. Spawning may occur in other parts of the colony so we may see this again.

niel       

Thursday, June 18th, 2026

 The Thursday Swim Report - 

At 7 AM the air temperature was 60, the water was 57°, there was heavy overcast, a small chop out of the SW and 2 to 3 foot surf. 

Should I post something about the water temperature being back up in the upper 50's, or would that just dare the ocean gods to gift us some more sub 55° water?  

I swam a couple of triangles staying further away than usual from the end of the pier. The water seemed pretty clean so I finished with a loop around the pier.  No sign of the brown fund this morning. We'll see if it returns.

The Saturday group will swim at 7. 

niel

Wednesday, June 17th, 2026

 Tom's Wednesday Swim - 

Overcast, slight breeze, and low tide. The water had a dimple bump and a 3+ foot wave. The water temperature was about 55°. The swimming was very nice. 

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

 The Avoid The Poop Smell Swim - 

First the swim - 

Swimming conditions were great, the water has warmed up a bit to 56° on the east side of the pier and 57° on the west side. There was thick overcast but no fog or wind. The ocean was glassy. The surf was a 4 foot shore break. At 6 AM the tide had been a -2 ft. so we walked out almost all of the way to the buoys.

We swam to the #4 buoy on the left, to the end of the Poly Pier, in along the pier and to the #1 buoy on the west side.  Getting out through the surf required some timing. I was lucky and got out quickly and had to wait a while for Hillary to find a break. We arrived at the #1 buoy on the west side at a lull and were able to swim right in.     

Part of Hillary's flotilla, Niel and Hillary at the end of the Poly Pier.

Niel and Hillary starting down the west side of the Poly Pier. 

The photo taken by Hillary's GoPro that was on the float that she was towing.  

Now about the title of this post. 

For the last 10 days the water around the ocean end of the Avila Pier has had a yellow brown color, a bad smell and millions of somethings in the water. I'm avoiding the area until I know it isn't hazardous.  The discharge pipe from the Avila Beach sewage treatment plant runs under the length of the pier and out into the ocean so this stuff in the water is something to be wary off. 

I've spoken to Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg and she has asked the County's Health Dept to look  into it.  

I'll post here when I learn something. 

I'll swim Thursday ay 7

niel 

Monday, June 15th, 2026

Tom's Monday Swim - 

Heavy overcast and glassy water. That was Avila at 945 AM.  June gloom is in full swing… in the summer crowds are swarming. The water temperature was 53 on the east side and 54 on the west. Water clarity was very good. Good morning Swim. 

Sunday, June 14th, 2026

Tom L's Sunday Swim Report - 

Thick marine layer, glassy water, and loads of people on CP graduation weekend.  Despite the 59° air temperature and overcast, Avila was packed. People on the beach staking out territory for grad day and end of school celebration and people strolling and eating at hula hut and kraken. The water temperature was 54° and there was a 3+ foot straight up and down wave rolling through. It was a good morning Swim. 

Saturday, June 13th, 2026

 We had better visibility this morning than Tom L. did yesterday. It was low clouds or high fog, I could see the end of the Poly Pier from Front Street. It was 55° and the water was 56°. The surf was the same, small with sneaky 3 to 4 footers.  There was no wind and the water was flat. Hillary, Paula, Tom I., Jodi and Niel got in the water at 7 o'clock. 

We stayed away from the funky water at the end of the Avila Pier by doing an Poly Pier loop. Paula did some additional distance along the buoy line after the rest of us got out.        

Jodi, Tom, Hillary, Niel and Paula

at the end of the Poly Pier.

Photo by Hillary

The water within 200M of the end of the Avila Pier has been dirty since last Saturday. It is cloudy, brownish, stinky and full of millions of little things that look like mosquito larvae.  There certainly not that but something, plant or animal, that is about that size and shape that are evenly dispersed through the water and not like anything any of us have seen in the water before.  I'm going to contact the Health Department Monday and ask them to have a look and to test the water. 

Hillary and I will swim Tuesday and Thursday at 7.

niel 

Friday, June 12th, 2026

The Wandering Swimmer Returns -

Tom is back from a water polo tournament in Spain and a swimming vacation in Portugal. Here is what he thinks about our cold water: 

Heavy fog, 3 foot waves and good swimming. Avila was socked in fog this morning. It was a three peaks Swim.  Air temperature was 59 when I got in at 845 AM and the water temperature was 54 on the east side and 55 on the west side. Beautiful morning vitamin. 

Thursday, June 11th, 2026

 

I felt like doing a clockwise Poly Pier Loop this morning. I got in the water at 7:30. Hillary couldn't join me, she had scheduled a meeting with German staff at 5:30AM and was still 'at work' at 7:30. I hope she got to the beach. It was sunny and 59° when I got in. 

The water temperature was up to 55°ish, there was a small swell that made swimming more interesting and we still have our nice 2+ foot sets of waves with the occasional sets of 3 to 4 footers, which I have to remember to watch for when I'm getting in and out. 

The swimming was nice and smooth and the 2 degree bump up in the water temperature from Tuesday's 53° made it more relaxing.

Having it sunny and warm at the showers is a nice bonus.

The Saturday group will swim at 7.

niel 

       

Tuesday, June 9th, 2026

Beautiful Conditions But Cold Toes - 

This morning there was a clear sunny sky in Avila Beach, also no wind and smooth water with a variable swell. The surf was the same mix of 2 foot plus waves with an very occasional set of 4 footers. Hillary and I decided to do the swim we didn't finish when she lost, and then found, her GoPro, which is a Split Yo-Yo, swimming from the end of the pier to the even numbered buoys on the west side and the odd ones on the east side.   

We waded in and were surprised by the 53° water. Spring is really messing with us. The water temperature for my last three swims was 54°, 57° and today's 53°.  I'm not switching to my summer weight wetsuit yet. 

The swimming was nice with the larger swells passing under us near the buoy line.  Hillary did an additional triangle.

On Thursday I'll swim at 8ish, Hillary may join me then or swim earlier depending on her schedule. 

Sadly, my GoPro died this morning. I took some video while we were swimming but when I tried to download the file the camera would not turn on or charge so there will be no photos for a while. 

niel