Tuesday, July 14th, 2026

The Tuesday Morning Swim Report -

Jim was in town so it was a twosome this morning. It was beautiful in Avila; 60°, sunny and  calm with a flat and glassy ocean with 2' surf. The red tide was in near the shore on both sides of the Avila Pier with some spots that were almost clean. The water was nice between the 4th buoy on the left side and Fossil Point.  Between there and the Poly Pier is was very nice as long as I was outside of the end of the Avila Pier, closer to shore anywhere between Fossil Point and the Poly Pier the water funked up. 

On the upside the water was warm, 59° - 60° on the east side of the Avila Pier and 60°- 61° between the Avila and Poly Piers. As we were gettin gin there was a pod of dolphins well offshore heading towards Fossil Point.  

We swam down the buoy line and over to Fossil Point. The leg from the point to the Poly Pier is about 1,400M. Jim's shoulder suggested that he go when we neared the Avila Pier.   

Niel and Jim at Fossil Point

I was midway in along the Poly Pier when I took this photo of the Avila Pier and the clouds on the headlands. 

And a heron checking out the layout of the morning brunch.

From the second crossbars back to the buoy line I kept to the right and jogged around a anchored sail boat.  As I was swimming along the buoys towards the Avila Pier something that was swimming parallel to me came up on my right.  I first thought that it might be a dolphin but it was an otter, backstroking past me.   What a showoff!  I reached for my camera but that was too much attention, it rolled over and dived. 

I'm leaving on vacation so my next swim at Avila will be on Thursday the 23rd. 

niel

Sunday, July 12th, 2026

Tom's Sunday Swim -

Partly blue skies, a slight breeze and a bump on the water.  The air temperature was low 60s and the water temperature was high 50s, although the water felt colder to me. It was a good Sunday morning Swim. 

BTW, I will be swimming on different days for the foreseeable future, no more report from me on Mondays and Wednesdays.  I will be swimming Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Or that's the plan anyway. 

Saturday, July 11th, 2026

The Saturday Morning Swim - 

Avery, Jodi, Paula, Hillary and Niel enjoyed a great swim this morning in the best conditions we have had this summer. It was overcast and clam with glassy water with a one foot long period SW swell that made the swimming more interesting. The air temp was 57°, the water was 60°- 61° and the surf was 2 foot. We swam between the Avila and Cal Poly Piers and had plankton free water except for a bit of funk neat the Poly Pier.

We added some extra to the route that I swam on Thursday and covered 3,800M.       

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

The sun came out for the last part of our swim and make it extra nice. 

I'll be back Tuesday morning at 7 and then I'll be out of town until the 23rd.

niel

Friday. July 10th, 2026

Tom's Friday Swim Report - 

Heavy overcast, bumpy mixed up water, and a gusty breeze. Felt like storm conditions.  The water temperature was 55, 56 degrees and the swimming was good but a bit of a slog. 

Thursday, July 9th, 2026

The Thursday Morning Swim Report - 

My plan for today's swim was to stay between the two piers, where on Tuesday the water was free of red funk and warmer. The ocean is never the same twice so today the water temperature was the same at 59° but the water changed from clean to red towards the Poly Pier. 

There was a small SW swell when I was out beyond the end of the Avila Pier that added some character to the water. 

When I arrived at Avila Beach it was overcast, before I got in the overcast had changed to fog that rose back up and left me with good visibility. 

On Saturday if someone has brought their psychic swim cap I'll let them choose the funk free route.

Saturday at 7.

niel  

Wednesday, July 8th, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

Blue skies and the sun burning off the marine layer.  Splotches of red funk in the water and temperatures ranging from 55-57 degrees.  There was also what looked like pollen in the water… a lot of it, but it was under the water.  Not sure if that was a different variety of funk or it really was pollen…  another mystery of the ocean. It was a good swim.   

Tuesday, July 7th, 2026

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report -

My plan for this morning's swim was to do 4 to 5000M. The water looked great, it was overcast, there was no wind, the surf was small and there was no swell. My planned route was a 5,000M route I had done before; to swim left and around the reef buoy, to the end of the Poly Pier, in along the pier to touch the shore and to return the way I had come. I could drop off at several points and make this something between 3,200 and 5K. 

  

My swim did not start well. As I waded in the water felt like 56°, not the 59° we had last Saturday. At the #2 buoy the water began to get red and at #4 it was thick, and would be worse on the ocean side of the kelp bed.  Heading towards the Poly Pier I was thinking that if the water stayed this cold and dirty this might be a 3,000M swim. A ways past the end of the Avila pier the water cleaned up and warmed up a few degrees so my plan changed to swim to the base of the Poly Pier and from there to either head to the Avila Pier or back to the end of the Poly Pier. 

At the end of the Poly Pier for the second time.

The tide was low enough that the waves were bounding off of the rocks at the base of the pier so I had some fun with the swells passing under me in both directions as I approached the rocks. The waves were breaking on the rocks so I turned around when I could touch the bottom.  I was feeling good now so I headed back to the end of the P. Pier. Half way to the end of the pier I was inspired to complete my swim between the Avila and Poly Piers and avoid the colder yucky water on the east side of the Avila Pier.  

I swam in along the P. Pier, over to the #4 buoy and back to #1 on the east side.  

I felt better at the finish than at the start. It's nice when that happens. 

The clouds had broken up and it was sunny and warm when I was at the showers.

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

niel

Monday, July 6th, 2026

Tom's Monday Morning Swim Report - 

Replay of Sunday… Blue skies high thin clouds, warm air and a slight breeze. The water was around 58°. Beautiful Monday morning Swim. 

Sunday, July 5th, 2026

Tom's Sunday Swim Report - 

Blue skies, a light breeze blowing on shore, and beautiful water.  It was a perfect day for swimming around the rock.

Saturday, July 4th, 2026

The Dolphins 4th of July Swim -

Swimming this morning were Niel, Jodi, Tish, Paula, Avery, Mike and Hillary.

We are past June Gloom and now into July No Sky with solid overcast skies, no wind, a 56° air temperature and a 59° water temperature.  The red tide has moved off leaving only a slight amount of funk and mostly nice clean water. 

We couldn't decide on a route so we started by swimming to the 4th buoy on the left side of the pier. From there we swam to Fossil Point and wove through the kelp to the Avila Rock.    

Hillary, Tish, Avery, Mike, Jodi, Paula and Niel

at the #4 buoy on the east side of the Avila Pier

Paula, Jodi, Niel, Tish, Avery, Mike and Hillary

at the Avila Rock

We continued on around the rock and back to the end of the Avila Pier. Niel, Hillary, Mike and and Tish came in and Avery, Paula and Jodi swam to the end of the Poly Pier and back.  

It was a very nice day out there with warm (for Avila), flat, clean and glassy water and a great group.  

Paula, Avery, Jodi, Mike, Niel, Tish and Hillary

Post swim at Hillary's van with 

muffins, strawberries, deviled eggs and coffee.

This coming week I'll swim at 7 on Tuesday, 8 on Thursday and at 7 on Saturday.

niel 

Friday, July 32rd, 2026

Tom's Friday Swim Report - 

Partly blue skies, a breeze blowing from the southwest to the southeast, and beautiful water. The swimming was gorgeous this morning. The holiday crowds were already there so I parked on first Street… Therefore, no picture. 

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026

A Martini Before Breakfast - 

The red funk was mild and limited to the area inside the end of the Avila Pier. It was overcast, 59°, calm with small surf. There was a slight offshore wind. The water temperature was up to 58°.

I wanted to stay outside of the red funk so I did the Martini Route. Tom Lorish christened this route because it looks like a Martini glass. One Martine equals an Ironman Swim of 2.4 miles. Go around the glass three times and you have a Triple Martini which is 10K.  

I'm at the Avila Rock

Then at the end of the Poly Pier

I had a very nice swim.

The Saturday Group will swim at 7.

niel

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Swim Report -

It is July 1st and the June gloom is… Still here. The weather and nature don't care what the date is. The water was glassy and flat, and the red funk was mostly gone. The air temperature was high 50s and the water temperature was 54 to 55°.  It was excellent midweek morning vitamin. 

Tuesday, June 30th, 2026

Wonderful Swimming Conditions Except for the Payback -

 

Today the water was 55° with a light onshore breeze. The water was flat and the surf 2 to 3 foot, so the conditions were great except for the red tide which varied from absent to not too bad to opaque red yuck.  Last summer we had only two week long bouts of red tide. so I guess this is payback for last summer. Avila has frequently had red tide like this before and the presence of the plankton dose bring the baitfish, dolphins and whales in close to shore.   

At the end of the Poly Pier

Today the onshore breeze seemed to be pushing the red tide in towards the beach. Seaward from the end of the Avila Pier the water was clean, closer to shore the funk thickened up.  On the ocean side of the kelp bed that is near the east #4 buoy the water was opaque. Yuch.

I'll swim Thursday at 7. I'm planning on staying outside of the end of the Avila Pier. A swim to the Avila Rock might just be the best option.

niel   

Monday, June 29th, 2026

Hillary's Donner Lake 10K -

On Sunday Hillary swam the 10K loop around Donner Lake. The water temp was 65°. She swam with no wetsuit and was unsupported except for her usual flotilla with camera, hula dolls, nutrition and hydration.  She wasn't cold until after she finished and got out.