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. 

Monday, June 29th, 2026

Tom's Gray Monday Morning Swim - 

Heavy marine layer, a slight breeze blowing on shore, and thankfully the red funk has mostly gone. The air temperature was 59° and the water temperature was 55. It was a good Monday morning Swim.

Saturday, June 27th, 2026

The Bikini Top Swim - 

Comparing our routes after today's swim it became a contest to see who's route drew the best bikini top outline. 

Hillary

Jodi

Niel

Paula

Tom

In the water today were Niel, Paula, Hillary and their friend Tish from the pool, Jodi, and Tom.  Paula, Hillary and Jodi went long for 4 to 5,500M while Niel, Tom and Tish went about 3,000M. Paula's and my distances are in meters, the rest are in yards. 

The air temp was 60° and the water was 59°, it was overcast with a bit of sun, small surf, no wind and flat water, great swimming conditions except that the red tide is in and the water clarity was clean to funky to opaque.

Me in front, them from the left Paula, Tish, Tom, Jodi and Hillary

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

 

I'll be swimming this week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7. 

niel 

 

Friday, June 26th, 2026

 Tom Lorish Says: 

Overcast, glassy calm water, dolphins along the Buoy line, red funk, parking vultures, and jr. lifeguards learning about life.  All that, and despite the red funk, good swimming.   

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.