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 

Saturday, June 6th, 2026

The Return of the Party Boat -

Hillary has rebuilt the one of it's kind Avila Dolphins Party Boat so her GoPro is back in its original configuration and not only looks great but should be much harder to lose.

The new GoPro party boat with camera, two hula dolls and flags

Today we had Niel, Hillary, Tom Israel, Jodi and Paula in the water. The water temperature was up to 57° with a moderate wind, no chop, a 58° air temperature and heavy overcast. The pushy swell that Hillary and I had on Thursday had grown and was offering up occasional sets of 5 foot waves. 

We couldn't decide on a route so we swam to the end of the pier and would figure it out once we were there. Getting out through the surf required timing and sprinting but was uneventful. 

Hillary, Tom, Paula, Jodi and Niel at the end of the Avila Pier

 

The plot of my swim is kind'a correct. My Garmin was having another bad day with the plot somewhat of a fantasy and the charts of my pace and stroke rate changing between data and a flatline. Jodi and Tom's plots were more accurate than mine. One of us always has funky data from the swim.    

We swam over to the Poly Pier, in to the #3 crossbars, back to the end of the Avila Pier, to the #4 buoy on the west side, to the end of the pier for a third time and in to the beach.  Google maps measured our route at 3,800M +/-.

Coming in was a bit of an event with the group approaching the beach just when the largest waves of the morning arrived. There were some rides in the washing machine on the way to the beach but it was fun and no gear was lost.

Our apres swim at Hillary's van with 

fresh brewed coffee and snacks. 

Hillary and I will swim at 7 on Tuesday. I swim at closer to 8 on Thursday and with the group swim at 7 on Saturday. 

niel

    

Thursday, June 4th, 2026

Thursday Morning Yo-Yo and Treasure Hunt - 

It was a beautiful sunny morning in Avila Beach. Hillary and I decided to swim a Yo-Yo. The water temp has dropped to 54°-  since Saturday's 57° with it colder on the east side of the Avila Pier. We would do our swim on whichever side seemed to be warmer. The air temp was 51° and it was calm with a small swell on the water.  That swell turned out to have a punch larger than its one foot size. Swimming into the swell we could feel ourselves being pushed back by each wave.           

Hillary is towing her orange floatie where she keeps her Go Pro camera.

  At the end of the Avila Pier we decided to swim on the west side and headed for the #4 buoy.  When we returned to the end of the pier we decided to do the odd numbered buoys on the east side and swam to #3 on that side.   Back at the end of the Avila Pier Hillary took some video of an otter and we swam to the #2 buoy on the west side. I caught up with Hillary back at the end of the Avila Pier and found much sadness. Hillary had her orange floatie but no Go Pro camera. 

The camera floats so we figured that we might find it along our route to the #2 buoy so we split up and swam in, stopping to see if we'd get lucky and see the camera.  Hillary found her camera floating near the pier about half way in to the buoy line.  That put a nice spin on the mornings swim. 

We'll swim on Saturday at 7.

niel

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026

June Gloom Swimming - 

The heavy overcast at the beach can now be referred to as June Gloom, brought to us by the high temperatures in the Central Valley that pull moist air from the ocean in over the land where it condenses into clouds. The numbers are about the same: 56° air, water 54° to 55° depending on which side of the Avila Pier I was on, and a breeze that came up at about 8 and started lumping up the water's surface. 

My swim began by heading to the Poly Pier, swimming out and back and over to the end of the Avila Pier where I found colder water, and on over to and around the reef buoy and back along the buoy line to #1 and in.

It was a nice swim. 

How about this? While I was at the showers I has a  surprise ride-by by Duke.

Good to see him and keep the shiny side up Buddy.   

I'll be back at 7 on Thursday. 

niel

Saturday, May 30th, 2026

Niel, Tom and Hillary swam around the Avila Rock this AM. At 7 Avila Beach was sunny, 49°, clear and calm. The surf was 2 to 3 foot and the water was 57°. 

The rain on Thursday had dirtied up San Luis Creek a bit so we headed away from the creek and swam to Avila Rock. 

Niel, Hillary and Tom at the end of the Avila Pier. 

The tide was very low and the kelp was spread out over a wide area so we swam well to the south of the Avila Rock. Instead of returning the way we had come we looped around the rock and swam through the kelp to Fossil Point and back along the buoy line.  We gave the otters that were hanging in the kelp plenty of room.  

Hillary Niel and Tom at the Avila Rock. 

When we got back to the #1 buoy Hillary did an additional triangle while Tom and I headed in. 

We had an after the swim party at Hillary's van. She brewed coffee from fresh ground beans to go with the the chocolate chip protein muffins I'd made.

I will swim on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7 this coming  week.

niel    

Tuesday, May 26th, 2026

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim - 

It was a damp, gray morning in Avila. Almost spitty. No wind, 2 to 4 foot surf, 58° air and flat, 56°  water. It felt more like 54° getting in but I evened out OK. 

I didn't feel motovated to go exploring so I did two triangles, had a good swim and had a hint of sun at the showers.  

I hope to be in the water between 8 and 9 on Thursday. I have Blue Water Task Force volunteers to train before swimming. If it gets too late I will either swim short or skip swimming.

I'll will be ready to swim at 7 on Saturday.

niel 

Saturday, May 23rd, 2026

A Big Crowd for Saturday Morning - 

This morning's group consisted of Eileen, Tom, Josh, Jodi, Paula, Niel, Hillary and Jim.  Josh is from the Bay Area and dropped in for a swim. He will be attempting a north to south Lake Tahoe swim on July 16th.  He was the only one without a wetsuit today. 

The overcast was thick and it didn't look like it was going to clear soon. The air and water temperatures were 56°. It was calm, the water was smooth and the surf was small with an occasional 3 footer.   

Niel, Jim, Tom, Eileen, Paula, Hillary, Jodi and Josh

at the end of the Avila Pier

56° water is a good bit colder than Josh is used to so we started out by going out and back along the east buly line, then around the pier then west to the #4 buoy. Josh was doing OK so we went to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier and came back to the end of the Avila Pier. On the leg to the Poly Pier I was near the back so I don't know who was driving but they headed for #3 and then switched to #2.

At the end of the Avila Pier for the second time Paula, Jim, Eileen and Josh swam in while Niel, Hillary Tom and Jodi continued around the reef buoy and back along the buoy line and in. 

We have four plots of today's swims. 

Top to bottom that is me, Tom , Eileen and Paula. The plots look very close but Tom managed to sneak in an extra 384 yards somehow.     

Having a bigger group was a lot of fun.  The 4th of July is a Saturday so I'm proposing that we organize another big group swim at 7 on the 4th with a post swim hang out on the beach with snacks. 

This coming week I'll swim at 7 on Tuesday, at 8 to 9 on Thursday and at 7 on Saturday.

niel
   

Friday, May 22nd, 2026

Tom's Friday Swim -

Heavy marine layer, super low tide, and flat and glassy water. The air temperature was high 50s, and the water temperature was mid 50s. It was a good Friday morning vitamin and my last Avila swim until mid June. I am off to Barcelona for Water Polo and then to Portugal to mess around.  

Thursday, May 21st, 2026

Niel's Thursday Morning Swim Report -

There was thick overcast but good visibility this morning. It was calm with a small swell on the water and 2 foot plus waves.  It was 51° and the water had warmed up at bit to 55° - 56°.

I got in the water a bit before 7 and swam back and forth between the Avila and Poly Piers. The only company were cormorants and gulls. It was very meditative. 

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

niel
 

Wednesday, May 20th, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Morning Swim - 

Hazy blue skies, mid 60s air temperature, and super low tide.  The water was comb with a 3 foot wave rolling in. The water temperature was mid 50s. Beautiful morning Swim. 

Tuesday, May 19th, 2026

Great Conditions and Hot Showers! - 

Hillary joined me for this mornings swim. We had great conditions; it was sunny, 57° and calm with 2 foot waves and a slight swell on the water. The water was 54° to 55° and not yucky but not as clear as it had been. After the recent fog it was so bright out there. We swam a reverse Yo-Yo on the west side of the Avila Pier for 3,402M. It was very nice out there.

Hillary does a lot of camping with her VW Westfalia camper van.  Today she showed me the set up she had for a hot shower. It is a CampLux Nano 3 Pro portable propane instant water heater. The heater runs on a 1# propane bottle to fire the burner and a built in rechargeable battery to run the pump.  She had a 5 gal water bladder in the van. In a matter of seconds she was rinsing off in 100° water. 

I'm going to talk to Santa because one of these would be so welcome next winter!

I'm swimming on Thursday and Saturday at 7.

niel 

Sunday, May 17th, 2026

Tom Lorish's Sunday Morning Swim - 

Blue skies, thin high clouds, and a pretty big swell. The swell was bringing in four to five foot set waves and there was a breezy chop on the water as well.  The water temperature was 52 in spots and 53 and 54 in other spots. It was a good morning a rough water swimming.