Tuesday, February 10th, 2026

Swimming Before The Storm - 

The surf was down to 3 feet, the air and water were 58°, there was a strong wind out of the SE and it looked bumpy outside of the surf line. I would do two triangles knowing that some of the legs would be harder than others.

I pushed out through the surf and into stormy water conditions. There was a strong push towards the shore. The first lap was tough with chop breaking over my head and twisting me around.  You can see in the plot how the chop and wind pushed me all over the ocean. During the second lap the wilnd dropped, the water smoothed out and I had a nice finish. It was calm at the showers which was nice but before I left Avila the wind came back stronger than before.     

At the end of the Avila Pier

I do not think that we will get enough rain to keep me out of the water Thursday. Im busy Saturday morning so I'll swim at 8 on Sunday.

niel 

Monday, February 9th, 2026

Tom Lorish's Monday Morning Swim Report -

Heavy cloud cover, smooth water and the last of the swell. Most of the energy was gone from the swell of last week, but it was still rolling in producing 3 foot waves. The water was beautiful and about 54°. It was a good start of the week Monday morning Swim. 

Saturday, February 7th, 2026

Surf's Up! -

I could hear the surf when I was stil a block and a half up the hill.  From Front St. the waves looked like 6 foot plus. 

It was just Tom Israel and I this morning. There were scattered high clouds, 46° air and 57° water.      

We agreeded that we'd wait until we were beyond the surf line to decide on a route. Tom timed it better than I did and got out ahead of me. I waited out the next big set, found myself looking up at a 7+ foot face at one point, got under it and caught up with Tom. 

We swam to the end of the Avila Pier, keeping clear of a part of a pier piling that was bobing in the water, and decided to swim to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier and then go to the end of the pier, back to #2 and back to the Yacht Club.   

Tom and Niel at the end of the P Pier. 

When we arrived back at the surf line the tide had turned and while there were still large swells the waves had gone down and getting back in through the surf was much easier than getting out had been.   

Next week I'm planing on swimming on Tuesday and Thursday at 7 and Sunday at maybe 8 or 9.

niel

Friday, February 6th, 2026

Tom's Friday Swim Report - 

Blue skies, scattered wild clouds, and a big bumpy swell. 6 foot straight up and down set waves were pounding the sand and the water was moving fast.  The air temperature was high 50s and the water temperature was mid 50s. It was a fun swim. 

Thutrsday, February 5th, 2026

Niel's Thursday Morning Swim Report - 

Niel and Hillary swam at 7 this morning. It was clear with a light offshore breeze and 41°. The waves were a weak 4 foot plus and the water was still 55°. 

I felt like swimming back and forth between the Avila and Poly piers so I plotted a 3,200M +/- route that would take us from the buoy line to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier, to the third crossbars, over to the end of the Avila Pier, then to the end of the Poly Pier, back in along the P Pier to the second crossbars and back to our starting point. 

As we were swimming to the Avila Pier the wind picked up. On the leg to the end of the Poly Pier the wind was on our back quarter and the water was choppy. Coming in along the P Pier was into the chop which was more physical but 'easier' for me because I wasn't being twisted like I was when swimming across the chop at an angle. The finish was nice because as we approached the beach the chop went down and the water was almost smooth along the bouy line. 

My guestmate about the length of this route was off by 800M.

I had not seen Hillary in a while, it was nice to have a bit of an adventure swim with her.  

The Saturday group will swim at 7. 

Jodi will not be with us because she is doing a 50K CC run Saturday morning in the Laguna Seca hills.  Send thoughts of strong legs to her!  🏃

niel

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026

Tom Lorish's Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

Around the rock Wednesday. Beautiful morning at Avila. Blue skies, a little hazy, and glassy water with a mellow roll to it.  The air temperature was high 50s and the water temperature was about 55°.  An excellent morning Swim.

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report - 

At 7AM in Avila Beach the conditions were familiar: it was clear and 42° with a light offshore breeze. The surf was 5'+, the water temperature was 56° with nice (for Avila) clarity. 

A swimmer with good wave sense and timing could get out and back in without having to duck dive under a wave. I was either lucky or good and got out with just the slight drama of the lip of the largest wave taking a grab at my feet as I swam over the crest.      

I did my two clockwise triangles today instead of my usual around and back route. It is interesting how this slight change messed with my head, making me think that two laps in the same direction would be longer than swimming around and back.  I was in the second lap before things fell into place and the distance felt right. 

On my first lap the big swell pushed me in towards the beach and I found myself almost in the surf line. 

I'll swim Thursday and Saturday at 7. On Thursday it will be 82°in town and the surf should be down. On Saturday we will see our morning fog return. 

niel

Monday, February 2nd, 2026

Tom L's Monday Morning Swim Report - 

Big swell, big high tide, blue skies, and rock 'n' roll swimming. The waves were straight up and down, big and powerful. They were pushing the water up and over the berm and all the way up to the stairs on the east side. The air temperature is 67, and the water temperature was about 55. Excellent morning vitamin. 

Saturday, January 31st., 2026

Niel's Saturday Swim Report - 

The Central Coast can have some of its best weather in January and today continued the tradition with a clear and cool sunrise with a predicted the high temp of 80°.  At the beach it was 41° at 7AM with an offshore breeze. The water was 56° with 5' sets of waves. Niel, Tom Israel, Jodi and Paula went for a swim.       

Tom, Jodi Paula and Niel at the end of the Poly Pier

We swam out through the surf, met up at the end of the Avila Pier then decided on a route.  We swam to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier, to the end of the pier and finished with a 1000M swim to the beach. A few birds was all there was to see out there.

Warm and sunny weather is predicted for the coming week so I'll swim at 7 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Jodi is doing a 50K trail run at Fort Ord next Saturday so think happy thoughts about her feet on Saturday morning.  

niel

Friday, January 30th, 2026

Tom's Friday Morning Swim Report - 

Clear blue skies, a very slight breeze and a nice swell rolling through.  There were 4 to 5 foot sets of waves when I got in a 945am. The water was about 55° and very clear. It was an excellent Friday morning Swim. 

Thursday, January 29th, 2026

Niel's Thursday Morning Swim - 

Compared to Tuesday it was warmer and windy this morning. It was 57°, which was up 20°, and there was a strong NE wind. The surf was up to 5 feet, the tide was high and falling and the water temperature was 55° with the wind making it feel colder. 

After I got through the surf I turned left and swam parallel to the beach, thinking that I would do two triangles, take it easy and get the kinks out after Tuesday's swim. As I was rounding the reef buoy I decided swim to the end of the Poly Pier.

It was more bumpy out there than I had realized with the chop not quite breaking over my head and pushing me around.  No matter which leg I was on it was all work and I never felt like I was swimming in the same direction that the ocean was going.       

 

The conditions at the end of the Poly Pier.

I'll swim on Saturday morning at 7 and I'm ready for a more relaxing swim with a bit less drama.

niel

Tuesday, January 27th, 2026

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim - 

Today was my birthday so I wanted to do a special swim. I didn't think I was ready to do the full birthday distance of 7,600M so I decided to do three triangles which would be about 4,800M.  It was a chilly morning with an air temperature of 34°, clear skies, a light offshore wind putting a ripple on the 54° water, and waves between 2 and 4 feet. The tide was high and going out.  

I began with a clockwise triangle. It was a bit chilly on any exposed skin but I was feeling good and the ripple on the water was a interesting texture that added some character to the swimming.  At the start of the third triangle I was still feeling strong and when I was past the end of the Avila Pier I began thinking about the possibility of doing four triangles and the full birthday swim.  I have swum 5K before without any nutrition so I had not brought any with me.  For 7,600M I would have two 24 oz. bottles of Fluid hydration drink with 6 Gu's added to each bottle to keep me going, so trying 7,600M would be a real stretch, but the idea of doing that distance today was exciting. I decided that when I got to the pier at the end of the third triangle I'd check my distance and if I was at 6,000M and I was still feeling good I'd try for the full distance.  Well, when I was swimming along the 'buoy line' to finish the third triangle I began to feel a bit tired and when I arrived at the pier I had covered 5,400M. I did a honest appraisal of how I was feeling and headed in. 

I'm happy with how this swim worked out.  I did my planned distance and I'm confident that with some nutrition along I could have done 7,600M.

As I was walking out I saw Tom Lorish getting in on the other side of the pier and when he was getting out he saw Duke getting in.  It was a beautiful morning for swimming, and there was plenty of warm sunshine at the showers.  

I'll swim Thursday 7:30 and Saturday morning at 7.

niel    

 

Sunday, January 25th, 2026

Tom Lorish's Sunday Swim Report - 

Sublime conditions at Avila this morning. Following Niel's Saturday Swim I had an wonderful swim around the rock.  Gorgeous conditions: Beautiful high clouds, spots of blue sky showing, crisp Winter air and glassy water with a 3 to 4 foot wave rolling in.  The air temperature was low 50s, and the water temperature was mid 50s. The water clarity was excellent as was the swimming. 

Saturday. January 24th, 2026

Niel' Saturday Swim Report - 

Tom wading in at 7 AM

Saturday served up another great Avila morning with excellent swimming conditions; clear skies, a slight offshore breeze, an air temperature of 49° and a water temp. of 56°. The surf was 3 to 4 foot and the water was nice and clean.

Tom and Niel decided that it was a good day to swim to the Avila Rock. 

Navigation on the way to the rock was easily accomplished by swimming directly into the sun. It was a little bumpy out there. We swam around the rock, past Fossil Point towards the beach, and parallel to the shore to the Avila Pier.

     

It was nice having some sunshine at the showers to help warm us up. 

I'm planning on swimming on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7. 

Jodi will join us on Saturday for a tapering swim before her 50K CC race at Ft. Ord on 2/7.

niel 

Thursday, January 22nd, 2026

Niel's Thursday Morning Swim Report - 

This morning I swam four crossings between the Avila and Poly Piers. I may have done this route before but I'm not sure. The swimming conditions were wonderful: The sky was full of rain clouds but only a light sprinkle fell. The surf was 2 to 3 feet, there was no wind and the water was smooth. The air temperature was 53° and the water was 58°.  

Twice I had a flock of seagulls straff me. I guess the gulls were checking to see if I was stirring up something for breakfast.  At the showers I saw a few birds diving on bait fish between the piers, I have not seen that activity in more than a month. 

It was nice to not have the wind blowing while I was changing.  There is a lot of bamboo on the beach that must have come from someplace up the creek.

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

niel