Sunday, November 27, 2016

Tom's Birthday Swim

The Conditions: Partially cloudy, a light wind, small waves on an outgoing tide with an occasional chest high set and a water temperature of 55 degrees. There was no sign of last weeks red tide and the water looked nice and clear.

 The Swim:  It was just Tom and I. I assumed that the creek would be dirty after the rain and medding up the water quality on that side of the pier so we stayed on the other side. We swam out, down to the buoy at the reef, back to the end of the pier and in. 

Tom at the reef buoy.

Selfie at the reef buoy. 

Tom at the end of the pier.

Things did not work out this week for Tom's birthday swim (swimming a route that spells TOM) so we'll do it next Sunday. 

niel

Still Big and Red

Conditions were much the same as last Sunday except that the breakers were down to 5 to 6 foot. The water was 59 degrees and dirty from the action of the waves.  Niel, Duke, Chad, Sammy, Sidney and Johnny got in the water. 

Johnny, Niel, Duke, Chad, Sidney, Sammy

We were more successful today and Sammy was the only one who couldn't get out. Sammy is also our youngest swimmer and I'm impressed that she is game to try and get through the surf when it is this rough.  Once we were beyond the surf line we found that there was still a strong red tide. Yuch!  We swam to the end of the pier hoping for clearer water but instead found it to be worse. It looked like there was a blue spot to the west so we headed towards it and did find clean water, but we couldn't' stay there all afternoon so we came on the west side of the pier through the crud.

At the end of the pier

Enjoying the patch of blue water

We covered about .8 of a mile and felt that we deserved credit for a greater distance because of the energy spent getting out and back in. ;-)

Thanks to Sue, Sammy and Sidney's mom. for the photos from the shore. 

niel

Still Big and Red

Conditions were much the same as last Sunday except that the breakers were down to 5 to 6 foot. The water was 59 degrees and dirty from the action of the waves.  Niel, Duke, Chad, Sam, Sidney and Johnny got in the water. 

Johnny, Niel, Duke, Chad, Sidney, Sam

We were more successful today and Sam was the only one who couldn't get out. Sam is also our youngest swimmer and I'm impressed that she is game to try and get through the surf when it is this rough.  Once we were beyond the surf line we found that there was still a strong red tide. Yuch!  We swam to the end of the pier hoping for clearer water but instead found it to be worse. It looked like there was a blue spot to the west so we headed towards it and did find clean water, but we couldn't' stay there all afternoon so we came on the west side of the pier through the crud.

At the end of the pier

Enjoying the patch of blue water

We covered about .8 of a mile and felt that we deserved credit for a greater distance because of the energy spent getting out and back in. ;-)

Thanks to Sue, Sam and Sydney's mom. for the photos from the shore. 

niel

Sunday, November 5, 2016

Whitewater

It was warm and comfortable at Avila Beach. The big swell that was pushing up 13 to 16 foot breakers on the west facing beaches today was producing waves that were overhead +2' in Avila. The tide was 1/2 way to full, the water was 60 degrees and full of silt. There were gaps between the sets when things flattened out but the period between the waves would vary between 15 and 7 seconds. Getting out would be dicey.

Niel, Tom, Sydney, Sammy and Michael waded in while Sylvia waited on the beach. Tom was the only one who made it outside on the first try. Niel and Michael made a second try and Michael made it out.  They swam to the end of the pier and back in and called it good enough. The rest of us watched from the beach. I lost my goggles in the surf, another donation to the water gods.  A pod of dolphins came by outside of the surfline while Tom and Michael were in the water.

The big surf will last until mid-week, sso we should have easier swimming next Sunday.

The lifeguards are done for the season and will be back in mid March.

niel