Conditions at Avila Beach at 10:15 were still mellow and very nice with at 63° air temperature and a 60° water temperature. Finding a parking spot was still easy and the beach wasn't crowded. It would be very different by 2PM.  

There wasn't much wind on the beach and the water was still flat.

Earlier Tom Swam solo and texted that he had a very cool  encounter with about 5 dolphins near the end of the Avila Pier. 

 

The water looked very green when I was looking towards the sun. So far this summer the water has been pretty clear with no sign yet of red tide.   

Jeff Reed joined us today after a 3 year absence. He and his family live in New Zealand and have family in Paso so pre-COVID they would come every summer and Jeff would drop in with us. It was a nice surprise to see him today.  He'll be with us again next Sunday. Also swimming today were Pat and David.  I suggested that we swim from the end of the Avila Pier over to the end of the Cal Poly Pier, in to the second crossbars and back the way we came. It would be a nice distance and giv eus exposure to several different conditions. 

When we turned the corner of the Avila Pier and headed towards the CP Pier it was immediately apparent that the conditions were going to be different than I had expected. There was a vigorous head high chop and following swell out of the SW that we were going to be swimming across on our way to the Poly Pier. The down and back along the pier was also rough but unexpectedly easier on the leg back to the end of the pier. Back to the Avila Pier it was bumpy but following so I had to watch my breathing but didn't need to work as hard.     

Pat, David, Jeff and Niel at the Second Crossbars.

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

niel