Sunday, September 15th, 2024

 I'm not invincible anymore

What?

That bang to my foot a couple of Thursdays ago left a 1/2" break in the skin and some swelling. The cut had scabbed over nicely so I continued swimming, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, until last Thursday, when the cut and then my foot began looking infected. 

So, I'm on antibiotics and will now spend time out of the water that I should have spent initially letting the cut heal.

75 and still a slow learner.  🤔

Next Saturday should be my comeback.

niel 

Saturday, September 14th, 2024

 

Niel, Jodi, Tom Israel, Paula and Matt got in at 7 AM. Avila was all gray overcast with spitting rain.  It was 54°, the water was 55° - 56°, flat and a bit dirty. The pelicans were on both sides of the Avila Pier in large numbers.

Paula Jodi, Matt, Niel and Tom at the first buoy.

The water was cold getting in but it was not the 53° of the previous two days.  

We were bird free until we arrive at the end of the Avila Pier where the pelicans were feeding on the east side of the pier. Matt and Paula were cold and went in. Jodi, Niel and Tom swam to the 4th buoy and back to the start. 

After being cold on Thursday I had on everything this morning; my winter wetsuit, neoprene cap and booties so I was a bit over dressed for 55° - 56° but that was better than being too cold. If the wind lays down some in the next few days the water temperature should come back up.

I'll swim tomorrow at 11. 

niel   

Friday, September 13th, 2024

 Cold Toes -

Foggy Friday and kelp stew.  It was about 59° when I arrived at 920 AM. Visibility was low so I figured it was a three peaks day.  The water was calm and glassy with a lot of kelp floating around. The water temperature was significantly lower than on Wednesday, my toes are telling me 52°. It was a chilly but good swim. 

Thursday, September 12th, 2024

Yikes My Toes! - 

Fog and 53° water had me in a state of surprise as I started swimming. There were some warmer spots but it was just cold the whole time.

At times the fog was very dense so I was switching my route around a bit to keep a landmark in view.  The water is still flat and clean except for an occasional frosting of bird feathers. 

We'll swim Saturday at 7

niel

Wednesday, September 11th, 2024

Heavy marine layer, dolphins, and plenty of pelicans.  That was Avila at 91 5 AM when I arrived. Air temperature was 59° and the water was glassy and calm.  In the picture if you look closely you can see the pelicans lined out on the east rail of the pier.  There were a couple dolphins moseying along between the Avila pier and fossil point. The water temperature felt 54° to me. Good swimming.

Tuesday, September 10th, 2024

 

I had a nice swim today, other than the pelicans strafing me, conditions were really nice; 58° water, 60° air, cloudy, no wind, no waves, no swell and no funk in the water.  The pelican count is down to 85% of what it was on Sunday.  I have not seen any bait balls besides the one Tom and Jodi stirred up on Saturday so there doesn't seem to be much food in the water to keep them here. I expect their  numbers to dwindle.

 

The pelicans on the pier seemed to be interested in the water on the east side so I decided to head over to the Poly Pier.  After I got in and then headed back to the beach and zipped up my wetsuit. Once properly on my way I became the object of a lot of pelican interest when I started down the buoy line. They were not diving but were sure interested in me or what it was that I was doing.  They hung with me until the second crossbars and then left me to my swim.

I'll be back for more on Thursday at 7ish.

niel

Monday, September 9th, 2024

 Tom's Toes Say:

Marine layer, a little fog, and lots of pelicans. About 60° air temperature when I arrived at Avila at 930 AM. It was gray and there was a little bump on the water.  There were several squadrons of pelicans on the east side pier rail and a couple on the west.  The water temperature felt like it dropped off at least a couple degrees from Sunday, my toes say 57°.  As always, a nice morning vitamin. 

Sunday, September 8th, 2024

Yesterday we saw some baitfish with pelicans diving on them for the first time in several months. Apparently a post went out last night on Billbook because at 10:30 this morning there were about 80 pelicans along the rail of the Avila Pier and maybe that many more on the water over at the Poly Pier.  There weren't any bait balls so picking seemed thin. By Tuesday they may be back to where the fish are more numerous.    

Duke dropped in for a visit before we got in. This was his first time on the beach in 6 months. It was a perfect beach day and it was great to spend some time on the sand with him. 

Jamie and I swam today. It was 72° and clear with a gusty SE wind. The water was 59° and choppy with a solid push from the SE. There was a regatta under way so with the birds and the sailboats we decided to do some of Tom's Peaks swims which would keep us clear of the sailboats and most of the feeding activity.     

Jamie and Niel

The swimming conditions were variable with each leg being different.

Jamie and our observers.

This week I expect to swim Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7 and Sunday at 11.

niel

Saturday, September 7th, 2024

 

Jodi, Tom I. and Niel at Fossil Point.

 

It was a lovely morning in Avila, 58°, clear and still with glassy water with a small swell from the SW. The water was reasonably clean and 59° with warmer and colder spots.

Jodi suggested that we swim to Fossil Point, to the Poly Pier and then decide on how to get back to the beach. That was the best idea that anyone had so that is what we did.  

On the leg to the Poly Pier Jodi and Tom (I was off the back) ran into a school of anchovies. About the time we arrived at the Poly Pier pelicans began to show up and hit the fish. More kept arriving while we were swimming and they were still feeding when we were at the showers.

I'll swim tomorrow at 11.

niel

Friday, September 6th, 2024

Tom's Toes Are Happy - 

 Warming up and clear blue skies at Avila this morning when I arrived at 847 AM. The air temperature was 71° and climbing… the water was glassy with a slight roll to it and 3–4 foot set waves rolling in. The water quality was much improved from Wednesday. Although they're still was some murkiness and funk over on the other side of the port side of the CPP.  Beautiful morning swim. 

The Saturday group will swim tomorrow at 7. 

niel

Thursday, September 5th, 2024

It was nice at Avila this morning. There was fog offshore, around Fossil Point and over in the port but it was sunny and calm in Avila with the same conditions we have been having all summer; an air temp in the low 50°, no wind, low clouds and patchy fog, small waves and a flat ocean. Every day the red brown crud is in a different part of the Avila swim zone so it is hard to pick a route. This morning I took a clockwise trip to the Poly Pier and it worked out pretty well with areas of clean and cloudy water and with a bad area along the ocean end of the Poly Pier.

 I plan on being back on Saturday at 7.

niel

Wednesday, September 4th, 2024

Tom's Toes Swim Report -

 

UFO, stealth Blackhawk helo, death star.....?

Foggy and a little funky on the west side… I arrived at 910 a.m. and it was foggy. The picture is looking out towards Avila Rock… Normally you could at least see the rock buoy and Avila rock but not today.  The water was noticeably more funky on the east side. In fact I could see a clear demarcation line out at the Avila pier. The water temperature was about 56° and there was a small swell. Good day of swimming 

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024

 

I had a nice swim in variable conditions today. When I was getting in there was a solid ceiling of overcast and unlimited visibility, I could see the horizon and a band of blue sky with the overcast above. Based on Tom's report from yesterday I was expecting fog and had decided to do his Three Peaks swim which is the buoy line with three passes around the Avila Pier. The tide was low and the water was flat and glassy and felt 55ish getting in. The water quality on the east side of the pier was yucky; cloudy and salty with a metallic taste.  The west side was much better. Half way into my swim a strange south swell came up. The swell was 1 to 1- 1/2 foot with a 4 second period, so at first I thought it was the wake of a boat. There was no wind. Swimming became more interesting and required extra work, especially into the swell. The good part was that when the swell arrived the water cleaned up and warmed up a degree or two to 57° so I had a nice finish.

I see what the water gods have for me on Thursday at 7.

niel

       

Monday, September 2nd, 2024

 Swimming With Tom's Toes - 

Heavy marine layer and foggy! 10 AM arrival at Avila and it was foggy and crowded. The air temperature is 64 and the water temperature was 57.  On days like this I swim the buoy line boogie and three peaks. It was a good morning vitamin. 

Sunday, September 1st, 2024

 

I had a BBQ to get to later in the day so I got in a bit after 9 this morning. It was 60° and already clearing, with the sun starting to poke through.  With the water staying clean on the east side of the Avila Pier it looked like a good day to swim to the Avila Rock. It was smooth swimming all of the way with no wind and a long period swell from the SW. 

It was almost high tide so there was enough space in the kelp for me to swim around the rock.  The water temperature was up to 58° which felt nice and comfortable.

On my way to the showers I ran into Tom L. at the top of the stairs to the beach. He had swum to Fossil Point and to the end of the Avila Pier.

Next week I plan on swimming at 7 on Tue., Thurs., and Sat and at 11 on Sunday.

niel