Thursday, October 31st. 2024

 Tom's Swim Report from Wednesday - 

Beautiful conditions at Avila this morning. 51° air temperature when I arrived at 915am. There appeared to be swells coming in from two different directions creating a rocking and rolling ocean swim. my toes tell me the water temperature was 52°. Water quality was excellent as was the swimming. 

The object on the right is not Nesse but a person on a paddle board. 

Niel's Swim Report for Thursday - 

Sunrise at the 4th buoy looking towards Fossil Point 

I got in the water at 7:15 this morning. The air temperature in Avila was 40°. It was calm with high thin clouds. The surf was still 2 to 3 foot with an 4' sneakers. There were 2 or 3 small swells which gave the water some character but the swells were not large enough to mess with my swimming. My thermometer broke a few swims ago so I am relying on the Tom's Toes method of determining the water temperature until the replacement thermometer arrives. I think the water temp this morning was 52°. I wore my newest booties today so how my feet felt weren't part of my estimate. I had a touch of a brain freeze at the start and how cold my arms felt late in the swim put my guess at 52°. The new booties are great, my feet were comfortable for the whole hour and a half. They are Patagonia R3 Split Toe surf booties. The soles have been the weak spot in all of my previous booties, none have stood up to the abrasion from the rocks and debris on the bottom while I am standing in the break zone waiting for a chance to get out. These are warm and look like they will last. 

I did a new/different route; down the east buoy line and over to kelp bed at Fossil Point, the the end of the Avila Pier, to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier, in to the first crossbars and along the shore and the buoys to where I began for 3,461M in 1:27. The new booties cause me feet to float on the surface but I don't have much of a kick so it's not a problem for me.

Last Sunday was the last day for the lifeguards which means that the buoys will be pulled out sometime soon. 

I'll swim at 7:15 on Saturday and hope to be there on Sunday at 11. We are going to Solvang Saturday to hear a favorite singer/songwriter so I'll get to bed late, and then deal the time change, so I might not make it. 

niel