Saturday, March 8th, 2025

 

Jodi, Paula, Tom Israel and Niel 

I was back in the water with my friends this morning after a two week break. At 7:30 it was beautiful in Avila, 38°, sunny and calm, a small wind chop on the water and 3 foot waves. We were going to stick on the left side of the pier, well away from the creek mouth. We agreed on swimming down to the point and back. 

Getting in was easy but when my hands hit the water alarm bells went off. I'd been out of the ocean and my have lost some of my acclamation but it felt COLD.  At the first buoy there was agreement about the water temperature, which was some small comfort but it was still going to be a cold swim.  I measured a water temperature of 49°.        

At 1830M and 48 minutes today's swim was shorter than usual but we were ready to get out and into the sunshine. 

The lifeguard towers are back in place and the guards were there in mass doing some training.

Poly dropping their swimming and diving program just plain stinks.

I learned this morning that Aqua Sphere has pulled out of North America, so if you are a fan of their swimming goggles you can check out the similar styles that gh sports has and they are still available online.

I'll swim tomorrow at 11.

niel

Friday, March 7th, 2025

I arrived at Avila at 930 AM.  Super low tide and a Strong cool breeze blowing from the southwest.  Blue skies and scattered clouds. The number was 103.  There water was choppy but no whitecaps while I was swimming. It was a good swim but chilly. 

Strange Goop Report -

The green brown goop that was on Old Port Beach yesterday tested as safe for levels of bacteria. I've been told that it may be from kelp that had gotten churned up by wave action.

niel  

Thursday, March 6th, 2025

A Run On Olde Port Beach -

I'm in the full body ache point in my cold and I wasn't loving the idea of swimming, but a run on the beach sounded like something I could do. 

It was a nice morning at Olde Port Beach. The tide was way out, it was not windy and the sun was peaking out. The tide was low so there was a long beach to run on. I enjoy finding the point between dry and wet sand where my feet sink in enough to cushion my steps and give my feet a nice massage. 

The high water line along the beach was full of this mystery yuck.

It was green brown, bubbly and did not look nice. It was most common towards the east end of the beach, where the drainage from Wild Cherry Canyon empties onto the beach. I've seen it here before, also immediately after a heavy rain.     

I had my Blue Water Task Force water sampling kit with me so I collected a sample of the goo and processed it at our lab in the Central Coast Aquarium in Avila Beach. I'll have the results late Friday morning and we'll learn if this stuff is full of bacteria. 

niel  

Wednesday, March 5th, 2025

Gray skies, on and off rain, and flat calm water. That was Avila at 900 a.m.  It was a super low high tide this morning. At the Waters edge looking up to the berm, it was about 10 foot overhead. Amazing to think how much water gets displaced from the tides.  The combined number was 103. The picture was looking out towards Avila Rock. I was tempted to swim out there it looks so calm and nice, but ended up going the other direction to the CPP. The water clarity was incredibly clear and the swimming was beautiful.  In the category of housekeeping, Port Authority hauled all the driftwood away which in my mind is kind of a bummer. I like the driftwood. 

Monday, March 3rd, 2025

 Tom's Monday Morning Swim -  

It was a beautiful morning at Avila when I arrived at 920 AM. Blue skies and scattered clouds with a gusty breeze blowing on shore. The combine number was 105. The water had a bump along with a 4 foot plus wave. It was a good Monday morning swim. 

Tom and Jodi's Saturday Morning Swim

Another version of the Yo-Yo swim route. 

Friday, February 28th, 2025

Big swell, big high tide, and rock 'n' roll swimming. The surf was bigger than it was on Wednesday. 6 foot plus waves with power. There was a crazy amount of driftwood scattered all over the beach. The water was breaking right on the berm and going past just about to the wall. The combined number was 107.  Excellent morning Swim. 

Wednesday, February 26th, 2025

Blue skies, big swell and good swimming. I arrived at Avila at 915 AM to a big high tide and 6 foot waves rolling in.  The combined number was 117 and the swimming was excellent. 

Tuesday, February 25th, 2025

 Running on the Dog Beach - 

I did a run on Olde Port Beach this morning. I have some stubborn tightness in the arch of my right foot and running on the semi soft sand really massages the kinks out, it's free and the environment is beautiful.  

Avila and the OP Beach hadn't heard about the high surf warning. The waves here were one to two foot on a high tide.         

I'll be back for more on Thursday.

niel

Monday, February 24th, 2025

Tom's Monday Morning Swim - 

It was an unusual morning at Avila. I arrived at 845 AM and found mostly blue skies with a little bit of marine layer pretty far out to sea. There was a breeze blowing on shore and the water was very bumpy. Today's combined number was 105. About halfway through my swim the fog rolled in and it was a completely different morning. See pictures below - the blue skies were before I got in and the fog was after.

In the category of not quite stealing but still something feels wrong, I watched a guy get out of his car go down the stairs and grab that big granite rock that's been there and haul it off to his car and drive off.  No doubt saving money for his landscaping. 

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025

When I arrived at the beach it was 70°, clear, sunny and calm. The surf was like yesterday with the largest waves at 4+ feet.  I got in just before 11 and had a nice mile swim. The water felt like yesterday so I'd say 50 - 51°.  I spoke with Tom Lorish after he got out and I was getting in.   

When I got out there were a lot more people on the beach and more coming. I spend some time at the showers talking with Jim (from SF Bay) and by the time we were walking back Front Street was crowded and the beach was packed. I though the president's holiday was last Monday but it looks like Poly is still on break.  

This coming week I'll run on the beach on Tuesday and Thursday and I'll be out of town over the weekend so my next swim will be on 3/4. 

niel

Saturday, February 22nd, 2025

It was a nice morning in Avila Beach, 41°, calm and sunny with thin high clouds.  Cal Fire was there conducting the ocean swimming qualifications for the new recruits.  They are required to make it out, around and back along the Avila Pier in 18 minutes. That is an 850M swim. I'll have to try that and see what my time is.     

Jodi, Niel and Tom Israel did a short swim. Tom had a wedding to go to, and Jodi and Niel were looking for something shorter than our usual, so we swam left down the buoy line, around the buoy at the rock, to the end of the pier, to the #2 buoy and in.  The water was 50 - 51°, so today's swim number was 91.

We all thought that the water felt extra cold and were guessing 49 or so. 

Niel, Jodi and Tom at the 4th buoy.

I'll be back tomorrow to swim at 11.

niel

Friday, February 21st. 2025

Tom's Toes for Friday - 

It was a beautiful morning at Avila when I arrived at 900 AM. Blue skies with clouds scattered around and a slight breeze. The combine number was 106. The water had a bump and a roll with a bit of a swell. Towards the end of my swim I crossed paths with one of Niel's swim buddies, Jim. We introduced ourselves, and found we had mutual friends from around here and up north. It was an excellent Friday morning Swim. 

Thursday, February 20th, 2025

 

The beach is still posted as closed.  The closure notice on the County website is still dated 2/14 with no explanation for why this is necessary a week after the storm event and the sewage spill.

The Pismo Guards were doing their qualification swim this morning so I figured I'd swim with lifeguards and maybe with some bugs. Surfrider will have new numbers for Avila and San Luis Creek posted midday tomorrow at https://bwtf.surfrider.org/explore/34.         

It was beautiful this morning, sunny and warm with an offshore breeze and an air temperature of 68° at 8 o'clock. I swam down to the point and back, keeping away from the creek side of the pier just in case.  The water temperature was 51°- 52°.

If you look closely you can see the Pismo Guards in the background. 

I plan on swimming Saturday and Sunday.

niel 

Wednesday, February 19TH, 2025

Beautiful February morning at Avila. Blue skies, scattered clouds and the number was 112. The air contributing 12 more than the water.  The county water quality signs were still posted on some stairwells, but not others. I think the county folks may have forgot about it and with no funding I don't know how they know one way or the other anyway.  Nevertheless, I swam far east again around Avila rock. Beautiful morning Swim.  

Tom

NOTE: The county's website, SurfSafeSLO, still has Avila posted as closed.

niel 

Tuesday, February 18th, 2025

Sunrise from Olde Port Beach 

I showed up but didn't swim today. At Avila Beach the health department's closure signs are still up and the closure is still posted on their SurfSafeSLO website. I would have done a swim and stayed on the east side of the Avila Pier but the surf in Avila was 6'+.  I am one week into a two week rest for my shoulder and I'd hoped to get in an easy swim this morning. Pushing myself through the waves wasn't part of 'resting' so I drove to the Olde Port Beach.

The waves there were 2 foot. When I began walking in there was a brown sludge on top of the foam that didn't look natural. There is a water treatment plant in Wild Cherry Canyon that will release partially treated effluent into the ocean here in a big rain. 

Nothing had been posted about a sewage release here but I bailed completely at this point.

I'll try for smaller surf on Thursday.

niel    

        

Monday, February 17th, 2025

Tom Lorish Takes The Plunge -

It was a breezy morning at Avila when I arrived at 915 AM. Blue skies streaked with long clouds and a slow moving 4 foot wave rolling in.  Despite the signs telling me otherwise, I figured it had been five days since the city of SLO had gifted Avila 7800 gallons of muck - it was time to get back swimming.  I started my swim at the second buoy on the east side and swam east, far east. Out to Avila rock. It was good to be back in the ocean. 

Wednesday, February, 12th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Swim Report - 

There was a heavy cloud cover at Avila this morning when I arrived at 915 AM. The sun was working hard to burn through, but it never made it. The combined number was 103. There was a lazy 3 foot wave breaking  on the beach and the berm has built up so much that standing at its peak I can see over the pier. It was a nice morning Swim.  If the predictions are true, sounds like we're in for a big storm and a couple days off swimming.  I'm glad I got one in this morning. 

Tuesday, February 11th, 2025

 

At the end of the Avila Pier

I got in at 7. The water was 52°, the air temp was 42° and rising, so that is a Swim Number of 94. There was a steady offshore wind that was pushing a small chop out to sea. The surf was two to three foot with an occasional 3+ footer.   

I had not done a Yo-Yo swim in some time and the No-Boats buoys are still in so I swam out to the end of the pier and then to and back from each buoy.  

We are predicted to get rain tonight and a Storm Watch is is up for Wednesday night into Friday, so I will not be swimming Thursday or Saturday.

niel        

Monday, February 10th, 2025

Tom's Back In Town - 

Beautiful winter day at Avila this morning. 9:30 AM arrival, clear blue skies and a cool breeze.  The combined number was 102. There was a slow rolling swell producing 2 to 3 foot waves. It was an excellent start to the week. 

Sunday, February 9th, 2025

 My Superbowl - 

I thought Avila was going to be cold and blown out but it was a beautiful day for the beach. The air temp was 59°. There was a steady offshore wind but the water was not very choppy. The surf was such that I could walk out until I began swimming. The water felt warmer than it has been. I measured the water temperature at 54°.  :-)

The water had been heavy with bacteria on Thursday so, not knowing how quickly the water would clean up, I stayed on the Pismo side of the Avila Pier today away from the creek mouth. There is not much science in that plan but I did feel like I was taking some precautions. Close to the beach the water was slightly silty but very clear further out. Silty water is more likely to be carrying bacteria, but clean looking water can also be high in bugs.    

I was expecting lots of wind chop and a colder water temperature today so I had planned on swimming on the Pismo side of the pier and going shorter. I could have easily done more meters but I stuck with my original plan. 

Toes at Fossil Point

I'll swim Tuesday morning at 7.  A big storm is coming on Thursday so I won't swim then and Saturday is iffy. There may be sufficient runoff to keep me out of the water next Sunday as well.

niel

Tuesday, February, 4th, 2025

 No Rain But Plenty Bumpy -

San Luis Obispo received just 3/100" of rain last night so I wasn't concerned about the water quality this morning. 

Today's swim number was 103.  At 7 the air temp was 51° and the water felt warmer than it has been, maybe 52° +/-  with no shock to bare skin. The ocean was in storm mode with a strong, steady wind out of the SE that was pushing a one foot chop on top of the 4' waves. The waves were close together without much of a break between them.    

This photo was taken after I got out when the light was better.

To get out I pushed my way out through the breakers until I couldn't touch the bottom to jump over them, and then started swimming and ducking under the waves until I was outside the break.  Coming back in the waves had laid down and I was able to swim directly to where I could stand up. 

The first leg from the #1 to #4 buoys was the most difficult. It took me a while to figure out the tempo of the water and to figure out how to time my stroke.  Each leg was different. Today swimming across the swell was the best because it made the swells seem flatter.     

Near the end of the Avila Pier. 

Between now and Thursday enough rain is predicted that I do not expect to swim Thursday morning. The Surfrider Blue Water Task Force will collect water samples at Avila Thursday morning and will have results posted mid-day Friday. If the bacteria counts are OK I'll swim Saturday and Sunday.

https://bwtf.surfrider.org/explore/34

niel

Monday, February 3rd, 2025

Tom Lorish's Monday Wake Up Swim - 

It was a beautiful morning at Avila when I arrived at 9:10 AM. Blue skies and wispy clouds scattered across the sky. There was a cool breeze blowing south west and a bump on the water with a crumbly 2 to 3 foot wave.  The combined temperature number was 103 today.  The water clarity was excellent and the swimming was good.  I finally met the kid who I've been seeing swimming for the past few weeks. Turns out he swims on the same days as I do, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. His name is Camden and he is training to try out for the Pismo lifeguards. I am rooting for him. 

Saturday, February 1st., 2025

Today's swim number was 97.  It was clear, calm, flat with the air much warmer that earlier in the week. I think I need to stop expecting that the water temperature will move much until April or May.    

At the 4th buoy. 

Niel, Jodi and Tom Israel got in the water at 7:30 and swam to the fourth buoy and on to Fossil Point. There we voted to change our route and instead of swimming to the end of the Avila Pier we swam out to and around the Avila Rock and then back to the end of the pier. The swimming was great, smooth and the water was very clear. I could see details in the sand on the bottom when the water was 8 feet deep.       

It was starting to cloud up when we were at the showers. If predictions hold one or two swims could be rained out next week. 

I'll swim tomorrow at 11. 

niel   

Friday, January 31st, 2025

Tom Buys In To the New Thinking -

 

Beautiful morning at Avila. 9 AM arrival. The lighting and air clarity were amazing. High clouds with a few blue spots showing. There was a roll on the water but it did not translate into any kind of wave. Using blog master Niel's new metric, combined air and water temperature it was 99. It got me thinking about what my go, no go temperature would be.  The number where I would not swim. I have concluded that I would swim at 91, and not at 90. Blog master Niel estimated his go, no go number would be 75.  Beautiful morning of swimming.  I am off to Davis for a water polo tournament. Back on Monday morning. 

Thursday, January 30th, 2025

Nice, Cold Swimming - 

Conditions were clear, cold and windy with a chop on the water. The surf is up from 1 foot to 2ish feet but still just rolling to the beach and breaking on the sand.  Today's number was 81.

Tom and I are thinking of switching to a number that is the sum of the water and air temperatures because 81 sounds better then 32° air and 49° water.  We'll see how this works. The water number will probably be more important than the air number.   

I swam for a long hour. The wind was offshore and the chop was enough to make the leg back to the end of the Avila Pier a meditation on 'I'm not thinking about when am I going to get to the end of the Avila Pier.'

All exposed body parts were well chilled when I finished 

my meditation and was ready to head to the beach.     

In order to be in the sun I changed on the boardwalk instead of in the shade at the showers. Being in the sun felt nice and the concrete was warmer too.  Still cold though. 

I'll be back on Saturday morning at 7:30 to swim with Jodi and Tom.

niel    

Wednesday, January 29th, 2025

Wednesday Swim With Tom Lorish -  

It was a 50-50 day at Lake Avila…  50° air temperature and 50° water temperature. There was a high layer of clouds with little spots of blue showing through and a slight bump on the water with a 8 inch wave. In other news, they have opened up a small section of the pier. 

Tuesday, January 28th, 2025

It had a chilly swim this morning.  Avila was beautiful and clear, 33°, with a light offshore breeze. The 'surf' was the same as the last few days, with no waves and just the small swell collapsing onto the sand. The water felt like it was 50° except the west side of the pier where it was a good degree colder. The surface varied from small chop to glassy. 

I swam to Fossil Point, then came back to the end of the Avila Pier and on to the 4th buoy on the west side, back along the buoy line and in. 

At Fossil Point

I wasn't feeing too cold when I got out but at the showers I was in the shade and the concrete was cold on my feet which put a chill on me and I hurried to get into by wool and fleece. The air temp was up to 41° so getting changed and back into the sun felt great. 

I'll swim Thursday at 7.

niel

Monday, January 27th, 2025

A Run/Swim on My Birthday -

I started the day off with a 7.6K run, had breakfast, and then went to Avila for a swim. 

Tom was already in the water when I got in at 9:40. There was also another guy swimming along the left half of the buoy line but I never met up with either of them.     

The swimming conditions were wonderful.  It was 52° when I arrived and 62° when I left with a light breeze. There was no surf, just 18" swells collapsing onto the sand. Tom posted that the water was 'lake like', but I'll go for like a pool with no lane lines, if the pool water was 51°.   

I had a combined distance today of 10,973M and feel like I earned some desert after dinner tonight. 

I've tried using nutrition to push out my distance in 50° water but I still time out a 4 to 4.5K, so, as in the last two years, I'll do my Birthday Swim in May once the water warms up to the mid 50's. 

I'll be back tomorrow and Thursday at 7, Saturday at 7:30 (Tom and Jodi need their sleep)  and Sunday at 11.

niel