Saturday, January 11th, 2025

 Beautiful and Cold - 

It was Niel, Tom Israel and Jodi  this morning.  At 7:30 it was 40° in Avila Beach. It was clear with a bit of an early morning offshore breeze and a nice sunrise. The tide was very high and the wash from the larger waves was running up over the berm. The ocean side of the berm is very steep and rocky and the water gets deep immediately.   Most of the waves were 3 foot and would break on the beach. The 5+ foot sets were breaking further out but none of them had much power.  However, the wash ran up the face of the berm and back down at a high speed and carried a load of rocks with it which was not nice on your feet and ankles.

Tom's Lorish's Friday swim report estimated a sub 50° water temp so we planned a temp dependable route. We started out committed to swimming the left half of the buoy line, around the reef buoy and to the end of the Avila Pier. Where we swam from there would depend on what sounded like a good idea.

The swim out to the buoy was definitly sub 50°. It was very slightly warmer at the end of the pier where I measured a 50° water temp. We decided to swim to the third crossbars on the Poly Pier and do another assessment. At the Poly Pier everyone was as uncomfortable as when were at the start so the shortest route to the beach and swam directly to the 1# buoy on the right side of the Avila Pier.

Tom and a peak of NIel at the #1 buoy at the Avila Pier.

At the Poly Pier Tom had pointed out an Osprey that was perched on the pier to us.  Just after we arrived at the Avila Pier Tom noticed a large bird chasing a smaller one. The smaller bird had something that the larger one wanted.  Tom identified them as a Osprey and a Bald Eagle. The chase lasted several minutes. The big eagle was faster but the osprey could turn sharper and gained some distance at every turn. The eagle eventually gave up the chase.         

With the surf breaking on the slope of the berm I had to swim into the surf line until I could try and get my feet under me and stand up. I saw Tom ahead of me belly board up the berm on the white water.

Tom and I will swim tomorrow at 11. Wish Tom a Happy 65th Birthday on Sunday. 

niel