Tuesday, January 14th, 2025

Cold, Short and Stinky -

Today's conditions were right there with the coldest swims in recent memory. It was beautiful and clear at Avila Beach with an air temperature of 34° at 7:00 and a light offshore breeze. There were 3 foot waves breaking on the beach with an occasional 4+ footer that would break further out. The water temperature was 48°.

I'd planned on doing Tom Lorish's 'fog' route today. The route is swimming the complete buoy line with an out and back around the Avila Pier each time by. 

I swam east down the buoy line and turned back. I had to work to not think about how I was feeling the cold through my wetsuit in ways that meant that I wasn't going to complete my full distance today.  I swam into some water that smelled like sewage. A few strokes of that and I turned for the beach and got out. 

When I got up to my car on Front St. the whole world smelled like sewage and it wasn't me. There was a septic system pumper truck at the Custom House with a hose deployed and its pump roaring. The smell was coming from there and the breeze was carrying it offshore. 

 

The good news is that the smell was not from the water or water from the estuary.

so

I'll be back Thursday for another try. 

niel