Saturday, April 5th, 2025

Beautiful and Cold - 

Niel, Tom Israel and Jodi got in the water a bit after 7. It was sunny, cloudless and 51° with a light offshore breeze. The surf was one to two foot and the surface was rippled. Based on Tom Lorish's Friday report we knew that the water would be around 50°. We planned a counterclockwise loop over to the Poly Pier and back past the Avila Pier and around the reef buoy.  This route would provide opportunities to cut the swim short if the water temp made that seem like a good idea. 

Jodi and Tom began remarking about the water temp as soon as we began wading in. With my wetsuit and booties I don't fully experience the water temp until my face and hands get wet.  When I began swimming my world was "definitly 50° or less". We didn't dally at the first buoy, swam under the pier and headed down the buoys to the west.  The water is still very clean with great visibility 

When we arrived at the second crossbars on the Poly Pier I was as comfortable as I was going to be.        

Out along the Poly Pier the water warmed up a bit so we were relatively happy at the end of the pier.  About a third of the way from there to the Avila Pier the temp dropped back down. I was the last to arrive at the Avila Pier. Jodi and Tom were all in for completing the original route so we headed off to the east and the reef buoy.     

Swimming in to the beach involved swimming until your hand hit the sand and then standing up.  The sun felt great and we were all pretty comfortable after the showers. 

I got a rub on my neck from my wetsuit on Thursday and despite taking precautions today I irritating it more, so I'll need to sit out until it is healed. I'm getting a spot on my nose zapped Thursday so I may be out for a week. 

A big note; the Avila Pier is now open out about half way to where the renovations have been completed. 

niel