Sunday, May 4, 2025

Sunday, May, 5th 2025

Very Physical Conditions - 

There was partial sun and it was very windy in Avila Beach. The air temperature was 59° and the water was 51.5°. The wind was strong, constant and from the west. There were one to two foot whitecaps in to the surf line. The surf was up with the usual 2 to 3 footers bookended by 5 foot plus breakers. 
There was 'sunshine' but it was a tease. Avila was in the shadow of a huge single high thin cloud that covered almost half of the sky, so there was blue sky to the east and west but not at the beach.   
The lifeguard academy is under way so the candidates had plenty of water conditions to augment their training.      

Kurtis joined me today which was a nice surprise. He lives in Morro Bay and it has been several years since he swam with us. Recently he had been swimming in tropical waters. He brought a farmer john wetsuit and wasn't sure he would be warm enough.

The lifeguards were in the water on the left side of the pier so we got in on the right side at 11 o'clock. The water was very rough so I planned on doing a triangle or so depending on how the swimming was.  Kurtis and I discussed that with his lack of recent cold water experience he should get out as soon as he was not having fun. We waded in and met up at the #1 buoy. 

At the #1 buoy Kurtis was really feeling the cold so he headed back to the beach. I spoke with him afterwards., going in wads the right call and he will be back next Sunday with a full surfing wetsuit.



Swimming was all about timing and getting banged around.  Starting out going west into the chop and then SE across the chop was a full tilt way to begin but I quickly found the right rhythm and settled in. From the end of the pier to the 4th buoy on the east side was down hill and from #4 to #1 the water was in the shadow of the pier so the chop was smaller. I had a nice swim.

When I arrived back at the #1 buoy the lifeguards were at the pier learning how to peel a panicked swimmer off of a piling and to then deal with the flailing swimmer who, now that they no longer had the piling to hang onto, now wanted to climb up on you.

I'll swim Tuesday and Thursday at 7, Saturday at 7:30 and next Sunday at 11.

Tom Lorish swam earlier this morning and had the same conditions. 

niel

         

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