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

Sunday, January 26th, 2025

 Tom's Swim Report - 

Bump and roll Swim this morning at Avila. I arrived at 915 AM to partly blue skies with scattered clouds and 48° air temperature.  The pavement was wet but the rain had stopped. The ocean was unsettled with a slight swell rolling in and currents and other forces pushing the water in all different directions. The water temperature was 50° or below. A cold but nice morning Swim. 

Saturday, January 25th, 2025

 

Jodi and Niel at the end of the Poly Pier

Jodi and I got in the water at 7:26. There was partial sun with rain clouds moving in. It was 48° which was 20 to 25 degrees warmer than it has been. The surf was down, the wind was out of the south and the coming storm was pushing a 1- 1/2 foot south swell that had a chop on top. I did not measure the water temp because if felt the same as it has been for several weeks, around 50° -51°.     

Jodi had time to swim for 60 to 75 minutes so we planned to swim to the end of the Avila Pier and the end of the Poly Pier and then figure out how to come back to the beach. 

The swell and chop made made it seem like I was never going to get to the end of the Avila Pier and stretched out the leg to the Poly Pier too. We swam directly back to the beach. It was easier with a push from the water but still lumpy. 

The California Sauna Club came down to Avila this morning. I'm not much of a sauna person but the Saturday morning ocean plunge group eagerly climbed in.

californiasaunaclub.com

I'm going to sit out tomorrow.

I'm planning on swimming my usual Tuesday, Thursday, Sat & Sunday next week.

niel  

Friday, January 24th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Friday Morning Swim Report -

Gorgeous morning at Avila – blue skies, sunny, and a crisp 45 degree air temperature when I arrived at 915 AM.  The water was smooth and glassy with a very small wave rolling in. The water temperature was 50° or below. Excellent morning Swim. 

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

I had a packed morning and managed to get in at 7:30 and do one triangle.

A short swim is always better than not getting in.

The water was 50ish degrees and clean with smaller surf than Tuesday. The air temperature was 34° and there was a steady offshore breeze. 

There is a chance of rain on Saturday but it will not keep me out of the water. It would be nice if the clouds brought up the early morning temperature.

niel  

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025

Tom's Swim Report -

Beautiful winter day at Avila. I arrived at 915 AM to a southwest breeze blowing off shore creating a small bump on the water.  The air temperature was 58°, the skies were blue with wispy clouds and the swimming was good in the 49-50° water. 

Tuesday, January 21st, 2025

 A Body Day -

The best days are when my body and brain are both strong for some physical activity, but most days are a mix of one part of me being more into activity than the other. 

This morning I was not enthusiastic about getting up and to Avila to swim but I got myself there. The 30° air temperature and offshore breeze didn't improve my attitude. Getting in was easy but the water felt extra cold, probably 49°, but with the wind and air temperature the water could have been in the bottom 50's. 

Before I got to the 4th buoy my body took over, I was feeling good, cold but OK, and my stroke felt relaxed and smooth.  

I wondered why I didn't feel colder but enjoying the swimming took over. 

There was a SE and SW swell which made things interesting. 

The water was nice and clean.

Where the 3 to 4 foot surf was breaking the water was too deep to stand in so I balled up and ducked into a few and let them carry me to the sand.

At the showers the wind was not my friend but I was somehow still OK with the cold.

I'll be back at 7 on Thursday.

niel

Sunday, January 19th, 2025

Warmer!

The water temperature was 50°- 51° today and combined with a 54° air temperature the water felt much more comfortable to me. The surf was up. The shore break was 4'+ and the outside break was 5 to 6 foot and all were on a shorter period. Both had more power than the waves did earlier in the week.    

When I arrived Sue and Tom were swimming east down the buoy line. At buoy #4 they turned toward Avila Rock and I soon lost sight of them.

I swam out to the first buoy and ran into Tom and Sue 

Tom

Sue and Niel with our 'I Support Ukraine' caps

I did a leg over to the Poly Pier, swam out to the end of the pier, to the end of the Avila Pier and in. The water between the two piers was clear and green but faded to a lighter shade on the east side of the Avila Pier.  

There is no chance of rain until maybe Saturday, so I'm planning on swimming at 7 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and at 11 on Sunday.

niel 

Saturday, January 18th, 2025

 

Tom, Niel and Jodi at the 4th buoy on the west side

Niel, Tom Israel, Jodi and Sue got in the water at about 7:40. The weather had changed and it was overcast and gray with an offshore wind. The air temp was 34°, the water was 49°-50° and very clean and green. The surf was 2 to 3 foot with occasional sets of 2 - 5+ footers. None of them carried much energy.   

Given the temps we decided to swim the buoy line and around the pier to give us good options if anyone became too cold. Sue swims bareback and is a strong swimmer. As soon as we rounded the first buoy she showed her neoprene clad companions the bottoms of her feet. I wouldn't have waited for us at that water temp. She swam the east buoy line, around the pier, the west buoy line and got out. Jodi, Niel and Tom swam the same route and added swimming to the end of the Avila Pier, to the 4th buoy on the east side and back along the buoys to #1 and in.

I'll swim tomorrow at 11.

niel      

Friday, January 17th, 2025

Tom's Waiting for His Toes to Thaw - 

Cold breeze, blue skies, and choppy water. It was a different kind of winter day at Avila this morning. I arrived at 950 AM. It was about 50° air temperature, but the breeze made it feel colder. The water was choppy and felt like it was under 50°. Despite the chop, the water clarity was excellent and was a beautiful glacier green. Good swimming. 

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

 Another Cold Swim - 

AT 7 it was beautiful, clear and 32° in Avila Beach. There was a strong offshore wind that had already put a chop on the water. The surf was the same and the water temp was 49°-50° but felt colder due to the wind.  

I swam Tom's Fog Route until I felt that it was time to get out.  At the showers the wind got me shivering so my timing in the water was about right. It would be worth some money to have showers in the sun at this time of the year.

I'll swim at 7:30 on Saturday.

niel  

Wednesday, January 15th, 2025

 Tom's Swim Report - 

Beautiful winter morning at Avila. 910 a.m. arrival. Blue skies and sunny. There was a bump on the water and a 3 foot swell with crumbly waves pushing up onto the berm. The air temperature was 43° when I arrived, and the water was below 50°. As always, it was an excellent morning vitamin. 

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

Monday, January 13th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Monday Wake Up Swim - 

 

Clear blue skies and cold.  it was 42° air temperature when I arrived at Avila at 9 AM. There was a big high tide and a lot of water pouring over the berm and well up the beach. The water temperature was a high of 50°. There was a bump on the water and a 3 foot wave that was breaking right on the beach. It was a good morning Swim. 

Sunday, January 12th, 2025

 

The Water Was Probably Warmer than Yesterday. - 

At the start the water felt just as cold as Saturday but half way into today's swim I wasn't feeling as cold, so the water could have been up to 50° - 51°, or it was because the air was 20 degrees warmer that yesterday morning.   

There was an offshore breeze when I got in that changed to the familiar afternoon NW wind during the swim and it got choppy out there. 

The surf had laid down a bit, it was not as adventurous getting in and out as it was yesterday.       

Today's route turned out to be the same length as yesterday's, enough to feel like I did a good swim but not enough time to get too cold.  It is a big help to have it sunny was warm when I get out. I saw Tom Lorish after his swim. He swims in a farmer john all year round because he likes the freedom of movement. He is shivering when he gets out. That is more fun that I can stand.    

At the end of the Poly Pier

This week's weather looks to be more of the beautiful days we have been having. I'm planning on swimming at 7 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday because there is enough light now and next Sunday at 11. 

niel   

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

Friday, January 10th, 2025

Tom's Toes for Friday the 10th -

It was a cool crisp morning at Avila when I arrived at 915 AM. The air temperature was 48°, clear and sunny. There was a small swell generating 3 foot waves. The water temperature was under 50° and the swimming was good. 

Wednesday, January 8th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Swim Report -

Beautiful day at Avila this morning. I arrived at 91 5 AM to scattered clouds and blue skies. 56° air temperature with a slight breeze. The water temperature was 50°. There was a 3 to 4 foot wave rolling in that had a nice shape. The swimming was excellent. 

Sunday, January 5th, 2025

A Beautiful Day With Cold Water - 

I spoke with Tom Lorish as I arrived at the beach. He'd had a great swim with smaller surf and very clean, 50 °water.  He's swam down to Fossil Point, back to the Avila Pier and in to the buoy line.  He got out when he became too cold.

 

Niel and Stephanie at the 4th buoy near the creek.

 

It was 70° at Avila and there was an offshore wind and some chop on the water.  The 6 foot plus waves were holding up nicely (for Avila) and a solo surfier was catching the lefts near the pier.

Stephanie and Niel got in a bit after 11. Getting out through the waves required timing. The waves didn't have a lot of power so pushing through them was pretty easy. A triangle sounded about right for Stephanie so we turned left at the first buoy and swam around the triangle. Stephanie got out at our starting point and I swam another half triangle and came in along the pier.   

I'm looking forward to some nice swims in the coming week. I'll be back on Tuesday and Thursday at 7, Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 11.     

niel

Saturday, January 4th, 2025

Niel, Jodi and Tom at the 4th buoy

It was sunny and windy at Avila this morning. The wind was offshore and the water had a small chop on it.  The surf was 3 foot plus with the tallest waves in the 6 to 8 foot range. Getting out was going to require some planning. Jodi, Tom Israel and Niel got in at 7:30. Our timing was off and we swam out into some of the larger waves, had a bit of an adventure and grouped up at the first buoy.  

We all thought that the water was pretty cold (I measured 52°) and agreed to swim to the end of the Avila Pier and make a plan once there. We were still cold at the end of the pier so we decided to swim to the end of the Poly Pier and to plan our way back depending on how we were feeling. 

From the end of the P Pier the plan was to swim to the third crossbars, over to the end of the Avila Pier, to the second crossbars and back to the start. Between the third crossbars and the Avila Pier the water was colder so at the end of the Avila Pier we shortened the route and swam to the 4th buoy on the west side and then to where we got in. We swam under the pier and to the second buoy, thinking the surf would be smaller and less consolidated away from the pier. I'm not sure that plan worked but when we headed in our timing was perfect. We had two of the largest waves break just inside of us so we committed to following them in and swam hard for the beach. We made it to the sand without being caught.

The sunshine felt great when we were at the showers. 

 

When we got back to our cars Jodi had some homemade snack mix for us.  

I'll swim tomorrow at 11.

niel

Friday, January 3rd, 2025

Tom's Swim Report -

A beautiful January morning at Avila. I arrived at 930 AM. Air temperature was 55°. Blue skies and scattered clouds. There was a 3 foot plus wave rolling in and bumpy conditions. Water temperature was 52°. As always, it was an excellent morning Swim.