Friday, July 17th, 2026

 Tom's Friday Swim Report - 

Overcast, funk free and a minus high tide. The water was slightly bumpy, and about 59°.  Excellent Friday morning Swim. 

Thursdy Morning Swim Report

Tom's Report -

Sunny and blue, a slight breeze, and no funk water. Gorgeous morning at Avila. The air temperature was low 70s and the water temperature was high 50s. Conditions were excellent all around and the swimming was very nice. 

Tuesday, July 14th, 2026

The Tuesday Morning Swim Report -

Jim was in town so it was a twosome this morning. It was beautiful in Avila; 60°, sunny and  calm with a flat and glassy ocean with 2' surf. The red tide was in near the shore on both sides of the Avila Pier with some spots that were almost clean. The water was nice between the 4th buoy on the left side and Fossil Point.  Between there and the Poly Pier is was very nice as long as I was outside of the end of the Avila Pier, closer to shore anywhere between Fossil Point and the Poly Pier the water funked up. 

On the upside the water was warm, 59° - 60° on the east side of the Avila Pier and 60°- 61° between the Avila and Poly Piers. As we were gettin gin there was a pod of dolphins well offshore heading towards Fossil Point.  

We swam down the buoy line and over to Fossil Point. The leg from the point to the Poly Pier is about 1,400M. Jim's shoulder suggested that he go when we neared the Avila Pier.   

Niel and Jim at Fossil Point

I was midway in along the Poly Pier when I took this photo of the Avila Pier and the clouds on the headlands. 

And a heron checking out the layout of the morning brunch.

From the second crossbars back to the buoy line I kept to the right and jogged around a anchored sail boat.  As I was swimming along the buoys towards the Avila Pier something that was swimming parallel to me came up on my right.  I first thought that it might be a dolphin but it was an otter, backstroking past me.   What a showoff!  I reached for my camera but that was too much attention, it rolled over and dived. 

I'm leaving on vacation so my next swim at Avila will be on Thursday the 23rd. 

niel

Sunday, July 12th, 2026

Tom's Sunday Swim -

Partly blue skies, a slight breeze and a bump on the water.  The air temperature was low 60s and the water temperature was high 50s, although the water felt colder to me. It was a good Sunday morning Swim. 

BTW, I will be swimming on different days for the foreseeable future, no more report from me on Mondays and Wednesdays.  I will be swimming Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Or that's the plan anyway. 

Saturday, July 11th, 2026

The Saturday Morning Swim - 

Avery, Jodi, Paula, Hillary and Niel enjoyed a great swim this morning in the best conditions we have had this summer. It was overcast and clam with glassy water with a one foot long period SW swell that made the swimming more interesting. The air temp was 57°, the water was 60°- 61° and the surf was 2 foot. We swam between the Avila and Cal Poly Piers and had plankton free water except for a bit of funk neat the Poly Pier.

We added some extra to the route that I swam on Thursday and covered 3,800M.       

Niel, Paula, Avery, Hillary and Jodi at the end of the P. Pier

The sun came out for the last part of our swim and make it extra nice. 

I'll be back Tuesday morning at 7 and then I'll be out of town until the 23rd.

niel

Friday. July 10th, 2026

Tom's Friday Swim Report - 

Heavy overcast, bumpy mixed up water, and a gusty breeze. Felt like storm conditions.  The water temperature was 55, 56 degrees and the swimming was good but a bit of a slog. 

Thursday, July 9th, 2026

The Thursday Morning Swim Report - 

My plan for today's swim was to stay between the two piers, where on Tuesday the water was free of red funk and warmer. The ocean is never the same twice so today the water temperature was the same at 59° but the water changed from clean to red towards the Poly Pier. 

There was a small SW swell when I was out beyond the end of the Avila Pier that added some character to the water. 

When I arrived at Avila Beach it was overcast, before I got in the overcast had changed to fog that rose back up and left me with good visibility. 

On Saturday if someone has brought their psychic swim cap I'll let them choose the funk free route.

Saturday at 7.

niel  

Wednesday, July 8th, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

Blue skies and the sun burning off the marine layer.  Splotches of red funk in the water and temperatures ranging from 55-57 degrees.  There was also what looked like pollen in the water… a lot of it, but it was under the water.  Not sure if that was a different variety of funk or it really was pollen…  another mystery of the ocean. It was a good swim.   

Tuesday, July 7th, 2026

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report -

My plan for this morning's swim was to do 4 to 5000M. The water looked great, it was overcast, there was no wind, the surf was small and there was no swell. My planned route was a 5,000M route I had done before; to swim left and around the reef buoy, to the end of the Poly Pier, in along the pier to touch the shore and to return the way I had come. I could drop off at several points and make this something between 3,200 and 5K. 

  

My swim did not start well. As I waded in the water felt like 56°, not the 59° we had last Saturday. At the #2 buoy the water began to get red and at #4 it was thick, and would be worse on the ocean side of the kelp bed.  Heading towards the Poly Pier I was thinking that if the water stayed this cold and dirty this might be a 3,000M swim. A ways past the end of the Avila pier the water cleaned up and warmed up a few degrees so my plan changed to swim to the base of the Poly Pier and from there to either head to the Avila Pier or back to the end of the Poly Pier. 

At the end of the Poly Pier for the second time.

The tide was low enough that the waves were bounding off of the rocks at the base of the pier so I had some fun with the swells passing under me in both directions as I approached the rocks. The waves were breaking on the rocks so I turned around when I could touch the bottom.  I was feeling good now so I headed back to the end of the P. Pier. Half way to the end of the pier I was inspired to complete my swim between the Avila and Poly Piers and avoid the colder yucky water on the east side of the Avila Pier.  

I swam in along the P. Pier, over to the #4 buoy and back to #1 on the east side.  

I felt better at the finish than at the start. It's nice when that happens. 

The clouds had broken up and it was sunny and warm when I was at the showers.

I'll swim at 8 on Thursday and at 7 on Saturday.

niel

Monday, July 6th, 2026

Tom's Monday Morning Swim Report - 

Replay of Sunday… Blue skies high thin clouds, warm air and a slight breeze. The water was around 58°. Beautiful Monday morning Swim. 

Sunday, July 5th, 2026

Tom's Sunday Swim Report - 

Blue skies, a light breeze blowing on shore, and beautiful water.  It was a perfect day for swimming around the rock.

Saturday, July 4th, 2026

The Dolphins 4th of July Swim -

Swimming this morning were Niel, Jodi, Tish, Paula, Avery, Mike and Hillary.

We are past June Gloom and now into July No Sky with solid overcast skies, no wind, a 56° air temperature and a 59° water temperature.  The red tide has moved off leaving only a slight amount of funk and mostly nice clean water. 

We couldn't decide on a route so we started by swimming to the 4th buoy on the left side of the pier. From there we swam to Fossil Point and wove through the kelp to the Avila Rock.    

Hillary, Tish, Avery, Mike, Jodi, Paula and Niel

at the #4 buoy on the east side of the Avila Pier

Paula, Jodi, Niel, Tish, Avery, Mike and Hillary

at the Avila Rock

We continued on around the rock and back to the end of the Avila Pier. Niel, Hillary, Mike and and Tish came in and Avery, Paula and Jodi swam to the end of the Poly Pier and back.  

It was a very nice day out there with warm (for Avila), flat, clean and glassy water and a great group.  

Paula, Avery, Jodi, Mike, Niel, Tish and Hillary

Post swim at Hillary's van with 

muffins, strawberries, deviled eggs and coffee.

This coming week I'll swim at 7 on Tuesday, 8 on Thursday and at 7 on Saturday.

niel 

Friday, July 32rd, 2026

Tom's Friday Swim Report - 

Partly blue skies, a breeze blowing from the southwest to the southeast, and beautiful water. The swimming was gorgeous this morning. The holiday crowds were already there so I parked on first Street… Therefore, no picture. 

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026

A Martini Before Breakfast - 

The red funk was mild and limited to the area inside the end of the Avila Pier. It was overcast, 59°, calm with small surf. There was a slight offshore wind. The water temperature was up to 58°.

I wanted to stay outside of the red funk so I did the Martini Route. Tom Lorish christened this route because it looks like a Martini glass. One Martine equals an Ironman Swim of 2.4 miles. Go around the glass three times and you have a Triple Martini which is 10K.  

I'm at the Avila Rock

Then at the end of the Poly Pier

I had a very nice swim.

The Saturday Group will swim at 7.

niel

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Swim Report -

It is July 1st and the June gloom is… Still here. The weather and nature don't care what the date is. The water was glassy and flat, and the red funk was mostly gone. The air temperature was high 50s and the water temperature was 54 to 55°.  It was excellent midweek morning vitamin. 

Tuesday, June 30th, 2026

Wonderful Swimming Conditions Except for the Payback -

 

Today the water was 55° with a light onshore breeze. The water was flat and the surf 2 to 3 foot, so the conditions were great except for the red tide which varied from absent to not too bad to opaque red yuck.  Last summer we had only two week long bouts of red tide. so I guess this is payback for last summer. Avila has frequently had red tide like this before and the presence of the plankton dose bring the baitfish, dolphins and whales in close to shore.   

At the end of the Poly Pier

Today the onshore breeze seemed to be pushing the red tide in towards the beach. Seaward from the end of the Avila Pier the water was clean, closer to shore the funk thickened up.  On the ocean side of the kelp bed that is near the east #4 buoy the water was opaque. Yuch.

I'll swim Thursday at 7. I'm planning on staying outside of the end of the Avila Pier. A swim to the Avila Rock might just be the best option.

niel   

Monday, June 29th, 2026

Hillary's Donner Lake 10K -

On Sunday Hillary swam the 10K loop around Donner Lake. The water temp was 65°. She swam with no wetsuit and was unsupported except for her usual flotilla with camera, hula dolls, nutrition and hydration.  She wasn't cold until after she finished and got out. 

Monday, June 29th, 2026

Tom's Gray Monday Morning Swim - 

Heavy marine layer, a slight breeze blowing on shore, and thankfully the red funk has mostly gone. The air temperature was 59° and the water temperature was 55. It was a good Monday morning Swim.

Saturday, June 27th, 2026

The Bikini Top Swim - 

Comparing our routes after today's swim it became a contest to see who's route drew the best bikini top outline. 

Hillary

Jodi

Niel

Paula

Tom

In the water today were Niel, Paula, Hillary and their friend Tish from the pool, Jodi, and Tom.  Paula, Hillary and Jodi went long for 4 to 5,500M while Niel, Tom and Tish went about 3,000M. Paula's and my distances are in meters, the rest are in yards. 

The air temp was 60° and the water was 59°, it was overcast with a bit of sun, small surf, no wind and flat water, great swimming conditions except that the red tide is in and the water clarity was clean to funky to opaque.

Me in front, them from the left Paula, Tish, Tom, Jodi and Hillary

at the 4th buoy on the east side of the Avila Pier

 

I'll be swimming this week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7. 

niel 

 

Friday, June 26th, 2026

 Tom Lorish Says: 

Overcast, glassy calm water, dolphins along the Buoy line, red funk, parking vultures, and jr. lifeguards learning about life.  All that, and despite the red funk, good swimming.   

Thursday, June 25th, 2026

  

Avila was gray with overcast skies, no fog, small surf, 62° air and 56°- 57° water.  I fear that I spoke too soon about not having water in the mid 50's again until fall. The water was flat and the swimming was easy, except for the red tide funk at the end of the Avila Pier and on the ocean side of the reef where the buoy is.    

Yes, GoPro has replaced my flooded camera so there will be photos again. 

 

Jr. Guards is in full swing with four groups of kids. I wish that there had been something like this when I was growing up. It is a great way to show kids how to be safe and have fun in the ocean. 

I'll swim with the group at 7 on Saturday.

niel

Wednesday, June 24th, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Swim Report - 

Overcast, a bump on the water, and loads of people. As June gloom continues, and the summer crowds flock in, the water temperature ranged from 57 to 59°. The water quality ranged from OK to patches a red funk. Nevertheless, It was a nice morning vitamin. 

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026

 

I had very nice swimming conditions today. The air and water were 58°. It was overcast, there was no wind and the water was glassy. The surf was 2 to 3 foot. 

I swam a loop over to the Poly Pier, to the end of the Avila Pier, to the 4th buoy on the east side and back to my starting place.  There was no funky water at the end of the Avila Pier. 

I'll swim at 8 on Thursday. and at 7 on Friday.

niel 

Monday, June 22nd, 2026

Tom's Monday Swim - 

Heavy marine layer, and the current was pushing from the SSW to the NE. The water temperature felt colder than Sunday but that was no doubt due to the heavy marine there versus the sunny Sunday morning.  The junior lifeguard program kicking off their first session.  It was a good morning swim. 

Sunday, June 21st, 2026

Tom's Sunday Swim - 

Blue skies, the last of the marine layer burning off, and tropical water. The water temperature 59° was plus. 2 foot waves, and a bumpy current moving from the west to the east. Beautiful morning Swim. 

Saturday, June 20th, 2026

Sunny and 60° Water -

We had a lot of fun today. The water was warm and the swimming was great. 

Avila was 49° and sunny with a light offshore breeze. It was enough to put a small chop on the water. The surf was the same, 2 foot plus but watch out for the sneaky sets of 3 to 4 footers. 

There were three swimmers this morning: Tom, Hillary and Niel. I had measured a water temperature of 60° off of the Avila Pier, Tom decided to go bareback, Hillary and I declined and wore out wetsuits. 

As we waded in there were many happy toes and smiles. We swam over to the end of the Poly Pier, where the water was even warmer, and came back the same way. Changing in the sun is so much nicer, especially for Tom who was starting to feel old at the end of the swim.        

Hillary, Niel and Tom at the end of the Poly Pier  

Tom, Hillary and Niel heading back in along the pier 

This coming week I am planning on swimming on Tuesday and Saturday at 7 and on Thursday at 8.

Stinky Water at the End of the Avila Pier -  

The stinky, discolored water has been missing the last few days and I have some additional thoughts about a possible source. 

The mussels on the pilings at the end of the pier may have been spawning. Except for the nasty smell, Google's description of what occurs when mussels spawn fits pretty well with what we saw. The spawning results in the release of millions to hundreds of millions of sperm and eggs into the water, fertilization occurs in the water and the eggs develop into larvae which drift until they find a favorable place to attach to.

If the funk does not return I'll find this to be a reasonable explanation. Spawning may occur in other parts of the colony so we may see this again.

niel       

Thursday, June 18th, 2026

 The Thursday Swim Report - 

At 7 AM the air temperature was 60, the water was 57°, there was heavy overcast, a small chop out of the SW and 2 to 3 foot surf. 

Should I post something about the water temperature being back up in the upper 50's, or would that just dare the ocean gods to gift us some more sub 55° water?  

I swam a couple of triangles staying further away than usual from the end of the pier. The water seemed pretty clean so I finished with a loop around the pier.  No sign of the brown fund this morning. We'll see if it returns.

The Saturday group will swim at 7. 

niel

Wednesday, June 17th, 2026

 Tom's Wednesday Swim - 

Overcast, slight breeze, and low tide. The water had a dimple bump and a 3+ foot wave. The water temperature was about 55°. The swimming was very nice. 

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

 The Avoid The Poop Smell Swim - 

First the swim - 

Swimming conditions were great, the water has warmed up a bit to 56° on the east side of the pier and 57° on the west side. There was thick overcast but no fog or wind. The ocean was glassy. The surf was a 4 foot shore break. At 6 AM the tide had been a -2 ft. so we walked out almost all of the way to the buoys.

We swam to the #4 buoy on the left, to the end of the Poly Pier, in along the pier and to the #1 buoy on the west side.  Getting out through the surf required some timing. I was lucky and got out quickly and had to wait a while for Hillary to find a break. We arrived at the #1 buoy on the west side at a lull and were able to swim right in.     

Part of Hillary's flotilla, Niel and Hillary at the end of the Poly Pier.

Niel and Hillary starting down the west side of the Poly Pier. 

The photo taken by Hillary's GoPro that was on the float that she was towing.  

Now about the title of this post. 

For the last 10 days the water around the ocean end of the Avila Pier has had a yellow brown color, a bad smell and millions of somethings in the water. I'm avoiding the area until I know it isn't hazardous.  The discharge pipe from the Avila Beach sewage treatment plant runs under the length of the pier and out into the ocean so this stuff in the water is something to be wary off. 

I've spoken to Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg and she has asked the County's Health Dept to look  into it.  

I'll post here when I learn something. 

I'll swim Thursday ay 7

niel