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