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