Thursday, August 14th, 2025

Looking For The Icebergs -

What happened to summer? Today's swimming conditions were wonderful with flat glassy water, no swell, small surf and a water temperature that swung between 54° to 56°. The water was colder on the west side of the Avila Pier with a 2 degree change under the pier.  

I got in on the east side of the pier. The water on the swim to the first buoy was chilly but would be OK. I swam west under the pier and the 2° drop really got my attention and then it didn't pop back up on the other side. I came to an understanding with the temperature and when it came back up at the end of the pier I figured I'd only be in the colder water half of the time. That worked, swimming in the colder water for just the last quarter was easy enough to do.      

There is a lot of loose kelp in the water, from single strands that got snagged on my goggles to small clumps to rafts. They move around a lot and don't stay in the same spot. 

I'll swim on Saturday at 7 with the group and on Sunday at 11 with whoever else shows up.

niel  

Wednesday, August 13th, 2025

Tom Gets All of the Fun Swim - 

Scattered blue skies, kelp stew, dolphins and more dolphins. The Kelp beds must be breaking apart as there was scattered clumps of kelp all over the east and west side.  My toes are reporting the water temperature was 54 to 55°.  A definite cooling trend this week.  On the west side I swam with about six dolphins, and then as I was getting out I saw them moseying along again.  Always a good day swimming with the dolphins. 

Tuesday, August 12th, 2025

 

The swimming conditions at Avila Beach have been very reliable this summer with overcast sky's and unusually flat and clean water. For variety today we had lost three or four degrees in water temperature with 56° water everywhere except along the Poly Pier where the water was at least a degree warmer. There was no swell but the surf was up to 4 foot. It has been a while since I had to wait out the largest waves when getting out and back in.      

I swam the same route that Tom I., Jim and I did on Saturday and was feeling the difference in the water temperature when I got out. 

I'll swim Thursday and Saturday at 7. 

niel

Monday, August 11th, 2025

Tom Gets Tubed on a Monday Morning -

Overcast, glassy, water, and a 4 foot wave rolling through.  Toes in the water at 920 AM. The water temperature was 56°, 57°. The water was pristine and clear. Excellent morning vitamin. 

Sunday, August 10th, 2025

 Clouds Turn to Sunshine -

As I was getting in the clouds opened up and it became a nice summer day.  At 11 o'clock it was 62° and I had measured a water temp of 58° off of the Avila Pier. The water between the Avila and Poly Piers was about 60°. There was a slight wind with 2 foot surf with an occasional pair of 3 footers. The water is unusually clean and tasted a extra salty.  I felt like swimming for about an hour so I took a route that would be about 2,200M. 

I didn't see anything or anyone else out there.  

After it had cleared Pismo was still fogged in. In the photo I think the darker line of cloud above the white fog is smoke from the Gifford Fire.

When I got out Peter Kelley was waiting for me. We haven't spoken in some time so we did some catching up. He is swimming in a pool and has lost 35 pounds and looks good.

This coming week I will be on my regular schedule; swimming at 7 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and at 11 on Sunday.

niel      

Saturday, August 9th, 2025

The Saturday Morning Swim - 

We had nice flat water this morning, 2 to 3 foot surf, no swells, no wind, no sun.  You could call it fog or low clouds, but the visibility was a half to one mile with a solid lid. The air temperature was 55° and the water was 58°

Tom Israel, Jim and Niel swam the west buoy line and on to the Poly Pier and to the end of the pier.  Jim went in from there while Tom and Niel swam to the end of the Avila Pier, to and around the reef buoy and back along the east buoy line to the Avila Pier and in. 

        

At the second crossbars on the Cal Poly Pier

A heron wading on the kelp looking for breakfast. 

Niel, Jim and Tom at the end of the P. Pier.

I'll swim tomorrow at 11.

niel 

Friday, August 8th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Friday Swim - 

Marine layer, a bit of a breeze, and a good morning swim.  Toes in the water at 920 a.m.  I did a route that included the rock buoy kelp bed and the end of the CPP.  I was greeted by numerous different species… a great egret standing on the kelp bed waiting for fish to jump into its mouth, pelicans overhead eyeing me up, and humans on the CPP greeting me with smiles and waves.  And finally there was a beautiful blue heron on the second cross beam of the CPP.  Always cool seeing the various species around. 

Thursday, August 7th, 2025

 

I enjoyed a nice swim this morning.  The water was smooth with just some occasional ripples to give it interest. The surf was 2 to 3 foot and a bit pushy. The fog was lighter than Tom had reported yesterday but the visibility was still iffy enough that I stayed inside the end of the Avila Pier. The air temperature was 53°. There was a change in the water temperature right at the end of the Avila Pier, from 57° on the east side to 58° on the west side.   

I'll swim with the Saturday group at 7 and at 11 on Sunday with whoever else shows up.

niel 

Tom's Three Peaks Route -

Foggy, foggy, foggy. The valley must be heating up because the fog was thick and relentless. The sun was working hard to burn through, but there was just too much fog. This meant the three peaks route. The water was glassy with a 4 foot wave occasionally rolling through.  Beautiful morning Swim. 

Monday, August 4th, 2025

Tom's Toes for a Monday Morning - 

Mostly blue skies, warm air, warm water.  It was about 65° air temperature when I arrived at 930 a.m. and the water was about 60°.  In short, it was the tropics. Our kind of tropics anyway… beautiful conditions for a Monday morning vitamin. 

Sunday, August 3rd, 2025

 Sunday -

Jim and I took a turn around the big pool today. The conditions were a bit iffy at the start but they turned out to be just fine.  It was foggy when I arrived in Avila.  As I was about to go down the stairs to the beach Tom Lorish hailed me. He was changing after his swim so we talked about swimming things. He thought the water temperature was in the high 50's and how there has not been any plankton blooms this year, so we have had nice clean water this summer instead of the nasty red brown funk that is typical for the water this time of the year.

I measured a water temperature of 60° from the pier. The air temp was 59°, the was a breeze coming and going and it looked like the fog was lifting. Jim and I talked about doing about 2000M. Jim is is working to regain his natural swimming mojo so he was going without a wetsuit and would head in when he got cold enough. The surf was 2 foot with occasional sets of 3 - 4+ footers.           

The wind came up and it cleared as we were swimming over to the Poly Pier. The water had gotten choppy and was pushing towards the beach. Jim headed directly back to the base of the Avila Pier and I came in along the p. pier and over to the buoy line.  Along the buoy line I had to  push right to stay parallel to the beach. 

The water felt like it was 60°.  We had a very nice swim.

I will not swim on Tuesday but plan to be here on Thursday and Saturday at 7 and next Sunday at 11.

niel   

Saturday, August 2nd, 2025

A Beautiful Saturday Morning Swim and a Surprise Visit -

This morning we had more of this summers best swimming conditions.  It was 56° in Avila Beach and overcast with no wind for a flat and glassy water surface, small surf, and no swells. The water temperature was 59° and it was nice and clean.

Tom Israel was in the bay area and Jodi is still in Greece, so it was Paula and I this morning.

We were both feeling like doing about 2000M.  There were three men at the barricade on the pier with 11 fishing lines in the water, so we got in on the west side and swam out well away from the pier.  We swam down the buoy line and to the number 2 and 3 crossbars on the Poly Pier, back to the end of the Avila Pier and in. The water felt really nice this morning.

That's Niel, Paula and over on the right a Great Blue Heron perched on a crossbar.  

Before we got in we had a surprise visit from Rob Dumouchel, Avila Dolphin, currently residing in Juneau, Alaska, and the only person I know of to have swum from Avila to the Pismo Pier on January first, bareback, in 51° water, and into a storm, so it took him an additional hour.

I'll swim tomorrow at 11, company welcome. 

I will be out of town on Tuesday but I will swim on Thursday and Saturday at 7.

niel

Friday, August 1st, 2025

Tom's Friday Swim - 

Overcast with a little bit of blue showing. Toes in the water at 900 a.m.  The water had lost the tsunami eerie calm of the last couple days, but it was still pretty flat. There was a slight breeze and the water temperature was 60°. By the time I got out an hour later lots of blue sky was showing and the crowds were pouring into Avila.  I am guessing the valley folks are getting their last beach days in before the kids go back to school. A lovely Friday morning swim. 

Thursday, July 31st. 2025

 The Tsunami Conditions Continue - 

Yesterday Tom reported that the tsunami seemed to have flattened out the ocean to an unusual level.  The conditions were the same today. There was no swell, maybe 1 foot surf, no wind and a spooky flat and calm ocean. The overcast and the clean 58° water were familiar.   

Things were right for a visit to the small cave on the west side of Fossil Point. The cave is accessible when the conditions are right, I was able to swim up to it once and climb in, but this morning I didn't like my chances of floating over the sea urchins that are on the rocks in front of the entrance. 

After my swim Duke and I met for some coffee and to catch up. His PT wants him to get back in the water so when he is ready I hope to see him on the beach. 

I'll swim Saturday at 7 and Sunday at 11.

niel

Wednesday, July 30th, 2025

 

Heavy marine layer, a tsunami no-show, and two dolphins.  The port had signs up saying the beach was closed when I arrived at 820 AM. This did not match up with the flat, calm water.   As I was changing, the lifeguards came and removed the signs… I asked them if they had seen any sign of the tsunami and they said had not. Perhaps there is a type of tsunami that actually makes the water more flat and calm because those were the conditions this morning. Flat, calm, and glassy. The water temperature felt about 60°. And it was nice to see a couple dolphins casually swimming on the east side inside the bouy line.  An excellent Wednesday morning Swim.