Wednesday Evening, 30 October 13

John Siegel and I had a great time on the last evening swim of the season.  There was a steady breeze that was blowing directly offshore and the water temperature was 56 degrees.  It was sunny and comfortable on the beach.  The surf varied from ankle slappers to an occasional three footer.  We swam the triangle counterclockwise.  The sun was already dropping behind the hills when we got in so it was never a problem but it did feel like there was some winter in the water temperature.  The chop was only 4" to 6" high, almost not noticeable while swimming, but I could always feel the current pushing me away from the beach.  The lights along Front Street were coming on as we finished up.   We covered 1576 meters in 36 minutes.  

If you look back at the last three times that I posted this route, both CW & CCW, the time has varied by only 24 seconds but the distance by 70 meters.  A combination of the effect of wind and tide on the location of the buoys may account for the different distances but I must have managed to be swimming faster on the days when I also wound up swimming further for the time to work out so well.

Thanks to John Siegel for being the most consistent evening swimmer this summer.  See you in the spring John.

niel

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Conditions were very nice today, except for the cool gray gloom that hung over the beach.  It definitely felt wintry, damp and cool, but the water was still 58 degrees and with no wind, waves or current it was perfect for swimming, except the gray fog/overcast made the idea of getting in the water unappealing.  While Sam, Niel, Rick, John and Sylvia were inclined to veg out on the beach Katie was having none of it.  Her energy dragged all of us except Sylvia up and into the water.  Rick had to swim and dash so he did the left half of the buoy line while the rest of us swam with Katie to the end of the pier.  Thoughts of heading in along the pier ran into Katie's assertion that we couldn't get out without doing at least a mile, so we headed to the creek and completed the triangle.  1646 meters, 36 minutes in the water.  Thanks Katie for being there today and having the energy for the rest of us.

John is doing Ironman Florida next weekend.  Good Luck and have a great race. 

niel

Wednesday Evening, October 23. 2013

The water temperature is still hanging up there at 58 degrees but this evening's swim was different in all other counts.  It was sunny but windy and cool.  The breeze was out of the SW and was strong enough to make the flags stretch straight out.   The water was clear but choppy with a current following the chop.  There were also chest high waves for a change.  Sylvia and Yvonne joined Niel, John Siegel and Mark.  Sylvia and Yvonne stayed on the buoy line while John and Niel did a counter clockwise triangle.  Mark experienced a cramp just as we were starting towards the water and couldn't get it to release so he stayed out.  We had hoped that going CCW would reduce the time spent swimming towards the setting sun but I'm not sure that it made much difference.  The chop wasn't too troublesome but the current required a committed push on the second and third legs.  When John and I came through the pier and headed towards the beach there did not seem to be any waves coming in.  As we swam in I kept looking back over my shoulder but never did see any waves.  That was true right up to the point when John and I got picked up, tumbled and washing machined within 50 yards of the beach.  We covered a mile in 36 minutes.

Next Wednesday will be the last evening swim until next spring.

niel 

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Today we had a nice crowd, very nice conditions and a great swim.  The water was 58 degrees and very clear with no wind, waves or chop.  John Hampsey and Amy had been working to do their first swim out to the rock that is off of Fossil Point and this was to be the day.  Allison was on hand to paddle escort for them.  Also swimming to day were Sylvia, Fast John, Ali, Duke, Brad, Sam, Katy, Rick, Niel and Dan, a guest swimmer from Santa Cruz.  Sylvia, Sam, Dan and Ali swam parts of the triangle (I'm not sure just who did what) while the rest of us joined in on the swim to the rock.  Allison would (properly) stay with John and Amy so the rest of us were navigating on our own.  The clear water was nice, I even saw some schooling fish below me at one point.  Brad, Fast John and Rick went off of the front of the group.  Katy pulled past me on the way out and Duke and I seemed to arrive at the rock at the same time.  Once we swung around the rock and headed back I didn't see anyone else until reached the shore and I stood up.  There were Duke and Katy doing the same within 20 feet of me.  I was swimming for 52 minutes and covered 2545 M/1.6 miles.  John and Amy came in all smiles having accomplished one of the signature Avila Beach swims.

niel  

Wednesday Evening, October 13, 2013

Last Chances to Do Summer -

Conditions at Avila were calm with flat seas, no wind, no current and 60 degree water.  John Siegel and I swam over to the Cal Poly Pier and back.  It was beautiful.

Avila Beach, 6:30 PM, 10/16/13

There will be two more Wednesday evening swims before the time changes and we are done with evenings until next spring.  


niel 

Sunday, October 13, 2013

At 11 on Sunday I was heading south, but still somewhere north of Santa Rosa and Rob was in recovery mode from too much ocean related fun, so the following post is courtesy of John Hampsey - 

Sunday, Oct. 13th
The foggy morning gave way to bright sun by the time we gathered at Avila this morning. Attending was Duke, Rick, fast John, Amy, her brother Bo, and John H. The water had rolling swells and was generally clear, with a temperature approx 56-57 degrees. We swam to the first buoy, then headed south past the last buoy to fossil point. After re-gathering we all headed out to the end of the pier that was boat-free and fishermen-free. It was an invigorating swim that included navigating through some prehistoric-looking kelp patches. Finally, we swam the length of the pier back to the beach. Total swim distance around 1.3 miles, exact time in water unknown, but all agreed it was a terrific swim.

Thanks John!

niel

Sunday, October 13th, 2013

The foggy morning gave way to bright sun by the time we gathered at Avila this morning. Attending was Duke, Rick, fast John, Amy, her brother Bo, and John H. The water had rolling swells and was generally clear, with a temperature approx 56-57 degrees. We swam to the first buoy, then headed south past the last buoy to fossil point. After re-gathering we all headed out to the end of the pier that was boat-free and fishermen-free. It was an invigorating swim that included navigating through some prehistoric-looking kelp patches. Finally, we swam the length of the pier back to the beach. Total swim distance around 1.3 miles, exact time in water unknown, but all agreed it was a terrific swim.

John H.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Avila Beach was doing its best to be summer in October today.  It was warm with clear skies, no wind and very clear 56 degree water.  We had a nice crowd today; Niel, Fred, Sylvia, Duke, Rob, Ali, Tom, Rick, John H., Amy, Gerry and Fast John.  Stephen, Mary Ann and Brad got in late and swam a similar route.  The water conditions were great for swimming but we had a couple of man made conditions to work around.  The buoys were set out for a yacht race and the participants were forming up off of the end of the Avila pier so that part of the ocean was off limits, and there were two or three jet skis messing around at the mouth of San Luis Creek so heading down that was was not a good idea.  We elected to stay on the east side of the pier and swim down towards Fossil Point and back.  It was great having the rare opportunity to swim at Avila in water as clear as it was today.  I could see shadows and shapes on the bottom in 12 to 15 feet of water. There were some real cold spots, especially near the pier and where the bottom was rocky.  We swam 1499 meters in 33 minutes.

I'll be out of town next Sunday and Rob and Allison are supporting one of the last Catalina Channel swim attempts for this year on Friday and may not be back in time, so I'm appointing Duke swim master for next Sunday.  


niel

Wednesday Evening, October 2, 2013

Three swimmers this evening; Niel, John and Mark.  The water temperature was 57 degrees and there was a slight wind and noticeable current from left to right along the beach.  There had been a complete ring of fog around Avila at 5 but it had moved off by the time we were getting in.  Mark is doing Scott Tinley next weekend so he wanted to do a sprint along the buoy line. John and I accompanied him to the end of the line where he turned around and we headed towards the end of the pier.  We completed the triangle in 37 minutes and covered 1650 meters.  There was a lot of kelp and sea grass in the water, I guess that it is the time of the year when the summer growth dies and breaks off.  If you look at the plot of the leg from the end of the pier towards the creek you can see the kink in my route where I ran into a huge mat of floating kelp and had to detour around it.  We had very nice swimming conditions. John and I had a wonderful time and he had brought his own jug of how water, so we each had our own full bottle for an after shower rinse.

niel

Sunday, September 29, 2013

We had beautiful swimming conditions today.  It was sunny, warm and calm with flat seas and 55 degree water.  We have not seen 55 degrees since the spring so we are moving into fall swimming conditions.  Sylvia and Lisa, who is a friend of Rob's and a regular with the Monterey Kelp Krawlers, swam along the buoy line.  Rob joined Niel, Byron and Rick to the east end of the buoys and doubled back.  We swam to the end of the Avila Pier, over to the Cal Poly Pier and back along the west end of the buoy line.  We covered 2265 meters or 1.4 miles in 48 minutes.  There were some temperature drops of several degrees that kept things interesting. The wind started picking up when we settled back into our chairs so our timing had been just right.  Rhonda and Sharley joined us for the post swim discussion of yesterday's riding, who was racing where today and plans for this coming week.

niel

Wednesday Evening, September 25, 2013

Brad and a couple of friends swam the buoy line.  It was very wind, lots of chop and cold water. The water at the port has been 53 - 54 degrees over the last 24 hours.  It must have been narley!


niel, who was sitting it out in a meeting :-(

Sunday, September 22, 2013

It was sunny, breezy and very uncrowded at Avila Beach today.  There seemed to be almost no one else on the beach on this beautiful September day.  The water was 57 degrees and choppy due to a steady westerly breeze.  There was a yacht race under way with numerous boats maneuvering near the end of the Avila Pier so our route would stay close to the beach today.  Swimming today were Sylvia, Gerry Gross, Niel, Brad, Fred, Rick, John H., John and Hank.  Rob was here but was going to fool around in the surf with his hand plane. Sylvia and Gerry swam their own route.  The rest of us swam the east side of the buoy line down to Fossil Point and back.  We covered 1547 meters/ .96 mile and spent 38 minutes in the water.  John H. and Fred continued on and added part of the buoy line of the west side of the pier.  
There will be days, probably early next year, when we will wish the water was 57 degrees, but for now it is a matter of getting used to falling temperatures and cooler days.  

I wonder if we will see any water temperatures in the 40's this winter?

niel

Wednesday Evening, September 18, 2013

Tom Lorish and I swam this evening.  There was a light but steady offshore breeze that was putting just a ripple on the water.  The air was very warm and the water temperature was 56 degrees.  There were some seals around but no birds or signs of bait fish.  Tom and I swam out to the end of the Avila Pier, over to the usual spot on the Cal Poly Pier and came back on the same course.  We covered 1.37 miles in 46 minutes.  The swimming conditions were great with no chop, swell or current to deal with.  I thought that it was colder by a degree or two over towards the Poly Pier and Tom thought that it was colder near the Avila Pier, so, I can say that the water temperature was variable.  The difference of opinion might have had something to do with me starting the swim with my wetsuit unzipped or that Tom wears a Farmer John.  There were several seals that were checking us out when we stopped at the Poly Pier and two of them followed me all of the way back to the beach.  They had some friends that joined them near the Avila Pier.  It was kind'a freaky.  

niel

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Today we had sunny skies, calm winds and 59 degree water.  Rob and Allison were able to join us today and \Allison brought her kayak so a supported swim was possible.   Sylvia, Susan, Ali and Amy swam along the buoy line and Niel, Duke, Rick, John, Fred, Tom and Katie swam to the rock off of Fossil Point.  The water temperature was nice and even. We had a bit of a swell rolling across our route on the way out and a strong surge when we swung around the rock, but otherwise the swimming conditions were great.  Tom and John were well off the front by the time we arrive at the rock.  They headed straight back to our starting point while we decided to angle to the end of the Avila Pier before coming in.  We covered 1.7 miles in 57 minutes.

niel

Wednesday Evening, September 11, 2013

Things looked good for a nice swim this evening.  The water was 60 degrees (maybe), it was sunny with scattered clouds, there was a steady SW breeze pushing a wind chop and current. There were a lot of fishermen on the pier, all grouped up along the surf line, but the single cormorant that I saw swallow a fish seemed to be the only one catching anything.  There were no other birds or seals in sight.
Swimming tonight was Mark, Marie, Susan, Niel, Tom, Raven and Stephan.  Raven lives in Madera.  He had been in King City working on a photovoltaic installation and wanted to get in the ocean so he found us through the website.  He said that he wasn't too concerned about the water temperature because his thermostat seemed to be set extra high.  I loaned him a cap to go with the goggles and the shorts he was wearing.  Marie and Susan were going to swim the buoy line.  The rest of us set off to do an easy triangle.  I went through three temperature zones just getting out to the buoy line.  When we formed up at the end of the buoy line we waited for Raven, who was steady and comfortable swimmer but slower than the group.  He was all smiles and enjoying himself and joined us on the swim towards the end of the pier.  Tom and I both stopped to check on him because he stopped several times and seemed to either be having some trouble with his goggles or found swimming into the chop to be uncomfortable.  It turned out that he was having a great time and kept stopping just to enjoy the beautiful views around the bay.  I guess that the rest of us could learn something here.  Mark headed in along the pier while the rest of us headed towards the creek.  The water was very warm and funny tasting near the creek, so we swam back towards Raven (the bump in the plot) and then swung back along the buoy line, under the pier to the first buoy and in.  Mark had picked up Susan and Marie and helped Susan get to shore.  The cold water had caused her asthma to flare up and she was having some difficulty breathing.  They all got out OK but Susan will be doing her open water swimming at Lopez until Avila warms up.
We were in the water for 47 minutes and covered just over a mile.

niel