Saturday, March 29th, 2025

 A Nice Morning With Bigish Surf and A Bait Ball  -

Niel, Jodi and Tom got in the water at 7:30. It was sunny, 48° and there was a steady offshore breeze. The surf was up with sets of 4'+ waves but there were good breaks in between the large sets. The water was 52°.

There was a large bait ball off of Avila, about as far offshore as the Avila Rock, so we made plans to swim the opposite direction over to the Poly Pier but by the time we were wading in the bait ball had moved over to the P Pier, so we switched to swimming the to Fossil Point.  We could see the sea lions diving on the fish and herding them to keep them together, which causes the whole feeding frenzy to move around.     

I was ahead of Jodi and Tom as we wading in. I saw a good break in the swell and committed. Before I was past the break zone the swell came back up and I needed to swam under and through a number of waves before getting past the break and out to the first buoy.  Tom and Jodi were caught inside and had to wait for the swell to go down.  We grouped up at the first buoy and headed east toward Fossil Point.   

When we stopped at the point the bait ball was back on our side of the Avila Pier and about 250M east of us. We could see the sea lions and otters diving back and forth and chowing down on the bait fish. So, we headed towards the shore, back the way we had come, towards the buoy line and back to the pier. At the pier we'd lost track of the bait ball and decided to swim to the 4th buoy on the west side and back.     

When we were ready to come in the surf was up so we swam to the second buoy on the east side which was far enough away from the pier for the surf to lay down a bit. We had no issues swimming in and managed to look like we knew what were were doing rather than just swimming in, committed to whatever thrashing we might receive from the waves. 

We will get some rain tonight and Sunday. I'll check the rain gauge in the morning to see if the water quality looks OK for a swim.

niel 

Friday, March 28th, 2025

Tom Lorish Draws Some Big Action - 

Big swell, big high tide: rock 'n' roll swimming at its best.  The high tide and the big swell combined for 6 - 8 foot waves that were pouring over the berm and water running all the way to the wall on the east side. The waves were rolling in fast with a short period between – it was a challenge getting out. But once out, the swimming was excellent. 

Thursday, March 27th, 2025

I got to the beach at 8 this morning. It was 57° with no wind, a flat ocean and 3 to 4 foot surf.

The water was 52 to 53 degrees and colder near the end of the Poly Pier.  Getting out was just a matter of ducking under the biggest waves until the gap appeared. 

I swam down the west buoy line and then went back and forth between the Avila and Poly Piers.

I was starting to feel the chill on the way back from the end of the Poly Pier so 90 minutes is about my limit until the water gets above 55°         

The light was so grey and flat that this was the most interesting photo  

I'll swim Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 11 unless the 'chance of rain' develops into something more serious. 

niel

Wednesday, March 26th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Good Morning Swim - 

Heavy marine layer, high tide, and excellent swimming conditions. The water was glassy and calm with a 4 foot wave rolling in. The water felt 52 to me, which means it was probably 53° accounting for the cool air and heavy marine layer.  Lovely morning swimming. 

Tuesday, March 25th, 2025

Rock and Roll Swimming - 

I got in at 7 o'clock. The water had my full attention from my first step into the suds.  The surf was made up of several different sets from the south and SE and all were 3 to 4+ feet high.  It was 20 minutes before high tide and the push from the tide had the waves stacked up onto each other and breaking onto the beach.  It was a bit of work getting out to the buoy line where the waves were not breaking and I could take a break. It was foggy to the west so I decided to swim back and forth along the buoy line with out and back loops around the pier each time by. Swimming parallel to the beach was easier but still very messy. The term Full Contact Swimming came to mind. I'm not sure how to define it but it seemed to fit today's constant battering by the water.   

When I had completed a full lap of the buoys and two passes around the pier I was done and came in. The sun had come out and on the outgoing tide the waves had halved in height.

I'd been so busy at the start getting out that I never started my watch, so I don't have a plot of today's swim.          

I swam about 1.5 miles in 75 minutes and felt like I had gone further.  It's too bad that I did not start my watch. I'd like to know how much vertical change it would have recorded. 

The air temperature was 54° and the water temp was up to 53°! I have not seen that number is some time.

I'll be back Thursday.

niel

Monday, March 24th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Morning Vitamin. - 

Beautiful spring morning at Avila when I arrived at 900 AM. Spring is springing and the crowds were flocking into Avila even on a Monday morning. They combine temperature was 111. The swell had picked up and was bringing in 3 to 4 foot waves. The water felt warmer than yesterday, but still right around 50°. It was a good morning vitamin. 

Sunday, March 23rd, 2025

There were several significant Gains at the beach today: It feels like summer, the lifeguards are working, the water temperature was up 1.5° since yesterday morning and it was 20° warmer (75 vs 55) at 11 o'clock that it was at 7:30 yesterday.

The  Losses were: In the past nine months peoples ability to read and comprehend the NO DOGS ALLOWED signs has not improved.  

I spoke with Tom Lorish after his swim. He said that the water was still cold. We figured that it would be one to two months before the water temperature would begin edging up. 

It was sunny and comfortable on the beach with a steady offshore breeze. There was a wind chop moving offshore. The surf was 2 to 3 feet and soft and the water was green and clean.       

I decided to visit the Poly Pier. I swam west down the buoy line and on to the first crossbars, out along the length of the pier and from the end of the P Pier to the end of the Avila Pier and in. Between the first ans second crossbars I had a small harbor seal follow me. Tom Israel and I have had harbor seals bump our feet when we were swimming at Olde Port Beach. I don't know if it is the same seal or if the young ones just want to socialize.  

At the end of the Poly Pier. I have not been here in a while. 

The swim back to the Avila Pier was a slog into the chop which required some attitude management. I felt good when I stood up at the beach. 

I plan on swimming on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday in this coming week.

niel     

Saturday, March 22nd, 2025

Colder and Shorter - 

There was a nice sunrise through some thin clouds this morning. It was 54° with a steady offshore breeze that made a chop on the water and pushed the aroma of bacon from the Custom House kitchen out over the water. The surf was 2 to 3 feet and easy to walk out through. We planned on swimming to the end of the Avila Pier and over to the end of the Poly Pier and to then come back by some route. 

Tom and Jodi getting in

 

The offshore wind had done what it will so there was a quick stop at the first buoy for us to agree that the water temp was sub 50° and that we would meet at the end of the Avila Pier and revise the route. 

(L to R) Jodi, Niel and Tom reconsidering their route 

after arriving at the end of the Avila Pier.   

We agreed to swim to the second crossbars on the Poly Pier and to recalculate the route at that point.  Once there the third plan was to swim to the 4th buoy on the west side, along the buoys to the 1st buoy and then out and in along the Avila Pier. Coming up to the 1st buoy I was wondering if anyone was thinking about bagging going around the pier and just going in, but I saw Tom start towards the end of the pier, so Jodi and I followed. It turns out that Jodi was thinking about going in so Tom dragged us both around the pier.

Coming in we swam past the 8 o'clock cold water immersion group bobbing in the wind and the surf. I believe that we both think that the other group is kind of nuts. 

Even with the wind it was comfortable in the sun at the showers and we warmed up quickly. 

I'll be back to swim tomorrow at 11. 

niel  

Friday, March 21st, 2025

Tom Lorish Get's Cold Toes -

Blue skies and sunny at Avila this morning when I arrived at 930 AM. There was a cool breeze blowing from the west to the east and a bump on the water. The combined number was 110.  It was a nice cold water swim. 

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

The First Day of Spring Swim -

I got in at about 8 o'clock this morning. It was clear and sunny, about 50° with a light offshore breeze. The waves were 1 to 2 footers and the water was very clear. The water temperature was 50° to 51°.

I did the same two triangles as on Tuesday but went around the reef buoy to push the distance to the high side of 3K. The swimming was really nice with the ripples being enough to make each leg a bit different. 

I was more confident than I was on Tuesday but not more comfortable. 50° water is just going to be a cold swim.

niel

Wednesday, March 19th, 2025

Tom Lorish's Spring Swim -

Clear blue skies, low tide, and it felt like early spring. The combine number was 104. There was a 2 foot plus wave rolling in and the swimming was good. 

Tom Israel's Spring Swim - 

Hi Niel, I had a nice swim this afternoon. Mostly sunny with maybe 3 foot waves hitting the beach. Water temp felt like 50 to 51°. 

Tuesday, March 18th, 2025

I'm Back In The Bubbles - 

Today was a great morning to get back in the water after a long break. At 7 this morning it was 40° and clear in Avila Beach with a light wind and 2 to 3 foot surf with occasional sets of 3+ breakers.  

A shore shoulder, then  a week doing some medical testing, and finally a week of rain had kept me out of the water for too long but the weather is beautiful and the water is clean.

The water temperature was 50.5° and I've lost some of my cold water mojo so my swim out to the first buoy informed me about how much of a hill I have to climb. I got to 'cold but still OK' and had a nice swim.

The swell was creating quite a bit of vertical movement at the buoy line which was fun to swim across.

I'm looking forward to swimming Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. NOAA's current prediction is for a high of 79° on Monday.   

niel       

Thursday, March 13th, 2025

Tom Israel Swims -

Good evening Niel, I got a quick swim in Wednesday. Pretty hard getting out with continuous waves of 5 ‘ 

Thanks Tom. 

niel

Wednesday, March 12th, 2025

 Tom Sneaks In Before The Storm - 

Thick heavy clouds, a cool breeze, and stormy ocean conditions. The combined number was 105, but felt like 97 with the cool breeze. There were 4 to 5 foot waves stacked right on top of each other rolling in breaking right on the steep berm.  There was a smattering of rain towards the end of my swim, and then spots of blue skies started to show through. It was good rock 'n' roll swimming. 

Tuesday, March 11th, 2025

Avila Beach was stronger than I was this morning. 

I arrived looking for a swim that would let me vent a lot of work and technology stress from yesterday. i.e.; not too hard of an entry. I found storm surf and conditions that would require a start with a strong and sustained push out through the waves.  I waded in on the east and then the west sides of the pier. I didn't channel my tension into energy and then use that to push me through the surf.  So no swim.

The conditions this morning were not extortionary; 3 foot waves with the largest ones between 4 and 5 feet. The wind was onshore and the tide was coming in so the waves were well consolidated with a 10 to 15 second period so once you started there would be no resting until you got outside. The water felt like the low 50's. The strangest thing was that every so often a wave would come in going left to right, at an angle across the rest of the waves.  I wonder if the surf was piling water up against the steep beach and Fossil Point until it broke out and made a wave that ran down the beach towards the pier....?

Thursday's swim is probably rained out so my next swim will depend on how much we get from tomorrow's storm.

niel