Sunday, February 23, 2013

Avila Dolphins Decimate Phelps's Records!  Cold and Choppy Water Spurs Swimmers to Unbeatable Speeds!

Look closely at the GPS plot of today's swim and you will see that we covered over 20 thousand miles in a half-hour. That is a 0.01 sec per 100 yard pace!  Pretty impressive.  If this holds up the IOC may forget about speed suits and just drop the official pool temperature to 49 degrees F as that is what we had today.  It was sunny and warm on the beach but there was a light breeze that kept changing direction.  There were also some 4' to 5' sets separated by moderate waves.  On the beach today were Sylvia, Yvonne, Niel, Duke, Ed, Ruta, Rob, Byron and Sharley.  Allison was with us with her new kayak but not technically on the beach since she  decided that it was prudent to launch over at the port and not buck the waves.  Ruta did launch from the beach in their inflatable kayak and made it in and out successfully.  We decided to swim on the left side of the pier because the cold water was making a short swim look attractive and to avoid the water near the creek.  Sylvia and Yvonne swim traditional style and didn't see the attraction in getting in.  Rob swims traditional style too but he has a younger persons stranger sense of fun.  We swam out, turned left and swam parallel to the beach down to the end of the sea wall.  From there we headed towards the end of the Avila Pier.  By this time the wind had settled in the W-SW and had pushed up a nice little chop which we were more exposed to the closer we got to the pier.  This leg finished up with some nice open water swimming, working the chop and current to find an even pace that would allow you to not swallow too much water.  We came in along the length of the pier, getting out about a half hour after we started.  We probably covered about .8 of a mile.  

niel

Sunday, February 17th, 2013

We were back to Avila this week and were greeted by a spectacular day to lay on the beach. We had Sylvia, Yvonne, Byron, Duke, Susan, and Rob as swimmers, Allison in her kayak and Dale and Sharley on the beach. Despite forecasts calling for a drop in temperature Avila was defiantly warm and sunny. The water on the other hand was about 51 degrees (determined by consensus since Niel wasn't there with his thermometer today).

The surf was a little unfriendly today. On the way in Yvonne got tumbled pretty hard, and launching the kayak took a lot of luck mixed with big pushes and rapid paddling. Luckily Allison waited until her exit later on to roll the boat in the surf and get in a short swim of her own.

Sylvia and Yvonne swam part of the pier and back in while the rest of us swam to the tip of the pier and then out to where the creek buoy would be if it were there. Duke and I landed in the roughly the same spot but Byron and Susan made their way towards a much more ambitiously positioned phantom creek buoy. Allison had to chase them down and turn things around to get us all back together. At this point most of the group was pretty chilly so we opted to swim straight through the pier and then back in. The swim itself was probably 3/4 of a mile but what the swim lacked in distance we made up in sunbathing time :)

Rob D.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

We shifted the swim to Lopez Lake today.  Friday evening, after the Surfrider's meeting in Avila Beach, Rob noticed a strong sewage like smell along the beach from the creek to the pier, so we decided that an alternative venue was a good idea. Niel, Rob, Allison, Byron and Sharley  gathered at Cottonwood Cove before 11 and tried to come up with a plan for a swim.  It was complicated.  First, it was nice and sunny and calm but the water temperature at the dock near the launch ramp was 50 degrees.  Yikes!  I'd never been in the lake at this time of the year and to have it that cold was a surprise.  Second, as we were getting ready Byron remarked that there was a boat in the area where we were planning on swimming that was setting out buoys for the start of a sail boat race.  What followed was a conversation about how to avoid the boats.  Swimmers would have the right of way but that was not something that we would want to rely on.  Byron was confident that the sail boats would want to stay away from the shore in order to keep in the breeze, but I wondered how many boats would be piloted by novice sailors.  The solution was to stay close to the shore and I wound up towing a inflatable swimmer's buoy that
Rob had.  Getting in was tough, especially for the wetsuitless Rob.  Byron was not happy about the temperature either.  He and I decided to take a short loop out and back to the point to the west while Rob was acclimating.  We grouped up and headed to the north intending to swim to the far side of Mallard Cove, the next cove up the shore.  By this time there was a couple of dozen small sailboats of various types maneuvering around the buoys.  We crossed Mallard Cove and based on the cold and all of the boat traffic we decided to head back.  A light wind had come up and put a small chop on the water that we had to work into as we swam south along the shore.  We got out at our entry point having covered approximately 4000 yards.  It wasn't until now that Rob mentioned that the swimmer's buoy that he had given me to increase our visibility in the water was the same color as the buoys for the boat race, and perhaps instead of increasing our safety it had served to make us (me!) a moving target.  I'm glad that we are all looking out for each other.  We were wise to get out when we did.  Afterwards I sat in my car eating lunch and watched the boats.  They were all over the lake, deep into Mallard Cove and back and forth across the route that we had taken.  

If you missed out on the last minute planning for this swim you should join the Central Coast Open Water Google Group.  All of the last minute planning for our swims takes place here.  You can go to Google Groups, find the Central Coast Open Water site and ask to join.  Rob is the gatekeeper.  Or you can contact Rob directly and ask to be added to the group.

niel  

Sunday, February 3, 2013

We had combined winter and summer conditions today; the water temperature was a wintry 52 degrees and the sky was all summer fog and low clouds.  The morning gloom looked like it was starting to break up when I arrived at the beach but within a half hour conditions had reversed, the fog had thickened and actually would gradually increase while we were there.  The tide was very low and there were sets of head height waves.  Niel, Brad, Byron and John were swimming, Charly was going to go for a run and Sylvia and Yvonne were going to stay on the beach and enjoy the big thumps the large waves would make when they closed out.  We decided to do the traditional triangle route with no thoughts of trying to swim under the pier today!  Nobody liked the idea of getting burrito wrapped around a barnacle encrusted piling by the surge.  The Harbor Patrol has pulled out the buoys for the winter so our navigation is a bit more approximate and the plot tells the story.  We covered just over a mile in 37 minutes.  We had a wide variation in speed amongst the four of us so we didn't stick together in a group and without the buoys the idea of meeting 'where the end of the buoy line was' left us a bit spread out at the end of the first and third legs, so we spent some additional time getting regrouped.    While I was taking the temperature I had seen a large otter floating on its back in the surf line on the west side of the pier and before we got in there had been several sea lions and possibly a dolphin working a patch of ocean near the end of the pier.  Byron and Brad had a dolphin swim between them on the leg from the end of the pier towards the mouth of the creek!  Coming back in was uneventful for John and I but Byron and Brad took an earlier wave and got run through the spin cycle.  Nobody lost anything and we all had a good swim.  The gloom was getting thicker after we changed so no one hung on the beach.  There was bright sunlight at San Luis Bay Drive, just a few blocks form the beach. 

niel

Sunday, January 27, 2013

We had more nice conditions today; sunny, scattered clouds, offshore breezes, 4'+ surf and water that had warmed up to 52 degrees.  Duke, Niel and Ed swam while Ruta, Sylvia and Brad enjoyed the warmth up close to the sea wall.  We began on the right side of the pier, swam out and headed parallel to the shore towards the mouth of the creek.  There was no chop, just the swells rolling under us, so the swimming was easy.  Once my hands, feet and face numbed up the swimming was quite nice.  When we grouped up at the mouth of the creek we decided to go over to the Poly Pier and double back.  Ed had never been over to this pier so it would be something new for him.  We stayed closer to shore than usual, taking a line that would have us intersect the Poly Pier much closer to the shore than our usual route.  This line took us over the stretch of rocky bottom that is dense with kelp in the summer but this time of the year we just had to do a bit of weaving around the few remaining strands.  I thought that it was like flying through the canopy of a forest.  We took a course back that missed more of the kelp and swam directly to the Avila Pier and in.  We covered just over a mile in a total of 35 minutes.
There is no map of today's swim because I had my first malfunction with the Finis GPS today.  Either it never achieved a GPS lock or I messed up with the buttons. Since the indicator lights cannot be seen in full sunlight launching the unit can involve a certain amount of trust.  Perhaps this is an opportunity for an inventive entrepreneurial person with an interest in sports products to come up with a new product. 

Thanks to Rob for the photo of me and my gps cloak.

Kris dropped by with cookies and costumes to celebrate my birthday.  I got to find out how I look in a tiara! 

niel

Sunday, January 20, 2013

It was beautiful at Avila today, warm, sunny, very clear and no wind.  The only thing that said 'winter' was the water temperature of 50 degrees.  The big waves that were predicted for the west facing beaches were not putting in much of an appearance on Avila's south facing beach; it was flat except for occasional sets of long swells that were producing 3' waves.  We had a nice group today; Niel, Rob, John and Byron were joined by Kyle, and Matt who had each been out with us once before and Emily, who was here for her first time with us.  Dale, Sylvia, Rhonda and Sharlene were very happy to enjoy the sun on the beach and to be ready to help us thaw out after the swim.  We decided to swim what would have been the buoy line if there had been any buoys.  We went out, turned left and swam parallel to the beach until we were even with the end of the sea wall, and returned to the pier.  We had to time our pass under the pier because the swell was causing quite a surge, enough to move me back and forth the distance between two pilings.  Waiting for the slack between the sets made it easy enough.  We continued parallel to the beach until we were off of the mouth of the creek and then took a direct line to the shore at the base of the pier.  We covered .9 mile in 35 minutes.
Today's forecast is for a chance of rain next weekend.  We'll see how that shapes up and see if we get enough rain to cancel Sunday's swim. 

Emily, Byron and Niel.  Photo by Rob. 

niel 
  

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Welcome Back To The Beach

It was sunny and warmish at Avila Beach today.  There was only a slight breath of wind, no clouds, flat water and only occasional small waves.  Other than a raft of water birds down near Fossil Point there wasn't any other sea life to be seen.  At 50 degrees, the water temperature was a surprise.  It is supposed to be clear, sunny and in the upper 60's this coming week so hopefully the water temp will pop up a bit before next Sunday.  I was a little unorganized getting ready to swim and was confused as to why I was having trouble remembering how to get ready until I realized that that our last swim was on 11/25, 7 weeks ago!  Since November rain has kept us out of the water except for Robs' 3 Martini Swim on 12/9 and our short swim on New Years Day.  Maybe we will have to hold an in-service next Sunday and retrain ourselves about how this is done!  Rob was not feeling well so it was Byron, myself and Kyle.  This was Kyle's first time with us.  He is a poly student and surfer who is from Santa Cruz.  The buoys have been removed for the winter so our route was more of a 'self-guided' tour than usual.  We decided to go out, turn parallel to the beach and regroup at the end of the retaining wall, about where the last buoy was.  At this point Kyle decided to head in to the beach while Byron and I headed for the end of the pier.  Beth and Allison picked us up on this leg.  They had launched their kayaks about 30 minutes before we began swimming and swung back by to escort the rest of our swim.  Beth said that she had been initially surprised that there appeared to be such a large group of swimmers but as they got closer they realized that it was a pod of approximately 30 dolphins!  They came close to our route but Byron and I didn't see them.  At the end of the pier it was time to get out and start warming up so we came straight in along the pier.   We covered .8 of a mile.  

This was the last time we will see Beth's for a while.  She is moving to Vermont (!) and will leave the first week of February.  Beth has been a super support paddler and was with both Rob and I on our recent 10k swims.  We will miss her happy presence and extra confidence that the knowledge of having her support would bring someone contemplating doing something kind'a silly in the ocean.

niel

Tuesday, January 9, 2013

A Good Choice

Caution was a good idea last Sunday.  I received this e-mail from Liberty Amundson this morning;

The laboratory results of the ocean water samples taken January 7, 2013 at the following locations exceeded the state bacteriological standards: 

• AB8: Avila Beach (149 yards east of the pier by the last steps on rock wall)
• AB9: Avila Beach (176 yards west of the pier)
• OLDE 12:  Olde Port Beach (131 yards west of lifeguard station/restrooms)
• PB3: Pismo Beach (302 yards south of the pier-Ocean View Ave.)
• PB4: Pismo Beach ( 40 feet south of the pier)
• PB5: Pismo Beach (338 yards north of the pier-Wadsworth Ave.)
• CAY15: Cayucos Beach (halfway between the creek and the pier)  

There areas have been posted with a Health Advisory and re-sampled. 

Liberty Amundson, R.E.H.S.
Environmental Health Specialist
San Luis Obispo County
Environmental Health Services
(805) 788-2722

After that rain there was dirty water just about everywhere.  

niel

Sunday, January 6, 2013

We are sitting out another Sunday because that was too much rain to be comfortable with the water quality, so for those of you who missed it, a bit of ocean humor. 

Conditions on next Sunday look favorable (maybe very nice) at this point.

niel

New Years Day, January 1, 2013

                                                    Sylvia, Dale, Niel, Ed, Rob, Cathy

                                                                                  Evan

We celebrated the New Year by taking a short swim off of the Avila Pier. The water was 53 degrees, the air about 50 - 55.  There was a very high tide, no wind, one otter and one seal messing around on the east side of the pier.   The waves were 2' - 3' to 5'+.  It was gray and spitting when I walked out to take the water temperature but the rain didn't develop.  We had seven New Year's leapers; Niel, Dale, Sylvia, Ed, Rob and Rob's friends from S.F.; Cathy and Evan.  Kris and Ruta took pictures and carried sandals back from the start.  As we were walking out along the pier we started attracting some attention from the families and people strolling on the pier and by the time we were ready to start we had quite a crowd.  I lead off and was followed by Dale and Ed, which got the wetsuit contingent into the water. Then Sylvia, Rob, Cathy and Evan dropped in and we swam in to the beach.  It is not a long swim bet a great way to start off a new year.  
The seven-day forecast is for dry weather through the weekend so we will be swimming Sunday at 11.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

The water quality was questionable and the surf was up so we did not swim at Avila today.  We watched several boogie boarders who were much encouraged by the size of the surf but fast learning how short the rides are at Avila.  Rob, Allison and I took our kayaks over to the port, launched at the boat dock and paddled over to the base of the breakwater.  We disturbed some napping seals, took a close look at Smith Island, I looked for contraband on the beach at the base of the breakwater and we returned to the dock.  Not swimming but a nice bit of being on the water.

Santa brought Rob a new GoPro

Smith Island.  There are historic photos that show the house that used to be on the island.  What a place for a swimmer to live! 

NEW YEARS DAY SWIM

We will gather at our usual spot in Avila on Tuesday morning and celebrate by jumping in at 11 and taking a short swim.  We will have a pot luck lunch on the beach afterwards.  It should be sunny, about 60 degrees and the water will be about 55.  Swim in whatever you bring, wetsuit or not.  Hope to see you there.

niel  

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Rob was out of town, it was raining lightly at my house so I figured that if I went to the beach I would probably be swimming alone and the water quality would be questionable, so, I stayed home.
I will be out of town next weekend but as far as I know Rob will be around.  Watch the Central Coast Open Water Google Group for updates.  I expect to be swimming the 30th.
  
I have joined the San Luis Obispo chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.  I will be joining their Bluewater Taskforce and participating in their water quality testing program in Avila Beach.  Anyone that is interested in this program or any of the other water quality related activities that Surfriders supports can either check with me or read about what they are doing at www.surfrider.org.

niel

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Rob Dumouchel's Triple Martini 10k Swim

Today Rob became the third person to officially complete a Triple Martini Swim at Avila Beach.   This is a 10k swim that gets its' name from the shape of the course; starting on the beach and swimming out along the Avila Pier (the stem) and then at 2 mile triangular loop (the glass).  Do three laps around the glass plus the in and out equals 10k.
We formed up on the beach at 8 AMish.  Rob was going to be accompanied by a entire flotilla of kayaks; Beth, Niel, Allison and Kris.  Beth was in charge of feedings, Niel; navigation with Kris and Allison to lend support as needed. There was the possibility that Rob would be joined by some additional swimmers for part of the swim.  It was sunny and warmish with thin high clouds, a water temperature of 56 degrees and a gusty offshore breeze that would become a major factor.  
Rob began swimming at 8:48, turned right at the end of the Avila pier, doing his first triangle in a counter-clockwise direction.  The wind was gusting and we had some trouble keeping on course on the long (.92 mile) leg from the Poly Pier to the Avila Rock, plus with the low sun and  thin clouds cut down on contract and it was surprisingly difficult to see the Avila Rock.  When we returned to the Avila Pier, completing the first lap, Rob decided to try and improve his luck with the wind by switching to the opposite direction so we headed back to the Avila Rock.  When we approached the rock the wind really kicked up and pushed us seaward of the rock.  The wind gods apparently didn't think too much of Rob trying to outsmart them.  On the leg to the Poly Pier I had to keep my boat pointed 30 to 40 degrees to the right of our course in order to stay on line.  We did pick up several pods of dolphins all around us which we saw for the rest of the swim.  The leg from the Poly Pier back to the Avila Pier was the toughest by far.  The wind kicked up and stayed there, blowing almost directly off the shore across out route and white-capping the chop.  Being up in the wind Beth and I had to work hard to keep up with Rob!  We did better on the first leg of the last lap, though I had to keep my boat pointed towards Pirates Cove in order to keep on course to Avila Rock, and we made a good landfall.  The wind played with us on the second leg, first blowing hard offshore, then dying away completely so we had to compensate for the SW swell that was pushing us towards the shore, and then switching back to offshore about 2/3's of the way to the Poly Pier.  Shortly after starting this leg Allison spotted two swimmers that seemed to be heading out towards us and it turned out to be Duke and Brad.  They caught up with us about 2/3's of the way to the Poly Pier and paced Rob for the rest of the swim.  The last leg back to the Avila Pier was calm.  
Rob started swimming at 8:48 and finished at 12:24 for a time of 3H 36M.  His splits for the three triangles were 1:04, 1:08 & 1:07.  His stroke count was between 47 and 50 for the entire swim.

Rob, wear your Three Martini hat proudly!  You earned it big time today!

niel  

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Avila Beach was sunny, calm and warm this morning.  There had been some pretty good sized swells lining up when we arrived but they were laying down as we got ready.  The water temperature was 56.  Niel, Rob and John were swimming today.  Kris would accompany us in her kayak.  Rick, Dale and Sylvia were happy to enjoy our Californian winter weather soaking up the sun on the beach.  I was feeling kind'a creaky from too much driving for the holiday so I was interested in doing some distance to stretch me out.  Rob, as usual, was interested in just about anything.  John was going to swim the buoy line.  So, Rob and I went out to Avila Rock and back.  This is a 1.5 mile swim.  The water felt warmer once we got outside of the surf zone and the swimming conditions we great.  When we were close to the rock we slid through a gap in the kelp and swam up close the the rock before turning back.  The swell was coming back up  but we did not really notice it while swimming.  John swam the length of the buoy line and got out 5 minutes before we did.  With our stops along the way Rob and I were in the water for 52 minutes.
The weather this coming week could be very wet so Sunday's swim may be canceled.  Keep an eye on the group e-mail for updates.

niel

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Swimming was rained out today.  Too much uncertainty abut how the storm flows coming out of the creek would degrade the water quality at Avila. 
There is a big group planning on joining rob for a Black Friday swim at Lopez Lake.  Distances will be up to 6K. to join in contact Rob at Google Groups CentralCoastOpenWater or  https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/centralcoastopenwater/aXbY3f0KgjU
There will be no deck entries.

niel