ROHTO IRONMAN TRIATHLON OCEANSIDE CA April 2, 2011

So, the parking lots at the beach and harbor are closed to us locals this week as the city prepares for this weekend's Ironman Triathlon. I feel a bit sorry for the swimmers who have to swim their 1.2 mile segment in the Oceanside Harbor. That water is tainted with fuel from the boats there. I don't care for the fuel smell while I swim. The ocean at the Oceanside beach has been rough and dirty over the last several weeks so that is not looking too good either for a nice swim. I think that the Camp Pendleton Beach would be a great swim spot but several years ago a man drowned during a triathlon swim off the beach there, just north of the Oceanside Harbor past the long, rock jetty. That jetty keeps the water in the ocean cleaner on Camp Pendleton than just a half-mile south in Oceanside and the Oceanside Harbor. Water temps have been about 57-58 in recent weeks and a thin wet suit really is recommended. There's a fellow up north in Avila Beach, near San Luis Obispo, who swims the ocean regularly year-round with no wet suit. Check out his web site at www.robaquatics.com In my blog here I have lots of pictures of the water at the beach in Oceanside, CA. I swim the Harbor and the Pier a lot. Check 'em out. Good luck to the triathletes this weekend. The bike ride course on base should be beautiful.