Fri Evening Oceanside Pier Swim

OK, now enough is enough of this dirty water. Let's get this rain stopped and the sand pumping finished so that my ocean can be clean again. I'm tired of the water that gets you sick. So why did I swim the pier today? Because I had to. The water was rough and powerful and it was hard to swim with the big chop constantly in my face. One of those days when you really have to pull your head up out of the water to quickly snatch a breath. Or drink some sea water. I drank a bit in my first few minutes, threw up, and was ok after that. Only thing is now I have had this strong heartburn since. Boy, the stomach sure does produce good strong acid, that when mixed with a bit of sea water, burns the esophagus pretty good.

Well, I took 60mg of Pepcid when I got home and drank a ton of water.

O'Side Pier Thursday Big, Rough, Dirty Water-FUN

So with the raining intermittently for the last week, the water is dirty. It has been rough but Thursday, late afternoon was neat. Waves were almost continuous, little interval between waves and surges. Out there the swells were in the 4 to 7 foot range, I'd say. It was not as washing-machine rough as yesterday but still no piece of cake. I just love the smoother swells past the breakers before they break! There's something special about being in that power that just floats on by you, lifting you up and down gently as it passes you, only to develop and crash ten seconds later closer in.

I tried to get pictures of the big waves coming in-there are a few pictures where one can appreciate the size of the waves. Still, it's always bigger when you're in it.

I know that the dirty water is going to get me sick, and this morning I have a head cold. My sinuses don't drain and that dirty water gets stuck up there and brews. I just hit the inhalers (nasal and oral), the antihistamines, etc. and pay the price for the thrill.

Many more surfers out there yesterday, drawn by the big waves. Those guys and ladies amaze me; they RUN toward that water; they just can't wait to get into the big stuff.

I took several pictures that I'll post here.

My swim was strenuous but relaxing. No pain, except for one time when a four footer crashed into my head and it felt like it jarred my metal bar in my spine to the core. Felt like it might loosen the darn thing. That's what I get for not ducking under the big ones.

Safety gear: fins, webbed gloves, swimmer's safety vest (yellow for visibility to watercraft).

Oceanside Pier Rain On & Off for a Few Days

So, with the rain over the last week on and off, the water has been dirty and stirred up--so no swimming for me. Today I felt the need to get in to eliminate my saline withdrawal symptoms. I parked at the south side of the Pier and took a few pictures. The tide was up and the water was a washing machine mess. Only about six surfers trying to find a rideable wave, and half were young ladies.

The water was nasty rough, very difficult to crawl through it. I was dizzy and seasick by the time I was coming in the last ten or fifteen minutes. I puked my guts up repeatedly when I touched sand; I'm not sure whether that was from drinking too much sea water or seasickness, or just having the water kick my butt hard.

But it was just what I needed because I feel much better now; I was really down in the dumps without my fix of freezing water and misery. Then it started to lightly rain again on the way home. That means that there may not be simming tomorrow. Doggonit!

And, by the way, who are those two intrepid fellows braving the surf without wet suits...That's about 57 degree water there.