Friday, July 29, 2011

Rough Water Friday Oceanside Pier 5 PM








Still we go on with the warm water-I don't remember water warm like this for years.  However, Friday there was a freshness to it, a subtle change from yesterday.  The appearance made one think that the water would be colder, crisper, and invigorating.  Instead, it was a rough slog through 2-3 foot chop all the way around the pier.  I wore my fins and gloves-or else I'd still be swimming out there now.  I had to kick like heck, even with the fins, to swim.  I kinda' like these swims, though.  I like most of the swims.  My favorite swims?
I love the rough, nasty, cold winter swims with big, white waves that kick you around pier.  And conversely I love the peaceful, flat swims with the water glassy and clean.  And I love all those swims in-between with the water somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. 
Today as I swam out I had the chop hitting me on the left side of my body so that breathing to the left side was a face full of water.  Then, swimming back in on the north side of the pier, 'Guess What?' the chop was again hitting me on the left side of my body-giving me a face full of water when breathing to the left.  Surprising-the whims of the ocean and tricks it plays on us.  Always something different and unexpected can be found out there.  We just have to visit and see what awaits.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Training for Oceanside Labor Day Pier Swim









Choppy water today, lots of bouncing around swimming out.  I wore fins and webbed gloves because the body has its aches and pains.  Water temp about 70 again.  Visibility good past the surf zone-about 15 feet.  I didn't see any fish today-I was expecting some since yesterday was so neat with the fish around.  The waves were small inside for the small number of surfers.  A decent training swim.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Fish in Oceanside







So today I finally saw FISH in the ocean at the pier during my after-work swim.  The visibility was good-about 12 feet, maybe more-and I saw hundreds of little fish as I swam back into shore.  This was just after turning the corner at the end of the pier coming in.  I don't know what they are-they look like little bait fish.  Then, about 40 yards from the beach, with the good visibility, I saw a good dozen or more larger fish-about a foot long-drifting around the bottom of the water.