Against the Current

Lots of people down at the beach/pier area enjoying the day.  The water is warm enough for jumping in, and some folks were enjoying it.  Not too many surfers because the waves weren't very big. Let me check surfline.com now:  62-65 degrees. Wow.  That's summer temperature.
I tried to figure out the current and looked at fishing lines, the direction of the surfers' boards, any movement of swimmers in the water after being washed over by a wave, etc.  The outside water looked like it was moving southward but the inside water had a definite northward movement, even when I went in on the south side of the pier, the water was flowing northward.
So, I swim out, expecting to be going with the current, and the farther out I get, the stronger the current is moving from north to south.  I had a heck of a time swimming against the current to reach the pier and get around and past it.  The folks watching from above must have been wondering if the swimmer would ever get around the pier, because I was wondering it myself.
I checked my watch at the pier--28 minutes to get there--that's a long time.  I hit the beach at 46 minutes.  I had to pull hard with my skinny arms.  There was also a lumpy, one-foot chop to the water.
So, all in all, it was a good workout, ending just before sunset.


"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Winter's Over-The Water is Warm

I had a good swim after work today, Friday.  Warm, clean water. I swam south to north with a decent current and a mild chop to the water. The water was clean and refreshing.  I really let it hang out and stretched out my stroke.  I didn't need to breathe much on the swim; my air was very good.  39 minute swim.  I took the long way around the pier.  I felt very free and relaxed.  I have some pictures.  I take my pictures before my swim when I walk around and on the beach and pier.  Today as I was taking photos from the sidewalk some wise guy yells out the window of his buddy's pickup truck to me, "Yep, you're in California now."  So, I suppose he felt that I was a tourist and he had the superiority of being a "local."  I would like to have gotten my hands on him.  I just yelled back, "Yeah, it's great."
He's lucky that I'm such a mellow guy nowadays. 

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Kicking with Churchill Fins Around the Pier

No camera today because I didn't intend to swim after work.  However, I drove by and the water was enticing.  It looked rough, with a current going northward.  I wore a rash guard t-shirt because I have my 2 swims with bathing suit only done for the week.  A little luxury for me.  My body wasn't up for swimming so I kicked around against the current with the fins.  The water was clean with waves 2-5 feet.  Good visibility for here.  The sky was partly to mostly cloudy with some blue sky.  The sun was occluded by clouds but it had that look where some little bit of the sun's rays shoot through the cloud openings in straight lines that look like a scene out of a religious painting.
The inside water was greenish blue but the water took on a deeper blue mid-pier and farther out.  Rippled water surface and gentle 1-2 foot swells with long intervals between swells.  It was nice to be able to relax and see it all.
There were 4 helicopters flying around the area; I don't know why.  The water was warm-probably 62 or so.  A big group of surfers lined the waves on the south side; they were stretched out in a line about 200 yards, taking advantage of big, beautiful waves-about 3 dozen surfers-and some with no wet suits.
A nice swim to work the legs and stomach with kicking it out with the fins. 


"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Monday Evening Oceanside Pier Swim

The water is warm now; probably 62 Monday night.  A tiny bit colder outside but coming back in I felt that the water was too warm.  So, I guess winter cold water is over (maybe).  I had a lazy swim on the way out with no energy.  On the way back in I was tired and lazy-no rhythm-so I kept reviewing Psalm 23 in my mind.  I got it memorized and it took my mind off my laziness;  I think it got me in quicker.  I took some pictures but did something wrong with them-can't get them posted.


"The first time you quit is the last time you try."