Oceanside Labor Day Pier Swim Training Saturday July 9

So I went to the beach to swim Saturday afternoon about 4:30 PM. Too early for me. I usually wait for the crowds to be gone but I figured that I'd park far away and walk down. I take pictures first before I swim; sometimes I drive the pier area first and sometimes I walk the area taking pictures. I drove back and forth through the stop-and-go Pacific Street traffic, which was a mistake. I took some photos and ended up back some blocks away from the water parking for free.

The amphitheater had a Samoan Day festival going on, and the music was nice.

I had wanted to do a training swim for the Labor Day swim, which for me means no fins and no webbed gloves. However, the water was rough, and I'm a "safety first" guy. I observed the water on both sides of the pier before I went in. I was trying to assess the direction of the current. It is difficult at times here to guess the current far out. Inside the surf zone there was a rip current moving north on both sides of the pier. Far out it appeared that the current might be moving north, but the surface movement was equivocal.

In retrospect, I could have swum without fins starting on the south side and swimming north. There WAS a significant current out past the pier moving south to north. I could have had a decent training swim by swimming south to north. The surf zone was pretty rough but that could happen on race day, so the more experience in a rough surf zone, the better.

Instead, I swam north to south with the fins and gloves. I stopped off the end of the pier and the current swept me north; I watched the pier pilings as I was pulled so I could see the effect of the current. The past few days the current ran north so that's probably what I should have done-swum north. Sunday, I'll probably try the swim northward without gear if it's not too rough.

Oceanside Labor Day Pier Swim Sep 5, 2011 "To Swim or Not To Swim"

Annually, the Oceanside Swim Club hosts an event at the Oceanside Pier to raise money for the good work it does. This year's swim will be held on Sept 5th. I have not swum in this event as of yet because I have never wanted to pay the entry fee for a swim that I do so often. However, this year I think that I may spend the money, get the t-shirt, and wake up early to do the one-mile swim.
Really, the money has not been my primary obstacle to participating in this event. The reason is that I don't like to get up early on my days off. That's it-I need my sleep on the weekends. I HAVE swum the pier for free later in the day on previous Labor Days, but it's just not the same, is it?
So, the question of "to swim or not to swim" is one that I can't answer at this time. I know that I should do it, but I also know how pathetically lazy I am early in the mornings. I know that soon I'll start to see a few ocean swimmers here and there doing the pier in upcoming weeks as they prepare for Labor Day. When I see them each year, I feel a bit of territorialism, or localism, for these swimmers in the water at MY beach.
It's probably high time that I write the $35 check for the swim and put it in the mailbox, eh? Maybe I'll do it right now...
DONE! I'm In!

Friday Swim After Work 5 PM Oceanside Pier

The tide was high and the waves were messy but up to about 3-4 feet. The water was a little cooler than yesterday, which was refreshing, but there were warm patches throughout the swim. Choppy-about 1 foot. The current was mild-north to south. I swam into the current intentionally but no big deal today. I got around the pier pretty quickly today. The Friday evening crowds were coming into the pier area to stroll around as I was leaving. It was a beautiful day. How lucky we are to have the beach so close and accessible.

80 Degrees at the Beach Today

The heat and humidity should be breaking after today, I hear. The ocean is still warm. They say 67 degrees but it feels warmer. Low visibility and very choppy & sloppy water today. I swam the pier with fins and webbed gloves, fighting the 2 foot chop. It was ok, nothing great. Here's a few pictures.

Learning to Swim in the Ocean, Oceanside Pier

Our weather today was warm and humid compared to the usual "just about perfect" weather. The beach was 78 degrees air temp with mild to moderate humidity. So, I was looking forward to a crisp, refreshing swim in the ocean and the ocean was TOO WARM again. What the heck...

This just doesn't happen here. I guessed the water current direction correctly today after observing the motion of flags in the mild breeze, people in the water standing up and backing up in the same direction to maintain their positions, the surface of the water, and the breaking of the waves.

I just wore the Churchill Slasher fins today-no webbed gloves, no swim cap. Now, after all of the swimming that I have done, one would think that I might be improving. I don't know. It seems that the more I swim the mystery of swimming efficiently and properly confronts me. The chop of the water today-about a good foot or more-hurt the swimming exercise today. However, it's more than that. Today my body position was not flat on the surface-the legs and feet wanted to sink below the surface. The arms didn't cooperate. Should I extend my reach farther in front or not over-reach? Why does the old "S" pull of the arms always want to return automatically to haunt me? Should I rotate my hips more or less when I kick? Etcetera, etcetera...

When the chop is up, I need to time my breaths with the rise of the water and throw in a strong, timed kick to get my head up high enough as I rotate my head to the side to inhale air, not water. There's a bit of body-surfing the wave there when swimming in the ocean. Each day is a learning experience-or stagnation-or trying something different. How about you?