Pier Swim with Fins Today

Lots of people visiting the beach today.  The sky was blue and the water was good on the south side of the pier.  About 25 surfers were stretched out in the late afternoon surfing big waves.  Waves up to 7-8 foot at the biggest, I'd guess.  Most 4-5 feet.  The waves looked like there was an offshore breeze blowing the curl up, making them look pretty, but the breeze was onshore, as is typical. 
I wore fins and walked south a ways to find a small spot in the waves to get out through.  Even so, the rip close to shore was flowing northward very strongly.  Funny thing was that I swam out smoothly northwest toward the end of the pier, I was gliding effortlessly and peacefully.  When I got to the pier I swam into a new current that was moving southward-this is past the pier now.  The water also got dirty-it was the street runoff from the drains that was in the water-the oily, gravel taste of the street.  This is how the water was off the end of the pier and the rest of the way in.  The beautiful water was a couple of hundred yards south of the pier late this afternoon.  It was glorious there. 
Coming in a rough wave knocked my swim goggles off so I need to get a few more pairs.  I walked back in the water knee-deep and collected seashells on my walk back to the pier.  I got lots of good shells.  It was a very good swim for me today.  Good for my body and my mind.  Glad I went.

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

Rainy Oceanside Pier Non-Swim Swim

I didn't make it to the water Friday, when I was off for Veterans Day.  Too much low back pain.  I wish that I could figure out whether the swimming helps the pain or exacerbates it.  However, regardless of that answer, I'd still have to get into the water for other reasons.  One of those reasons is the old saying that I remember from years ago, that I have begun to write at the close of my web entries. 
Today we have rainy weather and I went to the beach to swim.  I took some pictures before entering and some of the shots have raindrops on them.  The water looked beautiful; all one needed to do was eliminate the rain from one's view.  There were surfers stretched out along the beach both north and south of the pier because the waves were big and beautiful.  The waves were coming in at shorter-than-usual intervals but with a beautiful, curved shape to them-excellent for the surfers. 
There was a big problem though, making it a day for the higher level swimmers and surfers, i.e., there was a very strong rip current to the north combined with crashing, strong waves one on top of the other, making it very difficult to get out past the breakers.
Well, there were no high-level swimmers, as usual.  I got in on the north side of the pier and worked for a bit to get through the waves.  Beyond the waves the ocean appeared flat and good for swimming.  However, after fighting the incoming wave power and flowing with the rip current, I decided that it wasn't going to happen for me today.  I only stayed in for ten minutes.  In that time I was moved about a half-mile northward.  Sometimes it's better to pack it in and be safe.  The surfers seemed to be going through a similar decision-making process.  They were going in, being moved up the beach, and getting out-some of them.  The best guys were able to get through the stuff and ride 4-6 footers, at least. 
At least I tried, and that can be enough at times.

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

Cold, Glassy, Sunset Pier Swim-Oceanside, CA

Today the water was completely different from yesterday; it was flat and glassy out there-great for swimming.  I'm still holding off on the wet suit and I was very cold coming in today.  I was wishing that I just could be beamed up and out of the ocean without having to finish the swim.  I had a beautiful view of the post-sunset, horizontal-striped, colorful sky as I swam out and a bright full-moon view on my way in.  Really cool scenery.
I even noticed when I was out past the pier that there was a blimp flying southward at about 400 feet or so.  I don't know what that was all about-maybe the Goodyear blimp?
The waves were small for about a dozen surfers-but they know how to work 'em to get the most out of a small wave. 
A gorgeous, colorful evening at the beach.  Tomorrow I won't be swimming because I work until 6 PM - after sunset.  But I guess that I'll be back at it on Friday.

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

Channel Swims, Marathon Swims, etc

Honestly, I just don't know how the long-distance swimmers can do what they do in the open water-with the rough conditions, the effects of the cold water on one's ability to swim, problems with visibility due to waves, etc.  I am getting a better appreciation of the difficulties of doing a swim of a few miles or a swim across one of the Channel Islands, or the Catalina to Long Beach crossing. 
It is tough out there.  With the cold water now-probably 58 or 59 - the body quickly doesn't want to perform.  The hands chill up and the fingers don't want to stay together during the arm pull; the legs just want to hang there and don't want to flutter kick; and keeping on direction gets tougher.
Tuesday's swim was fine, but I only swam for 31 minutes.  Without a wet suit, think of the swimmers in colder water swimming for several hours...Just amazing.
I swam north to south and guessed correctly-with the current.  I've been watching the surfers and the direction in which they face in the water.  The chop was 1-2 feet.  The last two swims of mine I swam through the surfers coming in even though I was looking out for them to avoid them as usual.  It's hard to see with the chop now.  I rounded the pier before the sun set and had a view of an almost-full moon coming in. 

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