Dolphins Sighted After Tonight's Swim

The second picture from the top shows one fin from one of the dolphins that were eating and playing out a ways tonight.  They were really swimming up high out of the water but I couldn't get a decent photo with my camera.  The beach was pretty nice tonight.  The waves were a little bigger, which broought out about 3 dozen surfers in the pier area.  It was flat out past the surf.  The water had a nice green to the light blue color today.  It felt cold but was probably about 58 degrees.  I wore the fins.  I stopped off the end of the pier to check for current but it was neutral current out there.
I had a 27 minute swim and am still warming up at home an hour later.  Nice water, nice swim, great stuff out here;  we are very fortunate to have this stuff so close to us. 

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

Oceanside Rough Water Ocean Swim

The water was very choppy tonight.  I swam north to south at 4:30 PM or so.  Water temp 57-59 degrees per surfline.com and I think it the upper part (59) of that.  It didn't feel very cold to me.  I got used to it within 5 minutes.  The chop was one foot and up to a solid two foot farther out off the pier.  My neck is hurting now from trying to lift my head up to breathe.  Visibility about 8 feet.  Surprisingly, under a cloudy sky with that chop, there were quite a few surfers, especially on the south side.  Up to two dozen.
I can't think of much to single out this swim tonight.  Thirteen minutes to the end of the pier, with fins, and I hit the sand at 27 minutes.  A nice, brisk, rough water swim.

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

North County Times Neat Dolphin Picture

North County Times Photo

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

Thank Goodness I Got Wet & Cold Today!

I have been on dry land for ten days with a bad cold.  I still have the cough & cold but after work I went for a swim.  My thought process while staying away was to rest up, and today's thought process was to work the lungs and maybe get cleared up.  I was coughing like crazy while in the water; I think it helped.  The water was good.  Twelve to fifteen feet visibility.  Pretty flat ocean past the waves.  Small waves.  A dozen or so surfers at a time. 
Before I got in I saw an older gentleman in his swim trunks jump in the water and get his chill on!  So, I have competition.  I read his lips when he said to his wife, "That water is freezing," as she greeted him with a towel after he got out.  Great for him!  He didn't swim-he just took a dip for a while.  What a gutsy, tough, older guy. 
The water wasn't too bad tonight.  It was cold, but not face-hurt cold.  Surfline.com still has the water temperature at 57 to 59 degrees.  I believe it today.
So, I swam out with trunks, a neoprene hood, and goggles.  The current was there a little bit.  I wore fins because of it.  Just off the end of the pier I started to see some seaweed (kelp) leaves and a bit of debris in the water.  Then I saw a small, child-size, worn-out lifejacket resting about 5 feet below the surface.  It startled me a tiny bit at first, and then I dove down a little and looked around but no other interesting sights.
I had to kick hard and pull hard to get around the end of the pier.  I swam north to south.  Fourteen minutes and I was around and ready to head back in.  I didn't hit sand until 28 1/2 minutes, which lets us know that there was some current action against me-just mild. 
Nice to be back.

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