Oceanside High School Graduation at the Pier

     Don't you hate it when you're tryin' to be looking like a big, macho, old guy (still hanging in there with the young dudes), and you hurt something (like a foot) and you really want to allow some free, outward expression of the pain, but that would ruin the picture of yourself in your mind.

     What the heck?  You hurt yourself and you want to scream and fall over is what I'm getting at.

     I did this neat swim just now and the tide was coming in and covering up some of the big boulders under the pier.  The water is three feet or so and you're really not supposed to walk under the pier next to the boulders when the waves are hitting you and some boulders and rocks are not visible.  I pretty much always
walk under the pier in such conditions.  So, the Lifeguards recognize me, and know that I just swam around, so none of them has ever talked to me about that.

     Back to the pain.  Wow.  I was half-way through under the pier and hit my left foot hard on a big rock and had to suck it up--because I'm walking right in front of the windows in the Guard Office.  I'll still do it next time anyway.

     The Pier was hectic with the Oceanside High School Graduation going on tonight at the Pier Amphitheater.  Interestingly, lots of security, and the security company was "wanding" everyone corralled through their wooden barriers.  I got away fast so no photos.

     The water was warm at 68, greenish-blue, and flat outside.  Just two series of 2-3 foot waves to get past.  My swim took 38 minutes because it seemed like the incoming tide mixed with the mild current to the north made me feel the swim outward.  Heading in was easier.  Just a beautiful, free swim at the Oceanside Pier.


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

Big Waves Coming In with Strong Rip Current to the North

The plan was to swim out past the breakers but no way today.  There is a big swell coming and the beginning of it is powerful.  Oceanside had a very strong rip current from the south to the north and the waves were breaking left in the same direction.  Waves were way too powerful to try to attempt to get out past them.  We relaxed and kicked out a bit but before the strong surf zone we stopped.  The current had quickly pulled us north (left to right) in a matter of fifteen minutes or so a few hundred yards.  The water was beautiful, warm, and relaxing.  Not many beachgoers in the water.  Too dangerous.

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

Rough, choppy water at 5 PM Monday at the Pier

A 25 minute swim out into rough water.  I didn't have the energy to make it out to the end of the pier.  The water was warm.  Some families were enjoying playing in the surf.  Little kids love the waves crashing all over.  I'm glad I got in.

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

Neat Triathlon Coming Up

http://www.hardcorpsraceseries.com/triathlon-duathlon


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

Sunday Rough Swim 45 minutes

Sorry, no pictures. I forgot the camera. The beach was not very crowded due to cooler temperatures and overcast skies.  The water was a 2-foot chop coming into the beach strong at a diagonal.  I swam out at the bottom of Surfrider Way and went hard out off the end of the pier.  It took me 30 minutes.  It actually was kind of fun because I really had to get into going after it with the chop and current.  I felt good.  Then on the way back I got lazy and swam easy back to the same starting point.  That took 15 minutes because the water and waves were pushing me in.
Warm water, about 68 degrees, pretty clean, nobody at with me at all; just like I like it.  For me it was my best swim in a while.


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