Thursday, January 22nd, 2026

Niel's Thursday Morning Swim Report - 

This morning I swam four crossings between the Avila and Poly Piers. I may have done this route before but I'm not sure. The swimming conditions were wonderful: The sky was full of rain clouds but only a light sprinkle fell. The surf was 2 to 3 feet, there was no wind and the water was smooth. The air temperature was 53° and the water was 58°.  

Twice I had a flock of seagulls straff me. I guess the gulls were checking to see if I was stirring up something for breakfast.  At the showers I saw a few birds diving on bait fish between the piers, I have not seen that activity in more than a month. 

It was nice to not have the wind blowing while I was changing.  There is a lot of bamboo on the beach that must have come from someplace up the creek.

I'll swim Saturday at 7 AM with the group.

niel 

Tuesday, January 20th, 2026

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report - 

It was sunny in Avila with thin high clouds and a steady offshore wind. The numbers were 39° and 57° but the water felt colder than that to me.  The surf was 3 to 4 foot. The largest ones were forming a nice short left near the pier.

      

I did a counterclockwise tour of the Poly Pier and the Reef Buoy. The wind chop made leg from the P. Pier to the Reef interesting.   No drama getting in or out. 

I'll swim at 7 on Thursday and Saturday.

niel

Saturday, January 17th, 2026

Niel's Saturday Morning Swim Report -

Niel, Paula and Eileen

We got in the water at 7.  The air temperature was 40°, the water was 56°, there was a light offshore wind, the surf was 4'+ and the water was nice and clean. We were all interested in something shorter than usual this morning so we did a triangle and got on with our days obligations.

I'm planning on swimming this coming week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7. 

niel

Friday, January 15th, 2026

 Tom's Friday Swim Report -

Clear blue skies, slight breeze blowing offshore, and four foot + waves. The air temperature was high 50s and the water temperature was about 54°. The conditions and the swimming were excellent. 

Thursday, January 15th, 2026

Niel's Thursday Morning Swim -

Today's conditions were an air temperature of 41°, the water was 57°, the waves were 4 foot and soft, it was high tide and the ocean was lumpy. The water is clean with good visibility.

I got in at 7 and swam a couple of triangles. The bump on the water was big enough to make each leg a different kind of swim.

The shore has taken on its winter configuration; the berm is steep and the bottom is a series of trenches and plateaus.  When I was almost out of the water I was in a three foot deep hole just short of the sand. I could have crawled out but I waited for a wave to pick me up and push me over the lip and onto my knees in 6 inches of water.

The group will swim at 7 on Saturday.

niel          

Wednesday, January 14th, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

The beautiful winter days continue… Blue skies, low 50s air temperature, and a slight breeze blowing offshore. There was a 2 to 3 foot wave with a clean left peeling off next to the pier.  The water temperature was mid 50s. Good morning swim. 

Tuesday, January 13th, 2025

Niel's Tuesday Morning Swim Report - 

I swam a variation of the loop that touches at the reef buoy, the end of the Poly Pier, and the second crossbars on the P. Pier.  I added the end of the Avila Pier to my swim from the end of the P. Pier to the second crossbars. This would make the route longer than its usual 3,200M but I didn't know by how much. It turned out to be an additional 900M for 4,159M.

At 7 AM it was clear and brightening with the sun about to show above the hills behind Pismo Beach. There was an offshore wind that put some character on the water, the surf was 4 to 5 foot when I got in and 2 to 3 foot when I got out. The air was 53° and the water 56° to 57°.  When I got out the air temp was 71°.  Other than the choppy surface on the water it was very quiet out there. 

The choppy conditions provided some nice instructions for me about my swimming form. Twice my lower back bagan to feel tweeky and I found that the chop had caused my posture to become floppy and unpole like, getting myself back into a pole like posture made things right.     

This was a great ocean swim. 

I'll be back at 7 on Thursday.

niel 

Monday, January 12th, 2026

 Tom's Monday Morning Swim Report - 

Another gorgeous winter day at Avila.  Blue skies and thin wispy clouds, smooth water with a decent size swell kicking up 5 foot set waves.  The air temperature was low 50s and the water temperature was mid high 50s. Beautiful Monday morning vitamin. 

Saturday, January 10th, 2026

Niel's Saturday Morning Swim Report -

Tom taking before photos

January is when the Central Coast gets it clear and cold days. This morning in Avila Beach the air temperature was 33°, the water was 58° to 59° and there was talk between Niel, Jodi, Tom and Paula about the advantages of putting on your wetsuit at home (Jodi and Niel) instead of changing at the beach (Tom and Paula). We were all hoping that we'd feel warmer in the water.  The ocean was pretty flat, there was an offshore wind and the surf was 1 to 3 foot. Water samples collected athe the SL Creek Mouth and at the beach by the Blue Water Task Force on Thursday tested at low levels for bacteria so the water had cleaned up since the last rainstorm and we would not need to worry about bringing something extra home.

Getting in, the water felt comfortable. We grouped up about where the buoy line would be and waited for a Harbor Patrol boat to cruise down the beach towards us and to head out to sea before continuing to the end of the pier. 

Niel, Tom, Paula and Jodi meeting the sunrise the the 'buoy line'. 

We decided to swim to the end of the Poly Pier and to come in along the pier.  At the second crossbars we swam to the end of the Avila Pier and came in to the beach from there. 

The area around the showers was all in shadow. The concrete was the same temperature as the air and not kind to bare feet so changing was done as quickly as possible.

Tom's birthday is Monday so there were brownies after the swim. Tom will be 66, but there was only one candle in the package of two so he may get to negotiate a do over next year. 

I'll swim Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday next week.

niel
 

   

Friday, JAnuary 9th, 2026

Tom's Friday Morning Swim Report - 

Beautiful blue skies and wispy clouds, slight offshore breeze and a 3 foot plus wave rolling in. The air temperature was low 50s and the water temperature was high 50s. The swimming was excellent. 

Thursday, January 8th, 2026

Niel's Thursday Morning Swim Report -

I followed in Tom's strokes today by swimming around the rock. Conditions were beautiful, at 7AM it was sunny with scattered clouds and 45°.  The surf was 1 - 2 foot

and the wind hadn't yet come up in Avila so the water just was rippled.    

The sun was coming up just to the right of the Avila Rock which made my navigation easy. The water was about 58° inside the Avila Pier and out at the rock but 56° - 57° in between.   

After being out of the water for a week this was a very nice day back.

The Saturday group will swim at 7:30.  

niel

Wednesday, January 7th, 2026

Tom's Wednesday Morning Swim Report - 

Around the rock Wednesday.  Beautiful morning at Avila. Blue skies, scattered thin clouds, and a slight breeze blowing offshore. The air temperature was mid 50s and the water was slightly warmer. The water was pretty much cleaned up from the storm and the swimming was excellent.

Tuesday, January 6th, 2026

Tom's Tuesday Morning Swim Report - 

Blue skies, scattered clouds, and a lot of debris washed up on shore.  There was a mixed up swell rolling in and the tide was up at 5.6. Air temperature was low 60s and the water was high 50s.  The water was still a little murky from the storms, but not so bad that it kept me out of the water today. I can only stay out so long. It was a good far east Swim.  

Friday, January 2nd, 2026

Tom's Friday Morning Swim Report - 

King tide, gusty winds, and rough water swimming.  The wind brought a heavy chop on the water and it was pushing hard from the southeast. There was a very cool cloud cover with blue sky showing through in spots. It was a wild morning Swim. 

New Years Day 2026

Niel and Tom's Thursday Morning Swim Report -

Tom Israel and NieI got in the water at 8AM. The water and air temperatures were 58°. The wind was out of the SE, it felt like rain but wash't at the moment, there was a +6.86 king high tide and the water was stormy.   

The surf was 3 foot with a 2 foot chop on top. It was high tide so the waves and chop were pushing towards the beach.  

We decided to swim out until we were even with the barrier on the Avila Pier, turn left and swim to Fossil Point, swim back to the end of the Avila Pier and to come in from there.  

The water temperature was comfortable but the swimming conditions were 'combative'. Swimming out ment being constantly hit by the chop and the waves. I began thinking how swimming across the swell would surley be easier.  It was easier, but I never found a rythym that worked with the waters tempo so I just swam and embraced the washing machineness of the swimming. It was hard to keep track of each other. It took a minuite or more of looking before I would see an arm and know where Tom was.         

At Fossil Point

Tom and I had fun and felt like we had accomplished something in just 2,100M. 

It looks like the rain will be light so the Saturday group will swim at 7. 

niel