Ball Park Figures
I left at about 11:00 and the morning overcast seems to have mostly burnt off. Yesterday Surfline adjusted the water temperature to 68. 68! Well hello Summer. I’m really looking forward to this swim.
The breeze has picked up a bit from the early morning calm (as it always does) but it is still mellow. There is some texture on the water but that’s all it is. What is more important is that the sun is out.
As I approach my parking space I’m holding an inner debate as to whether to swim north or south. I begin to realize that I am giving this debate far too much mental real estate and just decide to swim north since I have not gone that way for a while and have no serious time constraint today.
It is quite pleasant out. The water looks lovely as I walk down the stairs. I can see a mix of different shades of blue in the water and can kind of make out where the outcroppings of rock and kelp are scattered about.
When I get near the shore and pass the lifeguard stand, the water temperature is posted at “~64”. Still 64? I know this means nothing. At least they have included the approximate symbol to allow for a little extra leeway.
The beach is pretty well populated and I can see why. I make my way out into the water. It doesn’t feel significantly warmer than previous swims. I don’t know why I was expecting spa-like conditions. I should know by now that these temperature readings are just ball park figures. Still, it’s quite nice.
I’m heading north according to plan and am trying to keep in line with the end of Monarch point. The water is not choppy, well maybe just a little bit, but it is pretty active. Lots of up and down and back and forth and swish and swash but it’s not a struggle at all to make headway. I think I am swimming against the current as I head north even though it seem like I can see wakes of water moving in my direction. There is a lot of debris floating in the water. I can’t really tell what it is. It’s organic material of some kind. Also lots of loose sea grass floating about.
It feels like it takes forever to get down close to the Monarch Beach club. That’s totally ok. I’m not in a huge hurry and if I’m going to be anywhere then this is a pretty nice spot to be. The end of this bay gets closer and closer slowly but surely. There is still some lingering cloud cover about and it rests over the point. The light fluctuates darker and brighter and darker throughout the entire swim.
The swim back definitely goes by much faster. Based on my picture timestamps, it took 55 minutes to get to my turnaround in front of the golf course and about 35 to get back. It’s also nice to stare at the shore on the south bound journey.
I cross the point and pass three of the junior guard buoys: Big Bob, Big Bertha, and the unnamed buoy. I don’t know why but they delight me.
When I reach the end, there is something about the water and light right here that is sort of magical. The sky is reflected bright and clear on the ocean surface and the clouds mute the light just enough so there is no glare.
Well that’s it. A pretty uneventful swim today but uneventful can be just about perfect.
