Bold and Brazen

I sleep in this morning until 6:00 and then check the strands web cam. The cached thumbnail view is totally hidden in fog. No no no! Then I click play for the real-time footage and I see surf. Ok this is promising.

My original plan was to swim in Laguna Beach today so I check the Aliso Beach cam (clear) and the next one north, Crystal cove which is also clear but with an ominous fog bank close to shore.

Out of curiosity I check Newport and Huntington Beach and those are completely socked in. Well let's hope things hold in Laguna.

My Laguna plans change and it turns out I'll be swimming local instead. I periodically recheck the strands cam and things are still clear. The sun is out too. Delightful.

I'm out the door at 7:45. It is cool out but not cold. When I get to the beach parking lot, I can't see Monarch point. There is a diagonal line of thick fog running along the northern coastline. Things look clear from half way up strands all the way south.

I'm here now and I'm not going to let this stop me. I just hope the fog doesn't completely swallow the beach before I am done.

Not a lot of people here. It is beautiful and peaceful. The sun is shining and slightly softtened by the vaporous horizon. There is a mix of fading and building south swells in the water. It looks a touch bigger than yesterday. I can see clear lines of surf marching one after the other from the south west.

The tide is just coming down from a moderate high. On the shore I look south to the cove at the end and it looks like a very faint cloud is nestled just above the sand and below the headlands.

The water feels gently cool. I march right on into the surf. Surely now on the tail end of October, the threat of sting rays has lifted. I take bold and brazen steps forward.

I push forward off the floor and I am swimming. The first thing I see below the surface after the plain sandy floor is a string ray scurrying off into the distance. Well I guess one can't be too careful.

Despite the foggy northern horizon, I'm swimming north. I'm just going to take my chances. I can see the blurry point this side of three arch bay.

The water and sky are a lovely bright but soft blue. The water is just as not too cold as it has been for the last fortnight.

I see a group of Sand Pipers flying over the water. Hmm, I've never seen that before. I always see them running on the sand just at the water's edge. I'd love to get a picture of them out here but they are so small that I would need to be really close.

I'm making my way toward the lifeguard tower and soon pass it. I keep an eye on the beach club and that northern point seems to come and go behind the fog.

I breath on my sea side and wonder if the fog is getting closer. I'm seeing a lot of fuzzy white. More so than blue. I look forward and the beach between me and the beach club looks especially misty.

I'm swimming closer to shore than usual. I come across a pair of surfers that seem to be positioned farther out than ideal. I can see the shape of a wave transitioning from bump to a well defined face but it doesn't look like they are close to breaking yet.

I carry on and the detail of the beach club is coming into focus. Monarch point looks clear from here. It's beautiful. I see a group of surfers sitting far in shore from me. Wait…those are beach walkers. As the waves roll between me and them, I lose sight of their legs.

Wow, here I am. That went fast. I see two boats out past where I am now. One is a large fishing tour boat with people lined all along the side. The other is a smaller commercial fishing boat with what looks like lots of lobster traps stacked up in the back.

Way out near the point near Three Arch, I can see waves breaking and rolling along side the cliffs. It's probably not a good day for snorkeling out there.

I turn around and start to head back south. I now breathe facing the shore. I enjoy taking in the greens and browns and blues in front of me. It all looks so vibrant.

Not a whole lot going on beneath the surface today. I see a couple schools of fish. The bottom is just light and shadows.

Soon I see surfers scatter shot across the water far ahead in front of the Ritz. I look behind me and the fog is coming back. I see that larger fishing boat and it is about half visible through the mist.

I swim closer and closer to the surf pack. I'm only about 20 feet in front of them. Maybe more. It's not like I bring a measuring tape out here. A wave comes and I watch one taking off.

Oh that fog is starting to take over the northern half of salt creek. I swim just to the end of the point and now it's swallowing up the entire Ritz Carlton hotel. Maybe I should get a move on.

I head into strands and reach the Niguel shores estates. The beach seems to grow darker. Looking east I don't see the oncoming fog but I can sense it as the luminosity fades.

The waves break closer and closer as I ease closer to shore. I get to just in front of my finish point and hope to intersect with a set of waves. I don't.

I stand myself up and that's that. What a great swim. I feel warmer than when I started. I wonder just how many more weeks of moderate temperatures we have in this water. Could be one or could be fifteen.