I left the house a little before 10:00 and it looks to be shaping up into a solid clear day. We had rain the first half of the week and then big surf and dirty water yesterday, but today looks like a go for a swim.

As I pass Doheny on the way to Strands, there are still no surfers in the water and it still looks brown. It must still be recovering from last week’s sewage spill.

When I get to the parking lot at the Strand, I can see a hazy Catalina in the distance but the skies are completely blue. The water has quite a bit of texture. I would not call it choppy and the breeze is pretty calm. The surface just looks very active and bouncy.

When I get down to the water, there really is no beach to walk on. We are two hours away from a modest 4 foot high tide. It amazes me how low the sand level is against the bluff.

The walk to my usual launch spot looks doable with some occasional thigh high bits to wade through when the surf rushes in. I’m not too worried (maybe just a little) that there will be nothing to swim back in to an hour from now when the tide is higher. One thing I have noticed with the low sand level is that there is far less variation in water level over the change in tide. I figure the water level will be very close to what it is now when it peaks.

There is a lot more surf today than there was Sunday. In other words there is more than 0. It’s about 3-4+ feet. What is unique about this west swell is the waves just keep coming at a constant tick. There is hardly a lull between sets. If you look down the beach, you can just see wave after wave rolling in to shore.

I hike my way down to my usual spot and climb up a fair number of rocks to put my pack in a well protected spot.

I get rid of my shirts, grab my goggles and head to the water. Conveniently, I’m basically already there!

I just take a few steps in and then start swimming. The waves are breaking way outside today so it feels like it takes forever to get past the surf. However, this is an easy task. These waves just seem to crumble and then lose almost all steam until they reach shore. So while there is a lot of whitewater to negotiate, it is pretty gentle stuff that I hardly even need to dive under. I just push right through it. It just seems to go on and on and on until I am past the surfline.

I do get past. You know, the temperature is not that bad. Of course my expectations have taken a nose dive over the past few months. However I think we are on a solid trajectory to reach 60 maybe - MAYBE - by the end of the month? Every once in a while I break into a patch of clearer water and I feel a sensation that I perceive to be warmth.

Just like it looked from the parking lot, it is certainly wobbly out here. It’s like being in a pool after a crowd of kids leave. As I make my way south it feels like I am being pushed along by a steady stream of waves. If I pause to look up, I can see these wakes rolling on by. I also wonder what the trip north is going to be like when I am against this stream.

I stop just a little shy of my usual southern turnaround. The southbound swell is getting stronger, rougher and looks to be breaking not far from the cliff so I turn around as I line up with the southern cement ramp at the end of the walking trail.

I head back up north. I would not say it is a fight. This water is bouncy but lacks any chop that can make things feel like a high intensity struggle. I feel a steady force rolling against me but after some time I look east to see where I am and I’m delighted to see I a making good headway.

I had thought of making it a short swim due to the high tide issue but what is an extra 20 minutes going to help and I feel really good temperature-wise. So I go ahead and head to the northern bathrooms.

After turning around to head back, I feel that assist from the current again. Eventually it is time to make a 90 degree left turn and head to shore.

It’s pretty much what I expected. Just a touch more difficult to walk over the surf drenched floor than when I got here. I climb up the rocks to my pack. I’m cold but not in a crisis so I’m feeling pretty stable. However I do sit down on a rock to towel. It’s a super nice view from here.

I determine that the best route back to the asphalt is going to be along the makeshift shale path at the top of these boulders. A few weeks ago I started packing an old worn out pair of flip flops for when the beach is totally covered with rocks. I still have not used the sandals yet but today I am very happy to have them.

I climb up a few feet of boulders to this path and then sort of stumble my way across to the asphalt road that leads to the stairs.

I see a surfer just about 10 feet off shore who looks like he is struggling with finding a piece of sand to land on at shore. I am hoping that he knows what he is doing. He makes it eventually and then runs to the asphalt during a brief clearing of surf.

We strike up a conversation and he comments on how cold the water has been this winter compared to recent years. I love hearing this and feel validated. Why yes, yes it has been cold. He says, “Can’t it at least be 60?” That does seem like a fair request indeed.