Another beautiful August Friday in Dana Point. I left for the beach at 10:30 and the skies had cleared at my house at about 8 and by the time I got to the Strand parking lot, it was sunny skies with a receding cloud bank way out West.

As I walk down the stairs to the beach, all the boxes are checked: warm - check, sunny - check, smooth ocean surface - check, sense of being transported to paradise - check!

I get to the beach, walk to my usual “launch” spot and head into the tiny surf. Surfline reports 3-4 feet but that is not what I’m seeing.

The water feels good. Similar to Wednesday it starts out cool but very comfortable and seems to warm up in the second half of the swim. Again, I suspect this is more a matter of perception than outside reality.

The water is clearer today. Almost right off the bat, a school of fish swim right by me. These fish definitely are attracted to the warmer water, I never see them below ~65 degrees.

At the South end there is lots of activity at my favorite group of rocks that remain just a couple feet below the water except at very low tide. I swim for a while here and see lots of the silver/translucent fish, a Garibaldi and a large Star fish.

I turn around and head North. It’s such a great day and I am feeling very grateful to be here. My mind feels relatively clear and I let go into my breath and the surrounding water.

Happy to see Bob Marley is still out and about. I literally swam right into it. How does that happen? I have the entire ocean here and I just so happen to bump into this lone buoy. There are just 2 buoys remaining. I wonder when they will be retrieved. The Winter before last, one buoy remained all year. Maybe it got forgotten. I enjoyed its company. I should have brought out a black marker and wrote Wilson on it.

Just about 100 feet past Bob, I turn around to finish. The predominant current is definitely flowing South today. Just before I get into shore I see another school of fish and real up close this time.

Alas, the swim and beach time come to an end and I head to the car. Until next time Mr. Marley.