North Star

I left at about 10:45 today. Still overcast. Dana Point really has not seen much sun this week. I doubt it will come out at all today. It didn’t come out yesterday. It kind of came out from about 1 to 3 on Wednesday. I’m here with open arms Mr. Sun! Please shine down on me.

Well at least we have warmth. The air doesn’t feel half bad. I try not to let the moisture on the ground from the drizzle earlier in the morning fool me.

As I drive by Doheny, the ocean looks about the same as it did on Tuesday when I last swam - ruffled and dreary. The waves look a little smaller today than they have over the last couple days. We had a moderate south swell peak yesterday and it is supposed to be slowly fading today.

When I get to the parking lot all of my usual spots are taken but I’m still pleased with the space I choose. I am strapping on my shark deterrent ankle band today. I hope this thing works. I’m going to tell myself that it does. It does!

I can see lines of swell rolling in as I walk down the stairs so there is still a little bit left out there. I can see them breaking as I near the bottom of the ramp. Looks like we have lost some sand. There is a 1.5 foot drop off to the shore from the end of the ramp. Tide is about to hit a modest high of 3.6. Looks like there must be some red tide in the water judging by the brown stained foam rolling over my feet. Well, it might not be pretty, but it feels pretty good. It doesn’t feel exactly warm but I can tell it’s a step up from Tuesday.

I make my way out into the water between sets of waves and oh yes. It is warmer. We are actually venturing into a zone I would not even classify as “cool.” This is down right nice. I’m gonna say 65 and that’s conservative. This is the warmest water since last Fall.

It’s not clear but it’s not particularly grimey in the water either. It’s blue which is a color I like in the water. Certainly better than brown. I’m swimming south and I am just letting myself enjoy this water. My shark jitters are down a couple notches today too.

I can feel myself fight the current all the way to the south end. It’s not intense but there is definitely some stiff resistance. There are faint patches of foam all the way up and down the beach that stretch well out past the surf today. It’s weird because it looks like maybe there were recent breaking waves here but I’m almost certain that is not the case. Those would have to be some big waves to break in water this deep.

I’m looking for Bob Marley (the buoy) and I don’t see him anywhere. Did they move him? That guy I saw Tuesday who was setting it up seemed so cheery and friendly as if he was maybe new and delighted with his luck of finding a job in the water, unjaded by the stresses and frustrations he will surely encounter in the weeks to come. Maybe he didn’t do it right and his boss made him relocate the buoy and thus begins the end of his new-job honeymoon.

I get to the south end of the swim and the foamy water is even further offshore now. I’m keeping my eye out for rouge waves.

On my way back up north I spot Bob. Oh good. I hope my buoy planting friend is still having the time of his life and greeting all the other beach goers with the same enthusiasm he showed me.

Just as I suspect, the swim north goes quickly now that I am on the other side of the current. I am truly enjoying this swim. As much as I have appreciated its impact over the last few months, there is no cold water meditation today. Today I bask in the decadence of SoCal summertime water even if the sky looks like Winter.

When I get to the north end of the swim, I can see one of the newer buoys way way out there. I figure, why not, and I aim myself west and head for that buoy. When I reach it, I see the buoy is unnamed but has a big star stamped on it. Lots and lots of kelp right here. The kelp leaves are all so fuzzy. I’ve been noticing a lot of that for the past week or so.

Now that I am so far out, the swim “home” feels like it is directed more to the east than south as if I am heading straight to shore. Oh this water is nice. Hopefully this is the beginning of a beautiful trend that soon ends in the 70’s.

Before you know it I’m done and walking by the lifeguard station that opened up some time during my swim. The posted water temperature reads 63. Nope. That was not 63.