I'm in the water at 9:07 - main beach, Laguna Beach. It's a beautiful sunny morning. I'm so glad there is no fog. The fog never cleared yesterday and it was forecasted to be foggy again this morning. Nope. No fog in sight.

The sun feels super good. My weather app says it's 58 degrees but in the sun it feels like 69.

As I walk into the water I feel like my body is split between two realities. The one below the surface of the ocean and the one above. The one above with the sun shining on its shoulders is trying to come to terms with the fact that it will be imminently joining the one below.

I'm guessing the water temperature is about 58. I am just in front of lifeguard headquarters on the north side of the beach. Bird rock is in front of me and to the right. There are some small waves breaking and the water is clear inside the surf but quickly becomes murky as I start to swim.

I'm heading south simply because I have not yet swam that part of the beach. I plan to swim for about 30 minutes or so and then come directly back.

I'm not expecting anything spectacular like my last Laguna swim. This will be all along densely populated shore front buildings and no rocky, protected coves. Still there is nothing not to like here. Not once did I catch myself thinking anything was ugly or even close.

There are buoys spaced along main beach about 75 feet from shore and I swim just on the sea side of them. Then I pass main beach and swim towards the surf break in the distance that I am guessing is Thalia Street.

I started off pretty darn cold but fairly quickly find a comfortable spot way down deep inside me. It's good.

After main beach their is the hotel Laguna followed by building after building after building. It's lovely. After a ways the water gets very seaweedy. Then I reach the surf break and it cleans up a little.

I'm approaching my 30 minute time limit and wondering if I should turn around. Part of me wants to keep going. I feel good. At 9:39 I decide to turn around.

I can feel my hands slowly turn to claws but I still feel in control and great. I'm facing the horizon now and poke my head up every few minutes to check on my navigation. The shoreline here is kind of on a curve. Directly in front of me in the distance is emerald point I think or it might be the point just past Shaw's cove.

Eventually I spot the Laguna Beach lifeguard headquarters building and later on I see the last northern buoy short of bird rock. I swim to that buoy, around it and then directly to shore.

I head right to the shower. It's ok and has a very nice shower head but someone needs to ratchet up the water pressure. Should I inquire with someone on staff at lifeguard headquarters? Probably not.