I was going to workout on the elliptical today instead of swim, but the day is so nice and this weekend’s surf could get big from Hurricane Jova which became a cat 5 storm yesterday in Mexico and has moved into our SoCal swell window due to peak over the weekend. Then again who really knows what will happen. At any rate, a swim feels like a good option right now and certainly more pleasant than an elliptical pain amplifier.

I leave at 10:15 and skies are totally clear. Ahhh September - finally catching a break from the morning marine layer.

When I park at the Strand, it is warm and there is just a small breeze. Water surface is very much like yesterday with a bit of bounce but I’m here an hour earlier today and it still feels like morning.

Tide feels high when I step onto what little beach there is. However, the peak (4.9) is not due until late this afternoon so it’s gonna be like this most of the day today. Interesting how somedays the tide just seems to race up the beach and other days it stays put for hours. Something to do with lunar cycles that go over my head and I lack the proper motivation to figure it out.

Surf looks like it might be down just a tiny bit more from yesterday. I see what looks like brown patches further offshore. Might have some more red tide today. Yuck.

I wait out a set of waves and then head out into the water. I’m swimming north today. So far the water looks clear enough of red tide. I see a couple Seagulls just lounging on the water. They don’t seem to be too concerned with me.

When I get to the point, there are several surfers waiting for waves which are breaking not too far inshore from where I am.

Soon I notice the water looking more brown. For a while it is not too bad but then it starts to look thick. Focusing on keeping my mouth closed.

The water feels just a little cooler than yesterday but still very pleasant. It’s pretty much perfect I think.

I don’t see any way around this brown water so I just look out on to the horizon. I lock my sight onto the border where ocean meets sky. I want to let that line be the whole of my reality right now. There is just blue and more blue and maybe just a little brown too.

As I get close to my turnaround point, the water looks to appear clean. The brown is replaced with a greenish-bluish tone and I can peer much further into the space below me. Finally I am pretty much in line with the middle of the golf course and I turn around. I swim toward shore and skirt the border between blue and brown water which is fairly obvious. Eventually I have to cut south because I can only swim so far toward shore but the brown at least seems to be less dense here than further out.

As I get closer to the point, a larger flock of Pelicans flies just a few feet above me. I roll onto my back to see them.

Just a little further now. I see bits of sand and strands of sea grass floating in the water. I watch myself move forward past these tiny objects. As I watch them move behind me it gives me assurance that I am indeed making headway here. Sometimes when I focus on objects on the shore, it feels like I am swimming in place.

I’m trying to loosen my mind - detaching it from memory, from craving and regrets. I see earth tones in the homes and cliffs in front of me that trigger dream like images that float like clouds before my mind’s eye. One moment a dark brown makes me feel like I am 5 and an off white propels me into old age. Time bends in sync with the ripples on this water.

I swim toward land and I wonder what happened to that surf that was here just an hour ago? It seems like there is nothing here now.

As I pass the little lifeguard station at the bottom of the asphalt road, there is a water advisory sign warning of poor quality ocean water. It’s rare to see those at this beach but someone did not take the effort to make it obvious. It’s a little late now for me. When I get home I look online and lo and behold Strands is in the yellow which means that bacteria levels exceed state health standards. Well maybe it’s time for another San Clemente swim soon.