Thor Ascends the Stairs

First swim of the official Winter season today. Left the house at about 11 and I’m making a quick stop in South Laguna first.

I get lots of views of the water along the way. The ocean surface is smooth and the sky is a hazy grey.

Also of note: it is 65 degrees outside. This is the warmest it has been for a couple weeks. Funny that it decides to warm up on the second day of Winter.

People often complain that we don’t have seasons in SoCal. I have been extremely guilty of this in the past. In large part, it is true especially in comparison to other areas in the world. It never snows, it rarely rains and having a 70+ degree Christmas is very normal. I used to loathe 70+ degree winter days. No longer! Dear Santa, please give me a 80 degree Christmas.

So while the seasons do tend to blend together here, I find that there are absolutely seasons at the beach - especially in the water. In the ocean water here there is absolutely a Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Winter and Summer (or early to mid Fall) are worlds apart. And just like in more extreme climates, when Winter comes, it can come suddenly.

While December 21 was the official Winter Solstice this year, it came in early November. One weekend the water is 68 and then it is 60 the next week. It’s 58 now.

Anyways, I finally get to the beach parking lot and I feel ready to swim. I am looking forward to getting into the cold water today. My head has been in a bit of a funk for the past 18 hours and it yearns for submersion.

As I walk down the stairs, there is this guy walking up who is carrying a very large sledge hammer. I have the sense that it is not intended for construction (or deconstruction). I think it occupies some role in his workout routine. I want to call him Thor. I am searching for some witty one liner to send him and what comes out is “Don’t smash anything.” Oh my god did I just actually say that? He does not respond but he may have had ear buds in his ears.

I get to the sand and it is approaching a -1.6 low tide. The sky is hovering the line between blue and grey but it is beautiful and peaceful. There is very minimal surf in the water.

I set down my stuff and get in the water. It is cold.

I dive in and the cold rushes through me. I am swimming into it and letting myself fully feel it. I feel its electric needles poking at the insides of my skin.

The water is still clear. It’s a little cloudier than Tuesday but still very clear.

After I make the initial adjustments to the water temperature, it feels warmer than it has in a few days. Let’s not fool ourselves, it is still cold. However, I feel pretty good throughout the entirety of the swim. The 65 degrees of sun shining on the water may be a factor.

It’s funny how the body (or is it just the mind) adjusts over time to the cold. In November the 62 degree water seemed so cold. Now this 59 degree water still probably feels just as cold but my mind interprets it in a less existential level of intensity. Come march, when we see 60 degrees again, that will probably seem warm like it has the last couple of years.

Its a super great swim.

When I finish, the tide is quite a bit lower than when I started and I enjoy the walk back to the car.