Left for the beach at about 10:15 today. I’m delighted that skies are mostly sunny. I was expecting cloudy skies based on the weather forecast.

I get to the parking lot and I don’t feel any wind but the water is just slightly unsettled.

I’m wondering if cold water exposure can cause memory loss because I’m feeling pretty ok about getting back in today but I seem to recall yesterday was super cold.

Again today coming down the ramp to the sand, I spot a pod of dolphins. I don’t recall seeing them so early the last couple years. Usually I don’t see them until late March or April.

It looks like some rocks got dumped on the shore some time between yesterday afternoon and this morning. Not a whole bunch but there is a sizable patch right where I usually set down my pack.

I trade my three layers of upper body clothing for a pair of goggles from my pack. This is usually the worst part of the swim experience. I am right on the brink, literally seconds, from getting in the water. I start from this warm state and I have the anticipation of a future state that is absolutely not warm. I can’t believe I am doing this and part of me wants to walk right back up those stairs. I am fully conscious of this and I know that as soon as I dive in the water, these feelings will literally float away. Often my first thought after diving in is “thank god that is past me because this is pretty great.”

Conditions are pretty nice out here. Surf is small but not tiny and the water is fairly clear. I can see both Catalina and San Clemente Islands today.

The water feels just as cold as it did yesterday. COLD. Just like the last couple swims, it takes extra time to feel the intensity of the cold subside. I would not call this a particularly unpleasant feeling but then I would definitely not describe it as pleasant either. The best adjective is “intense.” I have pins and needles covering my entire torso and feel like my skin is a separate life form from the rest of me.

Both yesterday and today (and on many other days too) I pass through clear water patches that feel noticeably warmer than adjacent cloudy patches. Of course the clear water is not warm but the less cold makes it feel warm and I am very much appreciative of that.

I see some seaweed in the water and stop to take a couple pics. Since taking pictures, I notice that there is much less seaweed in the water in the late Fall and Winter. I guess its like foliage on dry ground which I suppose should not be surprising.

I’m about 15 minutes into the swim here and it’s just after my body has adjusted. This is the best I will feel throughout the entire swim. I literally feel warm as I float here in the water.

As I head back north I notice the same scuba boat that I saw last Friday but do not see any ominous bubbles in my vicinity. I don’t take any pics now because I am in full swim and do not stop for anything mode. This water is quite frigid. I examine the sensation. I’m not in pain. I’m not miserable. It’s almost as if the water has gotten so cold that it creates this wedge between the feeling of cold and the body’s response. I am thinking of those Alki beach swimmers in their 44 degree water. This is near tropical in comparison. Surfline still says 57 but I’m convinced it is at least 55.

I’m close to my final turnaround point and the first thought that comes to my mind is “I’m gonna make it!” I’ll be done in 15 minutes. What can happen between now and then?

As I near the shore I start to walk from what feels like a thousand feet from the dry sand. I’m sure I’m much closer but it is low tide and the shallow water seems to go on forever.

This inside water is clear and beautiful. I see a Curlew walking on the sand.

I get back to my pack, dry off and put on layers and even put my hood over my head. Anything to get warmer. There is a lot of heavy exhaling on the way up the stairs. Already I’m forgetting how cold it was and am ready for the next swim. As long as it’s not today!