What’s up with rip tides?
Conditions practically mirrored yesterday. Again, my android weather app is telling me its “partly cloudy” and should be mostly sunny by mid-morning. Well I stand here now to say it never happened. It’s interesting when you live so close to the coast, you notice that you live in a sort of micro-climate that can change quite a bit if you drive just a mile East or even less. The weather can be significantly cooler and windier on my evening harbor walks than it is at my home less than 5 miles away. My mom texted me at 10:30 to tell me the sun was coming out at her house (because she loves me and knows that I care about these things). I don’t doubt it but that was not my reality just a few miles away.
I was gonna wait but it was getting close to 11 and I couldn’t wait forever - so off to the beach. As I turn on to Las Ramblas and look Eastward toward the San Juan hills, there was blue sky and I could see Saddleback mountain. However the beach was not having it.
Conditions nearly mirrored yesterday except the ocean surface was smooth and glassy and there was even less surf than yesterday. It was a good swim. I let my mind float with me on the water. Near my turn around point on the South end of the beach I got stung by something on my arm. A very gentle sting but definitely something. I really do wonder what this is. It’s happened a few times and usually in this same area, but I don’t see any jelly fish. Maybe it is a very small jelly fish? I don’t know.
About a third of the way back up north I pass a dolphin. I just see one and it’s kind of poking its snout up toward the sky. I stop as I often do when I see a dolphin and just float and watch until it is gone.
When I get to the Northern turnaround toward the end of the swim, I can see some hazy blue sky just beyond the Ritz Carlton. This excites me. Will it show up for my walk up the stairs? The answer is “no.”
As I walk past the lifeguard tower which is un-personed most of the year and just opened up during week days last week, there is a sign with the weather and surf conditions. There is also a cautionary note about rip tides. What is up with rip tides? I remember when I was a kid in Jr. Lifeguards being warned about the terrible dangers of rip tides. I have been swimming in the ocean now for 2 years and have forgotten about that. I have never felt caught in some current I could not escape but I have to think of the hundreds of times I have been out, I must have encountered them. I’m just looking at the picture I took of this sign and see now that it says “Ask me any questions.” Oh I have questions.
