Spring has arrived: Ocean swim 4/9/2022

Its Saturday and I need to leave the house by 8AM so I can be back to watch my 15 month old son by 10:00. Its not supposed to be so hot today and we are expecting some moderate south winds to pick up by mid-morning. It’s sunny at my house but I see clouds in northern Dana Point where I swim. Today will be a good day to hit the water earlier. I keep the backpack at home again because it’s in the mid 60s and I can feel it getting warmer.

As I make the last turn after “down town” Dana Point on PCH approaching Selva Road, I see fog in the distance off the coast. In the parking lot, it has the appearance of a thick fog bank just a few hundred feet out. Fog can sometimes move fast, sometimes go nowhere and sometimes disappear. It’s hard to predict but I hop it either stays or recedes until my swim ends. I have had to end more than a couple swims early due to thick fog. It does not feel safe when you can’t see the shore and you completely lose sense of direction in the middle of a swim.

The air temp is comfortable. Once I reach the water it feels like it might be just a touch warmer than yesterday. As I start the swim I quickly get comfortable. Although the top layer of water does not have the toasty warmth it had yesterday, the water below is clearly warmer. Unlike yesterday there are no “cold spots” and the water just feels like it is at a constant “just comfortable enough” temperature. I would not call it warm per se but there is no discomfort. This is the first day since early December that the water feels truly comfortable over the entirety of the swim.

The water is more textured than yesterday but by no means rough and the water visibility is not quite as clear as yesterday. I can’t really see the ocean floor but I can still make out the taller stalks of kelp.

Like yesterday I take a brief moment to appreciate the beauty and the positive feels at my Salt Creek turnaround point.

Overall, pretty fantastic.

Surfline updates temps to 60–62. Yep that feels about right.