Another Question about La Jolla Cove

Ron, how does the Nite Swim work? Perhaps start at the Cove and swim toward the lights at the shores or pier? Kayakers involved? We went this morning at 6 with the kids. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.

Eric Here is a map of the Buoys. I`m planning on a Tuesday late afternoon swim ( around 6 ). I`ll be swimming from the lifeguard tower @ La Jolla Shores, to the B buoy, to La Jolla Cove. My wife drops me off and then watches for me at the Cove. I could give you a ride back to your car. Friday is the clubs Nite Owl Swim,...around 8 .www.lajollacoveswimclub.org/.../courseMap.jpg

Hey Ron, when you swim shores to the cove where do you get in? I heard the swim described as a mile, I imagine it depends on where you get out. My relay gets out at the lifeguard tower. I swam at the cove this AM...to the B buoy and back. I took 21 min on the way out and 14 min on the way back, which leads to another question: Is there a prevailing current working against you on the way out? Last week my splits were almost dead even. I would love to believe that 14 min half...I did swim it hard, I took a few minutes getting my breath back. Since salt water is more buoyant... could I infer that all other things being equal, I could swim faster in the ocean? BTW, the conditions were wonderful, I could see the bottom almost the entire way... have not done that before....even the kelp got out of my way.

I`m not sure how they start and finish it,..I`ve not participated in it before. Me thinks they wear glow sticks under the goggle straps, but don`t actually stay out much after dark. Last night ( 6:30) I swam from La Jolla Shores to the white 1/4 mile buoy, to the B buoy and then into La Jolla Cove,..1.2 miles,...it was almost dead calm and the water was incredibly clear. I passed over two leopard sharks in the shallows and then way out there a stingray (?) passed under me like an airplane,..went thru a school of mackrel chasing bait fish and then near the cove garibaldi, and one BIG bass. It took me 36 minutes,..tracked it on a gps. When I learn to post attachments here,..I`ll show you the course I actually took.

Ron, have you ever used your GPS to gauge the distance from the Cove to the first "white" buoy? I've been told it is the 1/4 mile buoy, but I've also been told it is longer than 1/4 mille. Thanks. Regarding your crash...glad you came out of it okay. At low tide those rocks are really scary, and make entering and exiting no fun.

Here is a journey of mine from the Cove to the B buoy,..the angular change mid course is the A buoy. trail.motionbased.com/.../6199515

It is 3/10ths of a mile to the A buoy ( I think). The round trip, Cove to A to B to A to Cove is 9/10ths

Well, I swam from the cove to the shores for the first time today...what FUN that is! Indulge my newbie excitement...the funny thing is, those distances do not LOOK far anymore, the mind is a curious thing... So the B buoy is only...how very dissapointing. Thanks for the GPS thing, very illuminating..do ever get anything approaching a straight line? or is it all hunt and peck? P.s. It is a heck of a lot easier to do without fog, though swimming inthe afternoon the waves were more of a pain... YEAH!!

Eric I always try to swim in a straight line,..I take 20 strokes and then look"up" searching for a landmark.

"Hey Ron, when you swim shores to the cove where do you get in? I heard the swim described as a mile, I imagine it depends on where you get out. My relay gets out at the lifeguard tower." When I swim from the Shores, I enter the water at the main lifeguard tower. Next Saturday morning I`m taking a class on how to efficiently swim long distances with a kayak escort, and plan on swimming from the otherside of the Scripps Pier to the Cove. Aug 3, I`ll be swimming the 5 Mile Tour of the Buoys. "I swam at the cove this AM...to the B buoy and back. I took 21 min on the way out and 14 min on the way back, which leads to another question: Is there a prevailing current working against you on the way out? " Yes,...the "flight" back from the B Bouy is almost always a little faster. "Last week my splits were almost dead even. I would love to believe that 14 min half...I did swim it hard, I took a few minutes getting my breath back." I "crash " landed at the Cove a month or so ago,...on my way back in I got globbered by a wave,..it could not have been timed better. After I surfaced in the foam,..the rip-current was fierce,..I was within 10 yards of beaching,...a lifeguard came dowm the stairway with a rescue can. Finially another wave pushed me up to his feet, I started to get up and he told me to stay dowm,,immediately another broken wave pushed me beyond him and past some rocks. The rocks scared me, you could get hurt being washed into them. "Since salt water is more buoyant... could I infer that all other things being equal, I could swim faster in the ocean?" I think so! Especially if you wear a wet-suit. "BTW, the conditions were wonderful, I could see the bottom almost the entire way... have not done that before....even the kelp got out of my way." Life is grand!