Went to the beach and swam in it today!

[chet]

The water was as nice as it's been all year and I couldn't resist. You could see in it and it was just cool enough to get relief from the hot, humid air we're faced with right now. Usually I wait until sometime in August to take a dup.

[Rocker AK]

I bet that was a relief. It's been brutally hot and humid here and it's going to get worse. I wanted to go to Myrtle Beach this year, but it's not going to happen with all the work going on. The beach is nice, but those South Carolina girls tear my nerves up. I don't know what it is (something in the water) but they are as nice as they can be. I love their accent too. And after taking in all that nice "scenery," I can drift off with the waves crashing in the background. It doesn't get any better than that. Hope you had fun!

[markothefish]

I went swimming last week in Cape Cod Bay and the water was freezing !!!! It cooled me off but man it was cold.

[chet]

Yeah, down here it's right on the edge of being too cold to swim in. When you first get in it's like "No way!". It's bearable after you just go ahead and dive in.
I was worried a few weeks ago because we've had some wierd issues with water quality. A lot of dirty water with brown scum on the surface. There were all kinds of rumours going around as to what was causing it but now it's gone.
It's just the ticket on hot humid days like we're having now.

[TJNY]

I hope it's clean when we come down in August!! Love the Jersey shore!!!

[captain gorgeous]

apparently all the clouds you're missing from the states are on holiday here in the UK.

it's been kerrazy wet and unseasonally chilly.

i'll jump in the sea at any given opportunity. went skinny dipping in brighton on new years ever a couple of years back. that was... bracing. there was snow on the beach as i recall.

[AnthonyV]

Lived every summer in Wildwood for over thirty years (not to mention working as a lifeguard for 18 years) and the water has always been warmer in August and September. However the warmer water often brings pods of jellyfish anthe off shore summer storms bring in seaweed - which I can deal with. Been there a few times over the last 20 years and the water off of Cape Cod usually feels more "chilled" throughout the summer regardless of how hot it is. Cape Cod is really nice and all but I'll take the "quirky" character of the 130 mile stretch of Jersey Shore every time. Some people might not like it, but I enjoy being on a crowded beach and hearing the sounds of amusement rides and spinning wheels on the boardwalk... I especially like the powerful smells of sausage, hot dogs, and pizza from the boardwalk making it's way to the beach. Throw h in a fresh bottle of Coppertone and you got the perfect setting for a day "down the shore" here in Jersey!

[chet]

Can't wait to get down there after work tonight. You can bet your boots that I'll be taking a dip. It's hot and humid today!

[neocaster]

We have a week scheduled later this month. I'm hoping to learn to surf this year in OCNJ. Thanks for the update.

[chet]

I dig the surfers. A guy was telling me that you have to be in good shape to be a surfer because of the paddling.
I'm too afraid of the Sharks to be a surfer.

[neocaster]

I'm deathly afraid of the sharks, too. Let's hope they aware of my poor taste. Maybe I should carry a picture of my Antigua RI Tele. A lot of folks think it's indicative of bad taste.

[maestrovert]

the Gulf's right out my back door....water temp today is +84f

[markothefish]

Originally Posted by AnthonyV

However the warmer water often brings pods of jellyfish anthe off shore summer storms bring in seaweed - which I can deal with. Been there a few times over the last 20 years and the water off of Cape Cod usually feels more "chilled" throughout the summer regardless of how hot it is.

Due to the strange weather conditions this year Boston Harbor was teeming with jellyfish , not that anyone swims in the Harbour...

[aznrambo481]

I went bodysurfing yesterday, might go again tomorrow. I ususally go bodysurfing, but if the waves are small I pick out the boogeyboard. I tried surfing once, got the hang of it but liked bodysurfing better. Weather's perfect. Ocean's nice. Waves are kinda slow-breaking now, which makes it hard to bodysurf...

[chet]

Originally Posted by neocaster

I'm deathly afraid of the sharks, too. Let's hope they aware of my poor taste. Maybe I should carry a picture of my Antigua RI Tele. A lot of folks think it's indicative of bad taste.

I caught one at about dusk about a month ago at the swimming beach I was at last night. It was about 3 1/2 feet long. I was trying to get the hook out and it was able to snap at me like it was a snake(turning it's body around).

[aznrambo481]

A seal popped out of the water about 3 feet away from me yesterday, scared me so badly!

Occasionally dolphins come by... nothing cooler than seeing them out there.

[neocaster]

I was swimming on Martha's Vineyard early in the season many years ago (I suppose it was about 15 years or more ago) and it was still chilly. I had crabs going for my toes. I was scolded by my father for my colorful vernacular.

[slauson slim]

Swam at Manhattan Beach, LA County on Sunday. Water 68 degrees. Lots of surfers out too. Very fine beach day with my wife.

[chet]

We had a strong onshore wind today which caused about a 10 degree cooling at the beach. The surf was too rough for me to swim in. I'm not a strong enough swimmer to handle the potential rip currents that take swimmer out 300 yards.

[chet]

Wow!! The water was great today! At least as warm as any swimming pool with some great waves to dive around in. I'm gonna take my goggles tomorrow.

What with it being "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel I was very nervous...

[TG]

We went over to the coast a few days ago and lounged on the beach awhile. It was nice, with great views out to the Aran Islands, but no way was I going near the water. Bloody freezing.
You can't fool me with words like 'invigorating', 'refreshing' or 'bracing'.....it's cold.

It's a far cry from Pensacola Beach where I hung out in the early '80s.

[chet]

I went swimming again Friday night after work. I stepped on something I think was a fish. We have several fish that lie on the bottom at this time of the year. The worst is the Cow-Nosed Ray like what stung the guy last year. Hope that wasn't what I stepped on. After that....

I was fishing frozen Bunker off a jetty and something took it. I struck the fish and got a good hookup. He took line in short bursts then sulked out off the tip. He wouldn't come in and I knew I wouldn't be able to land it with all the rocks around.
I decided to give it some slack line and worked my way off the jetty towards an open beach. Luckily the fish followed in the direction I was going and swam laterally from the beach.
The fish wouldn't give ground and I was afraid it would try to break off on the rocks on another jetty to the north. I was also afraid the hook would pull. There were a lot of waves being generated by the strong south winds and the fish took full advantage of them.
The tackle I was using was pretty heavy duty- my 12' Okuma Solaris Surf casting rod and my Penn Squidder filled with 20 lb. mono. I really thought it was a big striper- over 30 pounds at least.
I had been wading and swimming at a beach a couple of blocks away and the water was pretty murky. I couldn't see very far even though I had a pair of goggles with me. The water was a pleasant relief from the intense heat and humidity we had today.
The fish fought for all it was worth and I saw it's white underside in the third wave. I still hoped it was a nice Bass and knew I would release it ASAP. The fish finally came into the breakers and me and the small crowd saw it was a Shark.
I think it was a Brown or Sand Shark. It had a tail that looked like a Thresher but I didn't want to kill it for identification. An excited guy with his own rod was trying to take the hook out but I told him to keep away because i knew the fish could inflict a nasty bite very easily. The fish didn't squirm too much tho' cause i think it was exhausted from the fight.
I found that the hook had somehow wound up beside it's head not too deep into the skin. I think it was hooked in the mouth at the start of the battle but I felt it pull out when the fish was in the breakers.
I decided to try to break the line on the leader but the hook pulled out when I jerked the line. I was able to guide the Shark back out with the butt end of my rod and he swam back into the surf.

[Nick JD]

Nice waves today; water was nice and warm:

Eleven am today it was like this. Not too crowded either.

[neocaster]

I just got back from a misspent week in OCNJ. Got on a surfboard for the first time and actually got on my feet a time or three. The water was as warm as yellow pool water, easily 73 degrees. I'll be back down there next weekend, then another week in September.

[chet]

Eh....watch out for the Sharks...

As for me- I think I'll stick to fishing from now on.