Abigail Fairman - La Jolla Boomerang Swim

La Jolla Shores - Crystal Pier - La Jolla Shores
17.5 km (10.9 miles)
6 hours, 29 minutes on 22 November 2023
Observed and documented by Dan Simonelli
Contents
- Swimmer
- Support Personnel
- Swim Parameters
- Swim Data & GPS
- Observer Log
- Swimmer Statement
- Photos
- Video
Swimmer
- Name: Abigail Fairman
- Gender: female
- Age on swim date: 46
- Nationality: United States
- Resides: Santa Monica, California
Support Personnel
- Michelle Marquez - kayaker
- Dana Page - land crew
- Carol Wortman - land crew
Observer
Escort Vessel
Wilderness System, Tarpon 105, sit-on-top kayak
Swim Parameters
- Category: Solo, nonstop, unassisted.
- Rules: MSF Rules of Marathon Swimming, without exception or modification.
- Equipment used: Textile swimsuit (Funkita women’s trihard single strap one-piece), silicone cap, goggles (Blueseventy Element).
Route Definition
La Jolla Shores (end of Vallecitos Street, near La Jolla Shores Hotel) to Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach (clearing the south side of pier) and returning to La Jolla Shores.
- Body of Water: Pacific Ocean
- Route Type: multi-way (2)
- Start Location: Beach north of La Jolla Shores Hotel (32.855857, -117.258563)
- Finish Location: Beach south of Crystal Pier (32.795814, -117.257511)
- Minimum Route Distance: 17.5 km (10.9 miles) (map)
History
Not provided by Dan Simonelli.
Swim Data
- Start: 22 November 2023, 06:28:25 (Pacific Standard Time, America/Los_Angeles, UTC-8).
- Finish: 22 November 2023, 12:57:25
- Elapsed: 6 hours, 29 minutes, 0 seconds.
Summary of Conditions
Feature | Min | Max |
---|---|---|
Water Temp (F) | 61 | 65 |
Air Temp (F) | 58 | 71 |
Wind (knots) | 0 | 5 |
GPS Track
Trackpoint frequency: 10 minutes. Download raw data (CSV).
Speed Plot
Nutrition: - First feed is at 60 mins, and then every 30 mins after.
- Feeds are predominantly in liquid form and delivered from the kayak via 20 oz Rubbermaid chug bottles numbered 1-6.
- Each bottle equals 2 feeds of approximately 100 calories each, or 200 calories per hour.
- Bottles 1,2,4 and 5 contain a CytoMax/Tailwind blend mixed with water.
- Bottles 3 and 6 are a single Nuun tablet (Fruit Punch) mixed with water.
- At hour 3, I also ate a banana.
- A flask of mint tea was available on request to alleviate salt-mouth.
Observer Log
Feeds:
- First feed: at 60 min;
- Feed interval 30 min
Swim Start: 06:28:25
Wind <3kts E
Calm, flat
Water 61°F
Air 58°F
Mostly sunny
<10mi Visibility
7:30 AM Feed 35 seconds
Wind 2-3kts E Calm, flat Water 61°F Air 58°F Mostly sunny SR 64
8:00 AM Feed 50sec
Wind 3-4kts NE Water 61°F Air 59°F Mostly sunny SR 64
8:30 AM Feed 40 seconds
Wind 2-3kts NE Calm, flat Water 62°F Air 62°F Mostly sunny SR 63
9:00 AM Feed 75 seconds
Wind 3+kts NE Small wavelets Water 62°F Air 64°F Mostly sunny SR 64
9:20 AM Rounded Crystal Pier
9:30 AM Feed, + Banana (paella Thanksgiving chat) Two minutes
Wind 2-3kts NE Calm, flat Water 62°F Air 66°F Sunny SR 64
10:00 AM Feed 40 seconds
Wind 2-3kts NE Calm, flat Water 62°F Air 68°F Sunny SR 64
10:10 AM Wind 5-6kts; N (headwind) .5’ wavelets
10:30 AM Feed 65 seconds
Wind 4-5kts; N (headwind) .5’ wavelets Water 62°F Air 69°F Sunny SR 63
11:00 AM Feed, + tea Two minutes 10 seconds
Wind 3-4kts; NW (headwind)
.5’ wavelets Water 62°F Air 70°F Sunny SR 63
11:30 AM Feed, + tea 95 seconds
Wind ~3kts NW (headwind) Water 62°F Air 71°F Sunny SR 62
12:00 PM Feed, + tea One minute 40 seconds
Wind ~3kts NW Water 62°F Air 71°F Sunny SR 62
12:30 PM Feed, + tea ; med
Wind ~3kts NW Water 65°F Air 71°F Sunny SR 60
Finish: 12:57:25
Elapsed Time: 6:29:00
Swimmer Statement
by Abigail Fairman
The Boomerang (La Jolla Shores to Crystal Pier Return) – November 22, 2023
Since moving to California in 2021, spending Thanksgiving weekend in San Diego has become a beloved new tradition for me. Dinner with old friends, lots of football watching, and since late November is still perfect swimming weather in SoCal, a good “brining” in La Jolla Cove. In 2023, I decided to extend my holiday and attempt another new route in San Diego waters.
I first approached Dan Simonelli in early November 2023 about doing something new that week, thinking the Wednesday before Thanksgiving would be a less hectic day on the water. Dan and I discussed several routes before eventually settling on La Jolla Shores to Crystal Pier in PB and back. This route was well known to both of us, has beautiful scenery above and below the water, and is logistically easier with an easy launch/finish point. And since it was an out-and-back that passed by Boomer Beach, it was coined “The Boomerang.” Even the tracker kind of has a Boomerang shape!
We could not have asked for better conditions on the day of the swim. Water temps were in the mid-60’s, almost no wind, and crystal-clear water with great visibility for the various wildlife that we saw throughout the swim. We made great time down to the pier, and then had to fight a little current on the way back, but the multiple visits from dolphins made it bearable. The only challenge on this beautiful day was an annoying chest cold that I had picked up while traveling earlier in the month. I was fine for the first three hours or so, but it started to bother me a little on the way back and definitely slowed me down a bit. As such, my finishing time was a little slower than I would have liked, but it was still a great way to end a long 2023 season.
Swimming in San Diego has always been special to me, but I have really enjoyed plotting new swims with Dan and seeing how they go. This is the second swim we’ve established in the last few years (Point Loma to Ocean Beach or PLOB being the other) and while neither are unprecedented in length or difficulty, both are great ~10 mile swims that can be repeated by others. Because when it’s all said and done, most of us marathon swimming turkeys are really just looking for a good brine.
Photos
Click to enlarge.