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Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim
The Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim between Cabrillo Beach and Redondo Beach is a 24.03 km peninsula swim in Southern California around the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
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Pioneering Swim[edit]
On 10 June 2022, Steven Munatones pioneered the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim from Cabrillo Beach to Redondo Beach in 6 hours 1 minutes 48 seconds at the age of 59, escorted by Quinn Fitzgerald. On the same day, Steve Sutton also completed the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim in 7 hours 15 minutes, escorted by his son Ryland Sutton. Both Steven Munatones and Steve Sutton later completed the reverse 24 km course from Redondo Beach to Cabrillo Beach in July 2022.
Palos Verdes Peninsula[edit]
- The Palos Verdes Peninsula is a landform and a geographic subregion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area within southwestern Los Angeles County that is known for expensive homes amidst large tracts of open space with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island.
- It is one of the established start and finish points of Catalina Channel solo and relay crossings.
Origin[edit]
The course was envisioned by Steven Munatones during a Catalina Channel Swimming Federation observer course in May 2022. The Palos Verdes Open Water Swimming Association will govern and ratify solo and relay swims along the northern and southern courses.
Courses[edit]
There are two possible swim routes that encompass five different cities along the course: Los Angeles, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Torrance, and Redondo Beach:
- Northern Course: Round Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim from Cabrillo Beach with the finish at Avenue I in Redondo Beach.
- Southern Course: Round Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim from Avenue I in Redondo Beach with the finish] at Cabrillo Beach.
- The actual swimming distance can be longer depending on the amount of kelp, fog, and marine layer along the coastline and course.
Marine Life[edit]
The course is held amid abundant marine life including blue whales humpback whales, lemon sharks, fish, and giant kelp beds, killer whales, pilot whales, sperm whales, minke whales, fin whales. Additionally, common dolphin, Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, northern right whale dolphin, Dall’s porpoise, California sea lions, harbor seals, northern elephant seals, false killer whales, southern sea otters, kelp forests, and Garibaldi fish.
Conditions[edit]
Conditions can be extremely difficult with oncoming ocean swells, massive kelp beds to avoid, unpredictable currents and eddies, fog, marine layer, stiff winds, and surface turbulence from the Pacific Ocean.
Distance[edit]
The straight-line tangent course is slightly over 24.03 kilometers; however, swimmers must often veer well off the straight-line course in order to avoid impassable kelp beds that hug the shoreline and along the surrounding offshore locations.
Vista Points[edit]
Swimmers can be easily seen from 21 vista points while swimming between 50-400 meters offshore between the kelp beds and the San Pedro Escarpment where the ocean floor drops from 150-250 feet (45-76 meters) to 2,500 feet (762 meters).
Southern Course Vista Points along the Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim[edit]
Vista Point #1. Start at the Esplanade and Avenue I lifeguard station at Redondo Beach
Vista Point #2. Malaga Cove School gazebo on Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #3. 532 Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #4. 612 Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #5. 1109 Palos Verdes N
Vista Point #6. 1616 Paseo del Mar (Palos Verdes Estates)
Vista Point #7. 2020 Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #8. 2304 Paseo del Mar (Lunada Bay)
Vista Point #9. 2736 Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #10. 2832 Paseo del Mar (Lunada Point)
Vista Point #11. Vicente Bluffs Reserve (Golden Cove)
Vista Point #12. Rancho Palos Verdes on Calle Entradero
Vista Point #13. Point Vicente Lighthouse
Vista Point #14. Point Vicente Interpretive Center
Vista Point #15. Pelican Cove Park
Vista Point #16. Terranea Resort on Terranea Way
Vista Point #17. Abalone Cove Shoreline Park by Wayfarer Road
Vista Point #18. Trump National Golf Course (street parking lot)
Vista Point #19. White Point Park (County Beach) Royal Palms Beach on Paseo del Mar (in San Pedro)
Vista Point #20. Point Fermin Lighthouse (end of Gaffey Street)
Vista Point #21. 4034 Pacific Avenue (corner of Pacific and Bluff)
Vista Point #22. Finish at Cabrillo Beach
Northern Course Vista Points along the Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim[edit]
Vista Point #1. Start location: Cabrillo Beach
Vista Point #2. 4034 Pacific Avenue (corner of Pacific and Bluff)
Vista Point #3. Point Fermin Lighthouse (end of Gaffey Street)
Vista Point #4. White Point Park (County Beach) Royal Palms Beach on Paseo del Mar (in San Pedro)
Vista Point #5. Trump National Golf Course (street parking lot)
Vista Point #6. Abalone Cove Shoreline Park by Wayfarer Road
Vista Point #7. Terranea Resort on Terranea Way
Vista Point #8. Pelican Cove Park
Vista Point #9. Point Vicente Interpretive Center
Vista Point #10. Point Vicente Lighthouse
Vista Point #11. Rancho Palos Verdes on Calle Entradero
Vista Point #12. Vicente Bluffs Reserve (Golden Cove)
Vista Point #13. 2832 Paseo del Mar (Lunada Point)
Vista Point #14. 2736 Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #15. 2304 Paseo del Mar (Lunada Bay)
Vista Point #16. 2020 Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #17. 1616 Paseo del Mar (Palos Verdes Estates)
Vista Point #18. 1109 Palos Verdes N
Vista Point #19. 612 Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #20. 532 Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #21. Malaga Cove School gazebo on Paseo del Mar
Vista Point #22. Finish location: Esplanade and Avenue I lifeguard station at Redondo Beach
History[edit]
- On 10 June 2022, Steven Munatones pioneered the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim (northern course) from Cabrillo Beach to Redondo Beach in 6 hours 1 minutes 48 seconds at the age of 59, escorted by Quinn Fitzgerald.
- On 10 June 2022 Steve Sutton completed the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim (northern course) in 7 hours 15 minutes, escorted by his son Ryland Sutton.
- On 31 July 2022, Steven Munatones pioneered the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim (southern course) from Redondo Beach to Cabrillo Beach in 6 hours 35 minutes at the age of 60.
- On 31 July 2022, Steve Sutton completed the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim (southern course) in 7 hours 35 minutes, escorted by his son Ryland Sutton.
