First newsletter from Swim California! If you want to follow daily, follow my instagram @catherine.breed and the tracker found on SwimCalifornia.com
The Places
Hi everyone,
I wanted to send a note from the California coast.
We're currently tucked into Noyo Harbor, waiting for a weather window. The coast has been reminding us who's in charge, with sustained winds over 40 knots making it unsafe to continue south. As much as I want to be swimming, this expedition has never been about forcing our way forward. It has always been about learning to move with the ocean. When she says wait, we wait.
The problem that happens is the support vessels cannot safely stay with me in high winds. The big waves push kayakers or our zodiac around and the big winds propel Catalyst our 52ft Beneteau to quickly and hard reverse will destroy the engine before we even make it to San Francisco. Being close to shore does not solve this because one, the winds are still howling there and two, we then run risk of breakers, rocks and wildlife,
The crew is doing incredibly well. Downtime means boat projects, route planning, laundry, good meals, and lots of laughter to keep morale high. Watching this group grow into a true expedition team has been one of the greatest gifts of this journey.
From nicer days
The Lost Coast
The ocean has been unbelievably generous to us. We've been surrounded by whales almost daily, and one of the most unforgettable moments came as we crossed the 200-mile mark when more than 30 Pacific white-sided dolphins surrounded me, weaving and playing within arm's reach. It felt less like we were passing through the ocean and more like we had been welcomed into it.
What has surprised me most, though, hasn't been the wildlife—it's been the people.
First Mate and Water Safety Heather and JC supporting from Ribbet, our Zodiac.
We have seen SO MANY WHALES
The People
One of the reasons I dreamed up Swim California was to stop in coastal communities and create space for conversations about the places we all love. I hoped people would come. I never imagined the welcome we've received.
In Eureka, more than 80 people joined us for an evening with the Surfrider Humboldt Chapter—including the Mayor. The community showed up long before the event, helping with boats, kayaking alongside the swim, offering massages, sharing local knowledge, and making us feel like neighbors instead of visitors.
In Noyo Harbor, over 150 people gathered at the Noyo Marine Field Science Center to hear from the Noyo Center for Marine Science, The Nature Conservancy, and Reef Check about the incredible work happening along this stretch of coast. Afterwards, the Noyo Harbor Inn welcomed our crew for dinner with a level of generosity that left us humbled. Earlier that day I met the Mendocino County Junior Lifeguards, signed what felt like dozens of T-shirts and boogie boards, and answered questions from kids who reminded me exactly why this journey matters.
Then there was Point Arena. People lined the pier to welcome us in with fresh bread, homemade cookies, hugs, encouragement, and stories.
There's a strange feeling that comes with receiving so much kindness from people you've never met. Maybe it's a little bit of imposter syndrome. But I think what they're celebrating isn't me—it's what this journey represents. These communities understand this coastline. They know how beautiful it is, how unforgiving it can be, and what it means to approach it with humility. They've embraced us because they see a team trying to do this thoughtfully, safely, and with deep respect for the ocean.
Those evenings on shore are becoming just as meaningful as the miles in the water.
Instagram Update: Day 24 of being the first person the swim the entire length of California. We crossed 200 miles.
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Yesterday a young girl stopped by the boat and asked if I was the swimmer and he first question was, “is it fun?”
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I had to pause.
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Because no, it’s not inherently “fun”. It’s challenging, exhausting, cold, questionably possible, scary at moments, foggy, rough, frustrating.
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But it is also amazing, connecting, inspiring, teaching. It is beautiful and poetic. It is magical.
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I chose and get to attempt this and in the pioneering of an expedition I got to set the tone.
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The tone is not a battle set to the tune of war drums, I am not fighting the ocean, I am not showing my strength and saying I will conquer you.
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This swim is supposed to be a journey through murky dark waters into crystal clear blue. It is supposed to stop at land and answer little girls questions. It is supposed to teach me something. It is a journey of a team growing with each other to make this happen, as we all have our own take aways. It is supposed to work with the ocean every step of the way. It is supposed be awe inspiring at times.
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It is supposed to be poetic. It is supposed to be a love story. I believe there is something beautiful about pushing the limits of the human potential while exploring nature in such a vulnerable and intimate way.
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Entering this place with that in my heart, I believe, has made this possible. Today as this pod of 30+ white sided dolphins played and circled me within a foot of me, I felt that the ocean was celebrating 200 with us.
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So to answer the young girls questions simply, yes it is fun.
The Story
From the very beginning I hoped this swim wouldn't feel like a battle against nature. I never wanted it to be about conquering California or proving that I'm stronger than the ocean. I wanted it to feel like a journey with the coast—a chance to move through wild places, meet remarkable people, answer little girls' questions, and discover what the ocean has to teach us if we're willing to listen.
To learn what issues our coastline needs our help with so we can start paying the debt we owe. If you recreate in this space, it is your duty to help protect it.
I think that's exactly what it's becoming.
We've also started sharing more of these stories from the water and from the incredible community partners helping protect California's coastline. Our friends at Allez! Sports put together a wonderful feature from Humboldt, which you can watch here:
Thank you for believing in this dream before there were any miles behind it. Every conversation, every harbor, every sunrise, every whale sighting, every community event, and every stroke south has been possible because of your support.
If you want to chip in for a meal or some fuel, donate HERE!
The winds will settle soon.
We'll point the bow south again.
And we'll keep swimming.
With gratitude,
Catherine
