My buddies!

Yesterday the beach was completely blown out by 8 a.m. …… so I was hoping today would be different.  It was a beautiful morning with some wind blowing from the north, but no cane smoke!  I couldn’t wait to get out there.  I was running a bit late and had to wait for parking….so it was about 9 a.m. when I finally got out on the ocean.  I paddled to the boat ramp immediately and was immediately greeted by a large turtle as I cruised in!  It dove just under the water but I could still see it swimming north so I followed it for a few minutes.  There were two kayaks full of tourists and one stand up paddler at the boat ramp, but amazingly enough, I still got to visit with thirteen turtles!  In fact, at one point, the two kayaks and I were surrounded by five turtles all at once!  The tourists were ecstatic!  Then I paddled away and found myself surrounded by three turtles!  The turtles kept surfacing and the wind had backed off making the conditions glassy so I stayed for a while.  The last turtle was such a small one!  A real baby turtle!  Suddenly some clouds rolled in and the ocean got choppy.  The wind was coming in!  I decided to paddle back as quick as I could go since I know how crazy windy it was yesterday….but it quickly became wind swells and white caps!  I struggled along until I got half way past Kam II, and then the wind backed off again.  It was nice conditions the rest of the way back and then it was nice for my swim, until I started my swim back….and the wind came in again!  This time it stayed in and got stronger, blowing sand and beach umbrellas around.  I only stayed long enough to dry off and then it was time to go home.  I hope the wind stays away tomorrow…. until the afternoon…..but you never know!!