Bumpy ride!

I got up about 7 a.m. and looked out the window…….and to my delight, the wind was not blowing!  I hurried with my morning preparations so I could get down to the beach and arrived at 8:30 a.m.  Just in time for the wind to start blowing!  I waited and watched for about twenty minutes or so…..and then the wind backed off a bit, so I went for it!  Five minutes into paddling, the wind came back up and the ocean got choppy but I didn’t want to turn back.  I paddled north into the wind and against the wind until I reached Cove Park.  I wanted to stay out for a while and see if the wind was going to back off again, but the wind just kept blowing stronger!  The wind kept trying to turn me around and I kept having to paddle hard to keep from letting that happen.  Before I knew it, the white caps were forming and the gusts of wind were strong!  I looked at my phone, took a photo, and then let the wind turn me around.  Paddling back was a breeze!  The wind pushed me along like I was nothing……and I returned to Kam I.  I knew it would be a struggle getting my board up the beach with the wind, so I was expecting it.  The wind blew my board against me and I had to work hard to keep going!  Finally I got up to the shower and managed to rinse my board off and sit it down to dry.  I took my paddle to my beach chair and sat for a minute to see if the wind was going to back down. Finally, there was a short break in the wind and I hurried and hoisted my board up onto my racks!  Just as I was going to strap it on, the wind came rolling in again and I barely got my board strapped down.  That was close!  It was so windy but I wanted to take a short walk, so I cinched my hat under my chin and went for it.  The ocean was a rolling sea of white caps by the time I went swimming!  I swam north into the wind and then let it push me back.  The water is recovering from the storm run off fiasco and was pretty clear even though I sensed a slight green tinge to the water.  Hopefully soon, the wind patterns will get back to normal and the ocean will be clear again.  It was a beautiful day despite the windy conditions and I was very glad to get out on my board after eight days being off of my board!  I miss paddling so much when I don’t go out…….