What a stormy looking morning!  It was gray and pouring rain out on the ocean!  The water wasn’t calm but it wasn’t really windy either so I headed out.  It was strangely beautiful but the water looked dark.  There was a breeze blowing Kona so I figured I had at least an hour before the wind changed direction.   Then the water got glassy about the time I got down to Kam 3!  It was so nice!   I took a chance and continued on to the boat ramp.  The snorkel boat had just left……… Perfect timing!  Three turtles arranged in a triangle greeted me.  I had the place to myself!  Then four more turtles joined us and I was surrounded by turtles!  Suddenly Bumpy appeared right next to my board and bumped me twice.  I swear that turtle is going to climb on my board one day!  Then another turtle surfaced and that made nine turtles for the day.  I sensed there were more turtles around but suddenly the surface of the water changed……. It seemed my luck had run out and the wind changed to north and roared in!  I paddled hard and barely made it past Kam 3!   The white caps were fierce as I headed into Kam2 and I begged the wind to back off…….  But my pleading fell on deaf ears.  After getting doused three times with breaking wind waves…….  I admitted defeat and bailed out at Kam 2!  I was so tired but then had to lug my board on foot back to Kam 1.  It was a long walk back!  This was only the second time in several years that I had to bail out.  The wind was relentless but I did get my swim in.   Of course it was wild so I swam north into the wind until I couldn’t swim anymore!  I turned around and surrendered to the wind.  The chop and wind waves tossed me around all the way back!  I’m not going to lie…. I was happy for the ride back!   The sun just wasn’t going to come out and after some sprinkles of rain…… I packed up and left.  I will not be anxious to repeat that bail out any time soon…… I hope the wind cooperates better tomorrow!