wildwahinepaddler

Oh hello there!

What a perfect day!   Perfect conditions for paddling, swimming, and just going to the beach.  I checked the wind online and it said there would be East winds and when I first went out, there was an East wind blowing onshore, but it disappeared.  It was just beautiful so I paddled straight down to the boat ramp!  The water was glassy down at the boat ramp and a few other paddlers were already there.  I sat for a few minutes and then I spotted a turtle out farther.  I paddled out to it and it hung around for a few minutes and then disappeared down into the water.  After waiting around, no other turtles were surfacing so I headed back.  I paddled back in perfect conditions and ran into a paddling friend coming from the north.  We paddled together down to Kalama Park and three more turtles surfaced there.  This is a photo of the first turtle at Kalama!  It stayed so perfect and we kept our eye out for whales but they were not coming in close today.  It’s fun to watch them out there frolicking around though!  I ended up staying out twice as long as yesterday……just soaking up the perfect conditions.  We paddled back and I decided to go in and get to my swim.  The water was much clearer than yesterday, even down at the reef!  It was a great day all around!!

My one and only!

It was finally a sunny day and one of my paddling friends sent me a text saying she was going out paddling.  I looked out and the wind wasn’t blowing either so I decided to head down to the beach.  The parking lot was a zoo……no parking and then the wind came up while I was waiting to park!  Anyway….. I was there so I was going out paddling wind or not!  I paddled out and a turtle popped up by me.  It bobbed around and then dove under my board and popped up on the other side of me.  I was so happy to see a turtle!  I stayed with it until it swam away and I’m glad I did because it was my only turtle for the day.  The wind was threatening pretty good so I decided to stay close to home.  I paddled north into the wind and came across my paddling friend who was paddling south.  We paddled together north into the wind for a bit and then we turned around since white caps were forming out farther.  We got down to the point between Kam I and Kam II……and my friend decided to head back to Kam II, but I still wanted to paddle!  I paddled north again into the wind and it was pretty fun paddling through the chop.  I got down to Cove Park and then turned around.  The wind blew me home!  It stayed windy throughout my swim but I did make it down to the reef and although it wasn’t very clear, I did see fish swimming around.  Swimming back against the wind was some work but I made it back.   It has been “hit and miss”  for me with paddling lately due to storms and erratic ocean conditions, so I was very happy to be back out on the water!  The turtle was just icing on the cake for me today.  I would be very happy if it stayed sunny and the wind came in later for tomorrow…..we shall see!

After so much crazy weather and ocean conditions…….the sunset last night gave me hope that today would be nice.  It couldn’t have been any nicer!  Sunny, patchy clouds, calm glassy ocean……..even the water clarity was good.  Often after stormy conditions it takes the ocean a while to clear up, but not this time!  I was so glad to be back out on my board and just enjoying the heck out of the day!  Then a turtle popped three times just out from Kam II!  I was so happy to see a turtle!  I paddled on down to the boat ramp and it was so clear I could see fish swimming in the water under me.  I sat there just enjoying the day when I heard a sound from behind me and when I turned around, it was a small turtle bobbing on the surface!  Those two turtles ended up being my only turtles for the day but I didn’t care…..the day was so nice that the turtles were just icing on the cake for me!  I paddled back in perfect conditions and it stayed just as perfect for my swim too.  I swam down to the reef and the reef was clear too!  I saw quite a few fish darting around, but no turtles today.  I think the turtles might still be hiding out due to the storm this past week.  The day stayed nice the whole time I was at the beach and it was still nice when I left.  I have been craving a day like this and today was it!!!

It’s Jaws!

It doesn’t happen often……but when it does, it’s amazing!  Jaws in Peahi has been breaking for a few days now and this is a picture of the breathtaking waves!  The surfers that brave this break are nuts…….but it is getting very popular to surf Jaws.  We are having some strange waves of weather and ocean conditions so I am waiting for some calm days to go out paddling……I miss it so much!

Grateful

I was grateful to get back to the beach today.  It was a beautiful Sunday and I took a short walk and a great swim!  It had been close to three weeks since I was at the beach so I was ready.  I got to swim with two turtles “back to back” too!  It did make me jealous when a stand up paddler came in and reported to her friend that she had seen dolphins and whales!  Hopefully this week I will get back out on my board and visit the sea creatures I love so much……..

Sunset at Kam I

After the crazy swell before Christmas……a whirlwind trip to the mainland…..and catching a serious Flu virus for over a week following our return to Maui…..needless to say, I have been missing paddling!  I’m thankfully feeling much better…..not 100% yet, but at least much better.  Every time I think I am well enough…..my body reminds me I am not yet there!  I’m usually very healthy, but a combination of lack of sleep and a hectic schedule was a sure combination for a weak immune system and BAMMMM…the worst flu I have ever had.  Anyway, it has been very windy too so paddling wouldn’t be happening right now even if I felt up to it.  So it’s rest, rest, rest for this paddler!  Soon I will be back on the water playing with my turtles and that will be a good day……..take care and Happy New Year!

Hello there!

It was a beautiful morning on Maui today!  Well, almost all days are beautiful here on Maui, but today was exceptionally nice.  I had just started paddling when a turtle popped up on my way out!  Then I paddled on south and just as I was passing Kam II, the wind kicked up.  It was windy the rest of the way down to the boat ramp, but then the wind backed off a bit.  I paddled up between two turtles right away!  Then two more turtles surfaced and I paddled over to them.  A paddling friend showed up and then more people began to paddle in, including the pontoon snorkel boat.  We decided to head back because the water was getting choppy and the wind was threatening again.  Just as we passed Kam III, two turtles popped up by the buoy!   Then a third turtle surfaced too.  That was eight turtles for the day!  I got some good photos too.  Paddling from Kam II was a lot of work with the wind blowing from the north.  I had to really work to get back to Kam I!  The wind didn’t back off either, so my swim was a bumpy one.  I swam down as far the reef, but turned around because the water wasn’t very clear.  I also took a walk down to Charley Young Beach and back because the tide was low.  The wind was just not going away today but it still was a beautiful day!!