wildwahinepaddler

Perfect beach day!

Wow, and it was so perfect!  Sunny skies prevailed with just a hint of a breeze blowing from the north to keep things cool.  I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day to paddle all the way down to the boat ramp!  As soon as I paddled in to the boat ramp, my first turtle appeared.  There was a kayak with two visitors in the area and me, and it was early so the boats were not coming in yet.  Two more turtles surfaced so I paddled over to them.  Just about the time I got to them, two more turtles joined them and I was surrounded by four turtles!  Suddenly three more turtles surfaced too!  Then I looked down and there was a turtle swimming underneath my board too.  Turtle # 10 popped up right next to me and stayed with me for a while.  Then boom, and turtle came whizzing by me popping its head up to look at me!  I hoped it wasn’t being chased by anything…..but after I had watched Soul Surfer on my flight back from California….I took an extended look just to be sure!  Just about the time I was going to paddle back, turtle #11 and 12 popped up too!  It was a great turtle day for me, and the conditions stayed perfect all the way back too.  I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but today was plenty enough birthday present for me!!!!  By the time I swam, the wind had kicked up and it was a rough water swim but I didn’t care.  What a great day!!!!

Nice day on Maui!

It was a bit overcast, but still very nice on Maui today.  It was my first day back out on the water since Feb. 1st!  The ocean was glassy and just a slight breeze was blowing.  I paddled down to the end of Kam II and then ran into a couple of paddling friends.  They were on their way back and pointed out the threatening clouds that were forming in the direction of Makena, so I decided it would be best to stay close since it was my first day back.  I paddled back past Kam II and Kam I, and then made sure I paddled for at least an hour, and then came in.  It was so peaceful out there!  The conditions stayed nice all the way through my swim too.  Then the clouds came in and it was completely overcast and it started to rain!  That was my cue to go home…..maybe tomorrow???

Nice sunday sunset!

I can’t believe that I have been sick for almost a week now.  I can’t believe that I have not been out on my board since Feb. 1st!!!!  I really want to feel better!  I sure hope things turn around for the better this week….:)

But I came home really sick!!!  It looks so perfect at the beach, but I am not up to paddling just yet.  I’ll keep you posted…..I am very glad to be home!

mary

Beautiful day!

It was a spectacular morning to paddle.  Beautiful weather and calm conditions prevailed!  I was so happy to get out since I will be out of the ocean for a couple of weeks.  I am traveling to San Diego for my grandson’s 3rd birthday! I enjoyed paddling down to the boat ramp and was immediately welcomed by three turtles!  I was surrounded!  Then I paddled out a bit farther and suddenly two turtles surfaced, one on each side of me!  I couldn’t stay too long, although I wanted to, because I had a bunch of things to get done today before traveling.  Just as I decided to paddle back, a big turtle surfaced and I hung around with it for quite a while! Conditions were still ideal when I paddled back with just a bit of wind kicking up as I started to come in.  Swimming was nice too.  It was great to have six turtles saying good-bye to me today!

Wow, what a perfect day on Maui today.  Sunny skies, no wind and warm water, just the way we like it!  Conditions for paddling were perfect and calm.  I enjoyed paddling down to the boat ramp.  As I was passing Kam III, I noticed some bubbles coming to the surface in a couple of places so I decided to investigate.  I followed the bubbles for a little while and saw some bright blue colors from down below.  It turned out to be two scuba divers!!!!  Oh well!  At the boat ramp I was welcomed by a large friendly turtle.  It stayed with me for a few minutes going down and surfacing….and then it seemed like that might be it for the day.  I thought,  well one turtle is still a great thing, but then one by one, six turtles surfaced all around me!  I hung around with them for quite a while and then decided to paddle back.  Seven turtles is pretty good too, I think!  Conditions stayed just as perfect on the way back and my arm just felt a little sore.  I swam down to the rocks and reef and visited the tropical fish, and it was still nice.  When I packed up and left the beach, the day was still perfect!  I’ll take it!

I took yesterday off and rested my arm.  It was a bit sore from paddling against the Kona wind on Saturday.  Today was a gorgeous day and I was thrilled to get back on the water!  The weather was mellow with just a few patchy white and silver clouds floating about, and the ocean was calm. I paddled down to Cove Park and then turned south and just as I was coming to the catamaran, I saw dolphins!  I paddled toward them.  There were about eight of them, four by me and four out farther.  I couldn’t decide whether to stay put or paddle out to the others!  Suddenly, I realized that I had two of them in front of me and two towards the back of my board!  I was ecstatic.  I have been hoping for another dolphin day for some time and today was the day!  The two dolphins in front of me were side by side, dipping in and out of the water.  Maybe they were mates.  They headed out towards the others, but the two behind me were hanging around coming up and down about eight feet away from me!  It was so exciting.  They must have known I really needed a “pick me up” right now and they were the ticket!  I spent around fifteen to twenty minutes with the dolphins and then they headed out towards the others.  I could see them all coming up and down in the water as they moved out to sea.  It was so neat!  Well, my day had been made already, but I paddled down to the boat ramp anyway, but didn’t stay.  It was getting late and I am still wary of getting caught in the wind while my arm is getting better, so I paddled back.  The conditions stayed nice the whole time, even through my swim!  Not a bad day for January…..I’ll take it!

Beautiful day!

Just as the conditions started to improve, my arm was starting to feel better, and I finally was able to paddle all the way down to the boat ramp…..I got sick!  I am still coughing, but I finally got back out on my board today.  It was a beautiful day!  The conditions were smooth with no wind and I paddled down to Cove Park, and was surprised by a large turtle!  I stayed with it for a few minutes and then it dove down and disappeared.  I paddled south and suddenly a Kona wind kicked up.  It took me forever to paddle to the end of Kam I, and my arm was starting to hurt after paddling against the wind.  I wasn’t sure how much farther I could go, but just as I got to the  beginning of Kam II, the wind backed off!  I made all the way down to the boat ramp.  I sat on my board for a few minutes until I spotted my first turtle.  I paddled to it, and when I arrived, there ended up being three turtles all around me!  I was glad the turtles reminded me they were still there and waiting for me to come back.  By that time, the boats were starting to come in, so I decided to paddle back before the wind came back up.  It was a nice trip back and it stayed nice all the way through my swim!  What a beautiful January day here on Maui!

I didn’t get out until about nine o’clock this morning, but the conditions were perfect!  I wasn’t sure how my arm was going to feel.  I saw a paddling friend as I was going out and she asked how my arm was.  I told her I was working on it!  I started paddling and my arm felt pretty good….so I just kept paddling, and ended up all the way to the boat ramp.  The conditions were so nice and two turtles surfaced to meet me so I was so excited!  Unfortunately, the pontoon tourist boat was just heading in my direction.  Then someone shouted to the tourists who were starting to snorkel, “Hey go over by that lady on the paddle board, she has turtles by her!”  Well that was my cue to say good-bye to the turtles and I headed back.  The conditions stayed nice all the way back and even through my swim!  And my arm?  well it felt pretty good too!

Sunday Sunset!

It was a bit windy this morning when I got up, so instead of paddling, I used some light weights at home to work my arm.  I am tired of the soreness!  I worked out at the gym and then we went to Fred’s Mexican Cafe for fish tacos.  While I was sitting there I watched about ten whales spouting and breaching right off shore!  Hopefully I can try my arm out tomorrow again if it isn’t windy.  We’ll see.