wildwahinepaddler

Nice!

Finally the ocean is getting back to normal.  The swell has gone and the wind has backed off for now, at least in the morning.  Yesterday I checked to see if I could lift my board and hoist onto my racks  and I was able to do it.  I am getting very tired of this sore arm so I decided t try to paddle.  Everything was going well, until I sat down to paddle and that really hurt!  Certain positions and elevations make it hurt, so I tried to minimize those while I was paddling.  It was a gorgeous day and calm conditions so I paddled down to Kam III and then went back.  I just didn’t want to push it and get caught in the wind with an arm that is not 100%.  Call me cautious, but this sore arm has been no fun.  I made it back and was able to carry my board to the shower and then was able to put it up on my racks.  Mission accomplished!  Swimming was another story.  Since I can’t fully extend my arm, it made swimming difficult, but at least I got into the water.  When I was on the beach, I saw a whale breach right where I had just been!  There were two or three of them, just playing and spouting right off of Kam I.  I watched them head north and then out to sea and all the while the whales put on quite a show!  I hope to get to see them up close and personal before they leave in the Spring.  That is, when my arm is working better!

Nice!

Beautiful sunset on Maui tonight!  It’s still on the windy side, but it looks as if the swell has past.  If my arm feels better, I sure would like to go out paddling!

Beautiful morning!

It was a beautiful morning….but don’t be fooled by this photo.  For six days now there has been shore break, some wind, and some unfriendly seas out there and I am still waiting for some good paddling and swimming conditions!  I was so wanting to paddle this morning, so I went out “anyway”.  It wasn’t hard to get out, but once I was out there the swells coming in made me uneasy.  I thought I would just paddle back and forth in front of Kam I, but instead I paddled in.  Why not wait for a perfect day? I waited until there was a lull in the swells, at least I thought so, and paddled in.  Before I knew it, a wave picked me up and was threatening to toss me over!   I was in too close to try to “ride” it in, so I lurched backward on my board and pushed down and was able to pull out of it.  Unfortunately, the lurching meant I threw my arms up and back, and my right arm got tweaked!  When I got in, I was able to carry my board up on to the sand, but my “carrying” arm really hurt.  I took a walk on the beach and then went out into the water for a “dip”…..since I really needed to get wet!  Luckily my husband came down to the beach and carried my board up to my car and lifted it up on my racks. I went home and took some motrin, but this arm really does hurt!  Oh…. I don’t like injuries……and I don’t like missing out on paddling or seeing my turtles, but what can I do?  I hope the conditions improve soon and my arm feels better too.  I can only hope, though,  and be grateful that the weather is still perfect!

Well it was a carbon copy of yesterday, with mostly sunny skies, moderate temperatures, and calm conditions.  Not bad for January!  It was smooth paddling down to the boat ramp and with only one other paddler there, it was much better than yesterday.  I sat on my board for quite a while, but  I didn’t mind because it was such a gorgeous day.  I only saw three turtles today and they seemed to want to hang out right in the boat lane, where the boats go in and out on the ramp.  One turtle, in particular, was very friendly and swam underneath me a few times and surfaced to take a look at me!  I was having a really good time with the turtle,  until the boats started to come in.  After I had to paddle away for the third time to get out of the way of incoming boats, I called  it a day at the boat ramp!  Paddling back was just a smooth and fun as when I first went out too.  It was such a beautiful day, so I paddled out to the Quiet zone and sat for a while before paddling in.  The conditions stayed just as nice for my swim, and it was still really nice when I left the beach.  I love days  like this!

Maui sunset!

oooooh…… ahhhhhhh…!!!!

It was another one of those perfect days at the beach on Maui.  Mostly sunny skies with puffs of white and silver clouds floating by,  and a calm ocean.  It was great paddling down to the boat ramp!  When I arrived, though, there were six other paddlers sitting right in my spot (I am going to really have to stop bragging about all my turtles there!). I paddled over to the side of the group and sat down on my board.  Before I knew it, two turtles popped up beside me!  Then the “group” started to gravitate towards me, so I paddled out a bit farther and found myself surrounded by three turtles!  Then the group started to gravitate again in my direction…..ugggghhh….weekends.  So I paddled north and was surrounded by four turtles!  Finally the “group” decided to move on…. so I finally had the place to myself.  Then three more turtles surfaced by me!  One had some tumors by its eye, and that is so sad to see.  The wind started to pick up so I headed back, but the conditions were still ideal.  When I went for my swim, the wind had completely backed off and it was nice and smooth!  Yes, it was an ideal day on Maui, that’s for sure!

It was just one of those days…. mostly sunny skies, mild temperatures, and calm conditions.  I got out earlier as planned, and was immediately greeted by a big turtle right in front of Kam I!  I paddled south with it, while it leisurely swam for about ten minutes or so, then paddled in my usual northerly direction.  The ocean was so calm and perfect and the top of Haleakala was completely clear with a golden glow.  I paddled down to the boat ramp and when I arrived, I was the only one there.  I sat on my board, hoping some turtles would appear, but I wasn’t seeing any.  I was about to leave the area when turtle #1 appeared in front of me!  Then turtle #2 surfaced.  I paddled out farther and suddenly I was surrounded by three turtles!  Then I paddled north and found myself in the middle of four turtles! I was ecstatic!  I was about to leave when SIX turtles surfaced all around me! Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better than that….a little farther out I was again surrounded by three big turtles!  That was 19 turtles in all, counting the one at Kam I.  It was a true turtlefest!  By the time I headed back, an on shore wind had kicked up and the ocean got somewhat choppy.  It was a good workout going back.  By the time I went for my swim, the wind had backed off again and the conditions were smooth.  All in all, it was a great day at the beach!  I love those turtles!

Boat ramp dazzle!

Thank you, Eli, for creating such a fun photo of me enjoying turtles at the boat ramp!!!!!!!  I love it!

Perfect paddling conditions!

It was a gorgeous January morning on Maui today! Mostly clear skies and the vog has somewhat dissipated, so the island of Lanai was starting to be visible again.  I paddled  down to the boat ramp, and as I was arriving, there were about six paddlers paddling out.  After they moved out, I had the place to myself!  The ocean was so calm and beautiful.  Initially, I didn’t see a single turtle, so I wondered if it might be one of those rare days when no turtles show up.  I sat on my board and just enjoyed my surroundings and I noticed that  the top of Haleakala was completely clear.  After a while, I was considering paddling back, but suddenly turtle #1 surfaced to reel me in!  I paddled over to it, and then turtle #2 popped up.  I paddled out a bit farther, and three turtles surfaced all around me!  Then I saw turtle #6 swimming underneath my board.  I was happy to see six turtles today and thought that might be it, until three more surfaced all around me, again.  Then I heard a big “swoosh” behind me and when I looked over my right shoulder, turtle #10 was surfacing behind me!  Ten turtles were a nice surprise and the conditions on the ocean were just as calm paddling back.  I had time so I stopped at the Quiet Zone to sit for a few minutes too.  The wind never came in and my swim was nice too.  Some days are like that…..just perfect!

The news said that the north/west facing shores were expecting wave faces of 25 to 35 ft.!  That is really, really big!  Over here, on the south shore it was flat with a north wind blowing…. no waves for us.  I got a late start and didn’t get out on the ocean until about 9:30 a.m. and by then, the north wind was blowing.  I went out anyway and was immediately greeted by a big turtle right out in front of Kam I!  I followed it while it swam for about 15 minutes and then watched it swim under me before it headed out to sea.  It was a great start for the day!  I paddled north into the wind down to Charley Young Beach and then turned around.  The wind gave me a push paddling south and it was choppy.  Strange, though, it was a kind of glassy chop….hard to describe.  I paddled down to Kam III and then turned around because the ocean was getting increasingly choppy.  The clouds kept coming in too, which was making the water dark.  I got quite a workout paddling back, but I enjoyed it!  By the time I was ready for my swim, the wind completely backed off and it was smooth conditions.  I was happy to see a variety of tropical fish swimming about down at the reef!  About the time I was getting ready to leave the beach, in came the wind again.  I never know what each day holds for me!