wildwahinepaddler

Very nice with a touch of rain tonight…..

The wind has been tricky lately.  It was supposed to back off a bit this weekend but so far it hasn’t.  There was exactly one hour that was decent for paddling and I managed to get that hour!  It was a little windy when I went out but just as I got down to Kam 3…… the wind backed off and it got so nice!  The snorkel boat was already at the boat ramp so I had to work around them.  Four turtles surfaced for me!   I got some photos and decided to head back.  It was such nice paddling.  Just as I was coming in…… the wind started blowing again and it didn’t stop.  It was a very choppy swim!  Then it started sprinkling too.  Weird weather……

Thursday sunset…..

Wow!   What a day!  Conditions that looked good initially ….. turned wild in ten minutes.  A lot of swells started rolling in from the north-west and the wind started blowing from the south……. total washing machine conditions!  I paddled south into the wind at first but then turned around so I could see what swells were coming at me.  It was a wild ride but the worst part? Way too many newbies out on rented boards that didn’t know how to control their boards.   That was scary.  I made it in and was lucky enough to run into a lovely turtle during my swim.  It was friendly!  Twice it stopped and I stopped too….. then it swam around me.  The water visibility still isn’t very good but I could see the turtle!  Unfortunately on my way back in  a guy on a rented stdndup board ran over me!  It was a miracle I didn’t get bonked in the head or cut by his fins…… instead I pulled my hamstring muscle and my right calf muscle trying to get away from him.   I hope the muscles don’t stay sore……..

I was hoping for a really nice day and it happened today!  The south swells have passed leaving us with limited visibility in the water but at least the ocean and beach conditions are improved.  I got out a bit later than I intended to so I paddled into Kam 3 and then turned around.  It was so nice out on the water!  I paddled over to the point between Kam 1 & 2 and one turtle surfaced.  Then when I was paddling back another turtle surfaced sending a tourist on a rented board toppling into the water!  It really freaked her out!   But I managed to get couple of photos of it.  It was nice to be back on my board after nearly a week of varied ocean conditions.  It was nice to swim too even though the water visibility is still limited….

Beautiful sunset!   After two south swells in a row……. hopefully the northwest swell won’t materialize.  Maybe paddling tomorrow……. but water visibility has been poor due to the swells……

Somehow the turtle got in the sunset post….. but we’ll let her stay.   It was quite an amazing sky to end a pretty amazing day…..

Oh man….what a spectacular turtle day!  The day was perfect, as were the ocean conditions and it was spectacular…… twelve turtles at the boat ramp…. one at Kam 1 on my way in from paddling…. and two turtles while swimming!  I had been longing for just such a day…… and it was today!  I was alone at the boat ramp with twelve turtles….. three turtle triangles and one turtle line of three with lots of baby turtles in the mix.  Then one turtle surfaced on my way coming in and wanted to play hide and seek.  Then while swimming….. I swam with two lovely turtles and got photos and video!  All the while the wind behaved and didn’t start coming in until after I was done.   It could not have been better!  It’s harder than you think to be swimming while taking photos and video…… it’s lots of swimming!  I’m really enjoying this underwater camera and the interaction with the turtles.   I hope tomorrow is just as nice!

Beautiful!

We’ve had some weird weather lately.  Nice in the early morning….. clouds moving in…… the wind comes up and we get rain at some point in the day or night. It was supposed to pass yesterday….. but not yet.  It was windy from the start of the day today.  Some people were out paddling but it just didn’t look that good to me.  Instead I put on my snorkel gear and the underwater camera and took off for a swim.  Suddenly a turtle was headed in my direction!  It was great to swim with the turtle and I got some great photos and video.   I am really enjoying this underwater camera!