wildwahinepaddler

I got up early this morning and no wind was blowing!  I got down to the beach before 8:30 a.m. and just a little wind had come up blowing from the west.  I took off paddling and headed south.  By the time I got to the end of Kam 3…… The wind seemed to be strengthening.    The skies were mostly overcast and I didn’t mind because it kept it cool.  The impending wind made me nervous so I turned around!  I paddled against the wind up as far as Charley Young Beach and then the wind backed off and it got nicer.  It was still overcast and I started to wonder if it was going to rain.  I headed in to go for my swim.  The water is so warm right now!

Back out there!

Interesting clouds!

The sun had just stsrted to come out as I was leaving the beach.  It sure was a comfortable day!  I hope I can get down to the boat soon to visit my turtles…..

It was a nice morning yesterday and I hadn’t been out paddling in a couple of days.  I got out on my board as quickly as I could.  The water was murky in the shallow water and there was a bit of surge.  I had noticed the white csps way out but I wasn’t sure when the wind might move in.  Out paddling….. The ocean wasn’t very calm either.  There were quite a few swells rolling in.  I decided against going very far from home base and stayed between Kam 2 and Cove Park.  I paddled for an hour and didn’t see any turtles but while I was swimming….. I ran across a nice big turtle and swam with it for a while!  At one point it swam right next to me and was looking right at me!  It was an unexpected treat!

Nice!

Oh finally a nice tranquil day!  I almost didn’t go down to the beach because it was getting late but then I changed my mind!  Thank goodness!  It was already after 9:00 a.m. So I decided not to go all the way down to the boat ramp.  Instead I paddled south to the end of Kam 2 and turned around.  I paddled towards Cove Park and the wind stsrted to gust!  One big gust almost knocked me off my board!  Then I had to paddle against the wind back to Kam 1.  Just as I got back…. This turtle buddy popped up to visit me out in front of Kam 1!  I was glad to see a turtle. The wind kept blowing in and out but my swim was good.  The visibility wasn’t very good down at the point though.  I hope tomorrow morning is nice!

Buddy!

So nice!

Just wow!!  There has been so much wind lately and surge from the hurricane passing the islands….. That a perfect day was very welcome!  Although I didn’t 100% trust the wind so I decided to stay in the area.  It was beautiful and glassy!  There were some loopy swells rolling from the south to paddle over but I couldn’t tell what was causing them.  I paddled between Cove Park and Kam 2 and the wind never came in.  Swimming was just as nice with great visibility too!  If I can get out earlier tomorrow…… And it’s not windy……. Maybe I can get down to the boat ramp and hopefully to the turtles…….

Nice!

Nice!

it was so nice and calm……. I came right home and put my board up on my racks on my car…….. Hopeful for a calm morning tomorrow!

After  getting caught in the wind yesterday…… I hoped this morning would be calm and it was!  I got out on my board by 8:20 a.m.  and it was so nice!   Ten minutes later the wind roared in!  Luckily I had decided to paddle north so it pushed against me down to Cove Park…. But on the way back, it pushed me along!  The bottom photo is what it turned into on my way back.  It was crazy windy!

Started out so nice!

Windy and choppy!

I stayed out for forty minutes in the Windy chop……. And then gave up!  My swim was choppy too but on my way back…… I got surrounded by about a hundred little fish!  They swam around me and below me.  The skies are overcast now too.  I don’t know what the conditions will be like tomorrow….. The tropical storm passing by the islands is supposed to bring us rain….

I was so desperate to go out paddling!  I woke up and looked outside and there was no wind blowing and the sun was coming up.   I got down to the beach as soon as I could!  It was so nice!  I hopped on my board and headed south to the boat ramp.  One turtle surfaced just as I paddled in but it disappeared.  Then another turtle popped up near my board and it was friendly!  Then I spotted another turtle and paddled over to it.  That turtle was also friendly!  One more turtle surprised me so I lingered.  Big mistake!  Suddenly the wind blew in crazy and within minutes I was paddling in a sea of white caps!  Oh how I wish I had paid attention to the conditions!  What a struggle paddling back!  It took me forever to get past Kam 3 and I contemplated bailing out there.  Then I made it to Kam 2 and the wind was relentless!  Once again I contemplated bailing out!   I just kept paddling and eventually…… Made it back to Kam 1.  I was exhausted!  I got in okay and the wind kept it up.  Somehow I managed to get my board up onto my racks without it blowing away.  Next up was swimming.  I already knew it was going to be a choppy swim so I decided to swim against the wind and go north.  I got three quarters of the way down to the rocks at Charley Young beach and my arms were so fatigued!  I turned around to swim back and a big besutiful turtle appeared next to me!  It was heading north so I turned around to swim with it.  My arms were so tired so I left the turtle and swam back.  Luckily the wind gave me a push back!  That was five turtles for the day!  Tomorrow we are supposed to feel the effects of the hurricane passing to the north of the islands but I hope the morning is calm…… I think I better get out earlier!

Four turtles at the boat ramp

Buddy!