wildwahinepaddler

Vog!

Yesterday a south swell popped up and since I had a head ache, I decided not to go out.  Today the swell was still happening but the wind was not blowing so I went out paddling.  There were lots of waves!  Outside, the ocean was glassy though and I cruised over plenty of glassy swells on the way down to the boat ramp.  It was a beautiful day except the vog is creeping in without the trade winds.  Down at the boat ramp I saw two turtles but they didn’t stay around to visit.  I paddled back in nice conditions but kept wondering about going in……. would I make it in without getting hit by a wave?  Well, I hit a nice lull in the waves and made it it just fine!  I swam out behind the waves and it was nice but the visibility is being affected by the swell.  With the exception of the vog creeping in…. it was a beautiful day!!

Trade winds, where are you?

Buddy!

I was up early today and I could see that it was already windy outside.  I went down to the beach to check it out.  Yup….. it was windy and the ocean was choppy…..so I decided to wait and watch for a while.  Just as I had about made up my mind to just go for a swim……the ocean calmed down and got nice!  I hurried and got my board and paddle and headed out.  It was so nice that other paddlers were hustling to get out too!  I took a chance and headed south.  The wind was supposed to be blowing from the east, so I thought I might be safe on the way back.  I paddled in nice conditions all the way down to the boat ramp.  I told myself that I wouldn’t stay too long just in case the wind got crazy, but when I arrived at the boat ramp, a turtle was waiting for me!  I was so glad to see it.  Then FIVE more turtles popped up and I was surrounded in a sea of turtles!  I got lots of photos and I counted at least ten turtles for the day!  I was just about to paddle back when two more turtles surfaced and I could not resist paddling up in between them!  I even saw the turtle I call “Bumpy” today and that made me so happy.

More turtles!

I paddled back in nice conditions and the wind didn’t come up again until after I swam.  What a gorgeous day!

What a surprise!

Gorgeous!

I am finally beating this cold and feeling better.  I missed the beach yesterday, so I really wanted to go paddling today.  I got a parking spot right away and got out as quick as I could, but the wind decided to come up and make the ocean choppy!  I went out anyway.  I paddled in the chop down to the end of Kam 2 trying to decide what the wind was going to do.  The ocean just got more choppy!  I turned around and paddled north into the wind and chop.  By the time I got down to Kalama Park, the wind backed off and it got really perfect!  It was really nice!  The turtles played hide and seek, with none of them staying on the surface long enough for me to get a photo.  I couldn’t believe how the ocean changed and became so calm.  I really didn’t want to come in!

Perfect!

Just as I came in, the wind picked up again but fifteen minutes later it got perfect again!  This is how it was all morning.  I didn’t trust the fickle wind enough to paddle down to the boat ramp, but it was really nice down at Kalama Park!  It got very nice for my swim too, and I enjoyed how clear the water is right now.  What a beautiful Maui day!

When it got perfect, it was really perfect!

One turtle is better than no turtles!

I am fighting a cold…….but I went to the beach anyway.  It looked nice so I took my board out.  There was a slight wind blowing from the south and some rolling bumps coming from the north so I rode the bumps down to the boat ramp!  As soon as I paddled into the area, the wind backed off and it got glassy and nice.  I didn’t wait long before a turtle buddy surfaced, but it was the only turtle for the day.  I didn’t want to stay too long because the wind has been so unpredictable lately, but I am so glad I took the chance because the day ended up being perfect!  I paddled back in perfect conditions and saw some plumerias floating on the water.  I scooped one of them up with my paddle and took in the sweet aroma!

They smell so good!

I loved sitting on my board smelling plumeria!  I laid it on my board and it stayed on there until I rinsed my board off.  The conditions stayed nice all the way back!

Perfect!

Perfect day!

The conditions stayed nice all the way through my swim!  The water is very clear right now.  I look forward to more perfect days like this one!

All aboard!

The skies were mostly overcast this morning…..but there was no wind blowing!  I couldn’t wait to get out on that glassy water.  I paddled straight down to the boat ramp.  I ran into a paddling friend as I passed Kam 2, so we paddled together.  It was so nice down at the boat ramp!  As we paddled in, a kayak was there with a couple on it and there was a turtle on each side of them.  We paddled over and one of the turtles swam by us.  Two more turtles surfaced farther out and I paddled out to them.  By the time I got to them, it was three turtles!  The turtles kept popping up and one of them was very friendly!  That is a photo of the turtle above…..I thought it was going to climb right on my board!  It was so close I could see its little teeth!  If you look closely, you can see them too.  I reached down into the water and skimmed it’s shell.  It kept swimming by me!  There we’re so many turtles and I counted twelve in all.

Hi there!

What a wonderful day!  We paddled back in glassy conditions and the cloud cover was surreal.

Magical!

It was hard to come in from paddling!  The wonderful conditions held for my swim too.  What an amazing day!!

Windy!

it was a pretty day but just as I got out paddling…… The wind came up in a frenzy!  Of course I hoped it was going to back off so I paddled north into the wind.  I paddled and paddled and I was getting nowhere!  The gusts of wind were trying to grab my hat and push me off my board!  I lasted about 30 minutes in those conditions.  It was a fast and furious workout!  It was just one of those days!  I got luckier during my swim and managed to swim against the wind down to the end of Charley Young beach.   I knew I would get pushed back and that’s exactly what happened.  Some days are just like that!

Pretty day

Good morning!

Hi there!

I was unsure of the wind…..but I wanted to go paddling!  I headed south and ran into a paddling friend.  We debated the wind and then decided to take a chance and head to the boat ramp.  The first turtle popped up at Kam 1!  It dove down before I could catch a photo.  We rode the bumps down to the boat ramp and when we arrived, the wind backed off just as I had hoped it would!  The conditions got glassy and nice and the turtles did not disappoint us!  I sat between two sets of two turtles, getting some good photos.  The turtles were cooperating!  The turtles kept popping up until I had counted twelve!  Between the twelve at the boat ramp and one turtle at Kam 1…..that was thirteen turtles for the day!  I sure love the turtles!  We paddled back in nice conditions and it stayed nice throughout my swim too.  It was a beautiful turtle day!!  I hope it’s nice tomorrow too…….

Beautiful day!

Kalama park

Nice day!

Turtles!

It has been so windy!  I  don’t trust the wind when it is like this, but I wanted to paddle.  I got down to the beach pretty early, but by then the water was not calm.  I went out anyway and paddled north into the wind.  Down at Kalama park I ran into a friend so we hung out there and I saw three turtles!  It was pretty crowded down there so we paddled south.  The wind backed off some and then came up again!  We paddled down to Kam 2 and I decided to head back for my swim.  The wind backed off again while I swam and it was really nice! It was good to see so many Unicorn fish down at the reef.   I look forward to more predictable wind.  Getting stuck down at the boat ramp in the wind isn’t very fun!  I had to paddle against wind bumps back to Kam 1 too.  It sure was a beautiful day though!

Windy!

It was a windy day today.  The ocean was not calm but I went out paddling anyway.  The wind was blowing from the south and west and was constantly changing.  I didn’t trust it enough to paddle down to the boat ramp!  I paddled down past Kam 2 and then it got bumpy so I turned and paddled north.  I went all the way down to Kalama Park and the wind kept backing off and starting up again!  I only saw one turtle and it didn’t stay long.  A paddling friend told me there were some dolphins out farther but the wind conditions didn’t make me want to venture out that far!  I had to paddle the whole time because the wind wanted to turn me around. It was a good workout!  I knew that the wind was going to get crazy at some point, but it did stay nice while I swam and it was still pretty nice when I left the beach.  I look forward to a break in the wind so I can go down to my favorite place. I miss all my turtles!  At least it was a beautiful day though……..and I’m very pleased to be paddling again!

windy off and on…..